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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

    Beef Ragu Recipe

    Published: Jan 18, 2022 Modified: Jan 18, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Rich, fall-apart tender Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Recipe is a dish the whole family will love so much, they're sure to want seconds. This deeply flavorful beef ragu recipe uses simple ingredients to create the perfect beef dinner comfort food!

    slow cooker beef ragu in a grey bowl
    Jump to:
    • Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
    • Beef Ragu Ingredients
    • Beef Ragu Recipe Instructions
    • Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu Tips
    • Slow Cooker Ragu Beef FAQs
    • Storing Leftover Beef Ragu
    • Best Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe

    Slow Cooked Beef Ragu

    There is something about slow-cooked meals that I have a weakness for, and hands down, this crock pot beef ragu recipe is one of my family's favorites! There is no dish more satisfying on a cool evening than beef ragu pasta.

    With all the magic happening right inside your slow cooker, this is an easy, set-and-forget beef ragu recipe. The tender, slow-cooked shredded beef soaks up all the sauce and pairs perfectly with pasta.

    I guarantee you will love this braised beef ragu. It's so good, you'll be scraping the plate with your fork for every last bite of the sauce!

    Beef Ragu Ingredients

    • Boneless beef brisket
    • Olive oil
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Celery
    • Carrots
    • Red wine
    • Tomato paste
    • Tomato puree
    • Beef stock
    • Dried oregano
    • Sugar
    • Black pepper
    • Salt
    • Dried bay leaves
    • Whole milk

    Beef Ragu Recipe Instructions

    1. Cut boneless beef brisket into quarters.beef chopped into quarters
    2. Season brisket with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add brisket and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until browned all over. Place the beef in the slow cooker.beef seared chopped into quarters
    3. Without cleaning the saucepan, add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute and stir until soft, around 5 minutes.veggies in a pan ready to saute
    4. Add wine and continue to saute until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 1 minute). Add tomato paste, tomato puree, and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer.adding tomato paste into a pan
    5. Mix in oregano, sugar, pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Slowly add milk while stirring to combine.adding seasonings and milk into a saute pan
    6. Pour the mixture from the pan over the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every so often. It's ready when the beef shreds easily with a fork.adding beef into slow cooker
    7. Remove the meat to a cutting board and use 2 forks to pull it apart. Return it to the slow cooker and mix it well with the sauce.beef on a wood cutting board being shredded
    8. Boil a large pot of water. Season with salt, then add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
      pasta ready to be boiled for beef ragu
    9. Add the pasta to the ragu in the slow cooker and toss to coat. Stir in reserved patsa water by the Tablespoon if the sauce needs more liquid. Serve with grated parmesan and parsley, and enjoy!slow cooker beef ragu in a grey bowl

    Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu Tips

    • Cut your beef roast into 4 pieces. This will help the beef become more tender.
    • You can use any kind of pasta you like, but pappardelle is perfect for pairing with beef ragu. A pasta that holds up to a heavy sauce well works best.
    • Chuck roast, or another type of pot roast cut of beef, could also be used to make the beef ragu.
    • If you don't have red wine, you could use more beef stock in place of the wine. The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious.
    • I recommend using whole milk, but you can also use half & half if you prefer. Heavy cream would change the consistency of the sauce.
    beef ragu in a gray bowl with a fork

    Slow Cooker Ragu Beef FAQs

    What is the best cut of beef for beef ragu?

    The best cut of beef for beef ragu is boneless beef brisket or roast beef (such as chuck roast or rump roast). The slow cooker, it breaks down perfectly into tender, shred-with-a-fork beef, which is exactly what you want for beef ragu.

    What is beef ragu made from?

    Beef ragu uses a mixture of tomato paste, tomato puree, milk, beef stock, and red wine, along with seasonings, vegetables, and beef brisket, to create a tomato-based beef sauce for pasta. Generally, thicker types of pasta are used for ragu; beef ragu pappardelle is a popular choice.

    Storing Leftover Beef Ragu

    Store beef ragu in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    Alternatively, place it in the freezer in a freezer-safe container once cooled, and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to label it with the date.

    Best Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
    • Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
    • Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Stew
    • Slow Cooker Beef Ribs
    • Slow Cooker Roast Beef

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    📋 Recipe

    beef ragu in a gray bowl with a fork
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    4.60 from 5 votes

    Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

    Rich, fall-apart tender Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is a dish the whole family will love so much, they're sure to want seconds.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time6 hrs
    Total Time6 hrs 20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: beef ragu, beef ragu recipe, slow cooker beef ragu, slow cooker ragu
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 300kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds boneless beef brisket cut into quarters
    • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic crushed
    • 1 ½ cups onion finely chopped
    • 3 stalks celery finely chopped
    • 2 medium carrots grated
    • ½ cup red wine good quality, not sweet
    • ⅓ cup tomato paste
    • 1 ½ cups tomato puree
    • ¾ cup beef stock
    • 1 tablespoon heaping dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 dried bay leaves
    • ½ cup whole milk

    See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

    Instructions

    • Cut boneless beef brisket into quarters.
      3 pounds boneless beef brisket
      beef chopped into quarters
    • Season brisket with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add brisket and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until browned all over. Place the beef in the slow cooker.
      3 pounds boneless beef brisket, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
      beef seared chopped into quarters
    • Without cleaning the saucepan, add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute and stir until soft, around 5 minutes.
      1 clove garlic, 1 ½ cups onion, 3 stalks celery, 2 medium carrots
      veggies in a pan ready to saute
    • Add wine and continue to saute until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 1 minute). Add tomato paste, tomato puree, and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer.
      ½ cup red wine, ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 ½ cups tomato puree, ¾ cup beef stock
      adding tomato paste into a pan
    • Mix in oregano, sugar, pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Slowly add milk while stirring to combine.
      1 tablespoon, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 dried bay leaves, ½ cup whole milk
      adding seasonings and milk into a saute pan
    • Pour the mixture from the pan over the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every so often. It's ready when the beef shreds easily with a fork.
      adding beef into slow cooker
    • Remove the meat to a cutting board and use 2 forks to pull it apart. Return it to the slow cooker and mix it well with the sauce.
      beef on a wood cutting board being shredded
    • Boil a large pot of water. Season with salt, then add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
      pasta ready to be boiled for beef ragu
    • Add the pasta to the ragu in the slow cooker and toss to coat. Stir in reserved patsa water by the Tablespoon if the sauce needs more liquid. Serve with grated parmesan and parsley, and enjoy!
      slow cooker beef ragu in a grey bowl

    Notes

    • Cut your beef roast into 4 pieces. This will help the beef become more tender.
    • You can use any kind of pasta you like, but pappardelle is perfect for pairing with beef ragu. A pasta that holds up to a heavy sauce well works best.
    • Chuck roast, or another type of pot roast cut of beef, could also be used to make beef ragu.
    • If you don't have red wine, you could use more beef stock in place of the wine. The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious.
    • I recommend using whole milk, but you can also use half & half if you prefer. Heavy cream would change the consistency of the sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 893mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2457IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg

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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and makes regular television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

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