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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!
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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
- Cut boneless beef brisket 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.
- Without cleaning the saucepan, add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute and stir until soft, around 5 minutes.
- 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.
- Mix in oregano, sugar, pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Slowly add milk while stirring to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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-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.
Slow Cooker Ragu Beef FAQs
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.
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
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Equipment
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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.
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