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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is rich, tender, and fall-apart delicious. Let your slow cooker do all the work while you go about your day, then come home to a deeply satisfying, ready-made home-cooked dinner.
This is my favorite way to cozy up on a cold winter’s day— with warm, bold flavors and comforting aromas. Beautifully browned beef simmers low and slow, infusing this rustic and versatile sauce with incredible depth and richness.
What Makes This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Work
The secret to this Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is in the low and slow cooking. As the beef gently simmers for hours, it breaks down into tender, juicy shreds that soak up every bit of the rich tomato sauce. That deep, meaty flavor you crave from a good ragu? It all happens effortlessly in the slow cooker.
What really sets this recipe apart is its versatility. It’s hearty enough for a cozy winter dinner but elegant enough for entertaining.
What Goes Into This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is all about rich, slow simmered flavor and melt-in-your-mouth beef. With just a few pantry staples and a good cut of slow-cooking beef, you’ll have a comforting sauce that’s perfect over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
- Beef Brisket or Round Roast: A well-marbled, slow-cooking cut that becomes beautifully tender and easy to shred after hours in the slow cooker.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Two cans of crushed or dices tomatoes from the rich, hearty base of the sauce, soaking up all that meaty flavor.
- Red Wine or Beef Broth: Adds depth and richness to the ragu. Use red wine for a more robust flavor, or broth for an alcohol-free version.
- Garlic and Onion: The aromatic foundation that brings warmth and balance to the tomato-based sauce.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements
How To Make Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Prep the Beef: Cut the beef into 4 large chunks for even cooking. Trim off any excess fat to keep the sauce rich but not greasy.
- Sear for Flavor: Heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear beef for about 5 minutes per side until browned, then transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sauté Aromatics: Using the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the onion and cook until softened and transluscent.
- Combine in Slow Cooker: Transfer the garlic and onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, wine, bouillion, herbs, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sugar.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours. The beef should be tender and easily pulled apart with a fork.
- Thicken the Sauce: For a thicker ragu, stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot and mix it well into the sauce.
- Serve and Enjoy: Spoon the ragu over your favorite base—pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, or even zucchini noodles. Garnish with Parmesan or fresh herbs, if desired.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for pairing with simple, comforting sides. For a cozy, satisfying meal, serve it with a bowl of Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup: the velvety texture and tangy tomato flavor make a perfect match for the rich, meaty sauce.
For a bright and balanced contrast, add a side of Grilled Asparagus. Its smoky char and crisp bite cut through the richness of the Italian beef ragu beautifully. And for dessert, keep things fresh with a batch of Lemon Bars. Their zesty, citrusy flavor is the ideal finish after a warm, slow cooked meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! While brisket and round roast are ideal for slow cooking, chuck roast or beef cheeks also work beautifully and become incredibly tender.
Searing isn’t required, but it adds a deeper, richer flavor to the ragu. If you have the time, it’s a step worth taking.
Absolutely. Substitute the red wine with extra beef broth or stock for a family-friendly version without losing depth of flavor
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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 4 pounds beef brisket or round roast, or any slow cooking beef of your choice, trimmed of fat
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely copped or minced
- 28 ounce tomatoes crushed or diced, 2 cans
- 1/2 cup red wine or beef broth / stock
- 1/2 cup beef broth stock
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons salt adjust to your tastes
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar adjust to your tastes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water – optional for a thick sauce
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 4 large chunks to ensure even cooking in the slow cooker. Trim off any large pieces of excess fat to prevent the sauce from becoming overly greasy.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef pieces for about 5 minutes per side until deeply browned. This step builds rich flavor. Transfer the seared beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add a little more oil if needed. Sauté the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the garlic and onion mixture into the slow cooker with the beef. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, red wine, bouillon, italian herbs, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of a sugar. Stir to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and easily pulled apart.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for additional 30 minutes.
- Remove the beef chunks from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Discard any fatty bits, then return the shredded meat to the sauce and mix it until fully coated and evenly distributed.
- Serve the rich beef ragu over pasta, creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or zucchini noodles. Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs like parsley or basil if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
WATCH US MAKE RAGU HERE:
I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious.
I served it w pureed potato and thickly sliced vienna. Had plenty of leftovers so the following night I turned it into Mexican flavours etc taco seasoning and coriander, tin lentils served w rice & avocado. 5 stars..
This is chef’s kiss amazing!
Prepped it night before: Seared the meat, cooked the garlic and onions, placed in crock pot with the tomatoes, wine and spices (I omitted sugar). Placed In fridge overnight. Right before I left for work at zero dark thirty, placed it on low for 10 hours. Came home from work— walked into my kitchen which smelled like a really great Italian restaurant. I cooked fettuccine (3 mins less than what box said). I strained pasta, then I skimmed the liquid from the ragu and placed in pasta pot, returned the fettuccine OMG THIS WAS SO DIVINE!!!!
Thank you for this really easy way to get a hearty and delicious meal prepared on these busy work nights and varsity football nights (iykyk, parents!)
I made this as directed. I have made about 10 of your recipies and none disappointed. Your lasagna made me a hero. I just want to say thank you.
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing ….
Made it yesterday, followed the recipe to a T with the exception of basal. Got a 4+lb bottom roast for $1.29 a lb., so took closer to 5 hours. Awesome!!! Served with polenta and mixed green salad with a dijon dressing, and a crusty French loaf. In the Sunday lineup!
This recipe was amazing. Everyone in a family of SEVEN loved it. SOOOOOO GOOD.
This is just about ready and I’ve just tested it, it’s a flavour bomb! Thank you so much for the recipe Karina!
Have got this cooking on high for almost 5 hours but it’s not quite pull apart yet… anxious for it to work as it smells incredible!
I don’t have cornstarch – would gelatin powder work with the same method?
Delicious recipe! We are a low carb family, so I omitted the cornflour and the sugar and neither were missed. Now my go to ragu recipe!
Everybody loved this dish
Hi there, i was wondering if i half the meat as its only for 1 person do i half the liquid too?
Thank you 🙂