Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
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Flavorful Italian comfort food that only takes 15 minutes to prep? Count me in! This popular Slow Cooker Beef Ragu recipe is easy to make and so scrumptious! Toss everything in a Crock Pot, then let it do the work for you. Serve the ragu over creamy cheesy polenta or pappardelle pasta for a delicious dinner!

This Beef Ragu recipe has been pinned over 44,000 times and was featured at #3 on Huffington Post’s list of “The Best Recipes That Came From Food Bloggers in 2014“. Needless to say, it’s popular for a reason!
“This is a fantastic recipe – it has SUCH great flavor for such few ingredients!”
-Kari
This recipe has been a hit since it first appeared on the blog in 2014. While the original recipe remains the same, I’ve updated this post to include answers to frequently asked questions, new serving options, and easy additions that can be made to the recipe.
With a quick prep time, simple instructions, and delicious flavor, you simply can’t go wrong with this classic recipe! If you’re in a hurry, you can also try my Instant Pot Beef Ragu, same tender beef goodness, made in just one hour.

Instructions
- Add sliced onion, minced garlic cloves and fresh chopped rosemary to the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on the stove over high heat.
- Season a beef chuck roast with salt and black pepper. Once the skillet is hot, add the seasoned roast and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer it to a slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir beef broth, red wine and tomato paste together. Pour the mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Add diced tomatoes to the Crock Pot.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 10-12 hours.
- After the cooking time is complete, use two forks or meat claws to shred the beef apart in the slow cooker.
- Serve the beef ragu on top of creamy cheesy polenta or tossed with pappardelle pasta.
- If serving with pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and toss with the ragù immediately. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Optional additions and substitutions
- To sneak in some extra veggies, add diced carrots and celery at the same time as the onion. This combination of vegetables is known as soffritto in Italian. I recommend adding 1/2 cup of each vegetable to the ragu.
- To spice up the ragu, add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the salt and pepper.
- To add more flavor, rub 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning on the beef chuck roast with the salt and pepper.
- The fresh rosemary in this recipe can be substituted with fresh thyme sprigs.
- When it comes to red wine, I recommend using cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, or syrah in this recipe. If you don’t want to use wine, you can omit it or replce it with white grape juice.
- You can substitute a tri tip, bottom round roast, or brisket, in for the beef chuck roast.
How to serve it
- Over Creamy Cheesy Polenta – my favorite way to serve the dish!
- With pasta – preferably pappardelle or another wide, flat pasta noodle, like fettuccine.
- In lasagna – seriously, the best lasagna you’ll ever make in your life is with this beef ragu as the sauce!
- Over raviolis – to keep things simple, pick up a container of pre-made fresh cheese raviolis in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. They cook up in 2-3 minutes and pair perfectly with the beef ragu sauce, cooked down to a slightly thicker consistency.
- Over spaghetti squash – for a low carb option, serve the ragu over roasted spaghetti squash.

What to serve with it
After deciding how to serve the ragu, it’s time to decide what to serve on the side. I usually keep it simple with a salad and bread (to soak up any extra ragu sauce left behind!).
An easy caesar salad and warm baguette are perfect, but if you want to step it up a notch, here are a few of my favorite salad and bread side dishes to serve with beef ragu.
More Italian sauces to try
And don’t miss these other popular recipes for Italian pasta sauces!
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup red wine
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
For serving (optional)
- 12 ounces pappardelle pasta
- 6 cups creamy cheesy polenta, click link for recipe
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, and rosemary to the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on the stove over high heat.
- Season the beef on all sides with the salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, add the seasoned beef and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer it to a slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, combine the beef broth, red wine and tomato paste. Pour the mixture over the beef. Add the can of diced tomatoes to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 10-12 hours.
- After the cooking time, use two forks or meat claws to shred the beef in the slow cooker.
- Optional: serve the beef on top of creamy polenta or toss it with cooked pasta. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Nutritional Information: The nutrition information provided does not include the serving options.
- Gluten Free Option: This recipe is gluten free when served over polenta or with gluten free pasta. Always make sure the beef broth used is gluten free.
- Pressure Cooker Option: Click here for an Instant Pot version of this recipe.
- Thickening the sauce: to thicken the sauce, transfer it from the slow cooker to a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Allow it to reduce and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Wine Substitute: omitting the wine in this recipe is totally fine. You can also substitute white grape juice in it’s place.
- Storage: leftovers of this ragu will stay good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, I recommend placing the ragu back in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: place the ragu in a dutch oven on the stove, covered, set to low for one hour. You can also reheat the ragu in a slow cooker set to low for 1-2 hours.
- Cuts of beef: Instead of a chuck roast, a bottom round roast, tri tip or brisket can be used in it’s place.
Nutrition Facts
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165 Comments on “Slow Cooker Beef Ragu”
In my slow cooker as we speak! Hope I got the right meat as Im UK based! Im going to puree the sauce as a post suggested as I think it might go better with the wild mushroom and truffle oil (YUM!) ravioli I bought. Cannot wait!! Also going to have it on eggs tomorrow! But what kind of eggs is best? Scrambled, fried?!
Yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think! Those raviolis sound amazing! I added the leftover ragu to scrambled eggs and it was so delicious!! Enjoy 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! The cook time (8 hrs) and high setting worked great for me. Excellent recipe, thanks so much! It’s now on my list of favorites.
Oh yay! So glad you enjoyed it Katherine! Thanks so much 🙂
I’m excited to try this one! I’m not a huge fan of rosemary, though. What’s your second best choice for an aromatic here?
Shezeen
Hi Shezeen, I’d recommend replacing the rosemary with thyme. Enjoy!!
I made this over the weekend, and my wife has been eating if for B, L & D. I did realize the ingredients are essentially identical to a pot roast (brisket) recipe I make all the time in the oven. To my brisket, I add a lot of carrots which adds sweetness. I’ll be making this again since it’s much easier than the oven pot roast which browns the meat and onions!
So glad to hear that you and your wife enjoyed it Kenny! Thank you for sharing!
Currently in my crock pot! I cannot wait to eat it!! Of course I’m weird and make it at 12 am and it will be done around 8am >.< Good thing hubby will be home by then to turn it off while I sleep =D
6 hours for the biggest chuck has overcooked it WAY too much. I through leather out and replaced it with a tri-tip, will cook at low for 6 hours and see. Perhaps my crock runs hot!
Hope you are well.
-L
Hey Larry, I just made it last week and cooked it for almost 8 hours on high and it was perfect. Not sure why it isn’t working consistently for everyone. Let me know how the tri tip turns out!
I just dropped all the ingredients into my crockpot and can’t wait for dinner tonight! For anyone who doesn’t have a crockpot… Make the investment. They are inexpensive and so versatile. I’ll post a followup later.
Hope you’re enjoying a delicious dinner of Beef Ragu right now Judi! And I totally agree, I love my 3 crockpots!! 😉
This looks so delicious! Definitely saving this recipe to try soon.
Thanks Ryan!! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I really want to try this recipe in my 6 quart electric pressure cooker. Any suggestions on how long I should cook it for?
I did make this in my pressure cooker today. I cooked it on high for 40 minutes and let the steam release naturally. The meat fell apart, and the taste was excellent, but I do wish the sauce had been a little thicker!
Hi Beth, thanks so much for sharing! I’m glad the recipe worked well for you in the pressure cooker. You could always reduce the sauce after cooking to thicken it up if you would like.
This is fabulous. I’m excited because my son is home for Christmas break and I am going to make this for him. He loves all things pasta and I think he will especially love this, plus we really are craving it again. Thanks!!!
So awesome, thanks Amy! I hope you and your family enjoy it again! Merry Christmas!!
I have a 4 qt crockpot, should I adjust the size of the beef to fit better? Also, do you add the garlic cloves in whole? Any suggestions on cooking time for a newer crock pot would be great as well! I was going to try 8 hours on low.
Hi Alysa,
Mine is a 5 qt crockpot, that still had room to spare, so you should be able to make the recipe with the ingredients exactly as it calls for and have plenty of room in the 4 qt crockpot.
I added the garlic cloves whole, but you could mince them if you would like.
I’ve made the recipe several times in various slow cookers, including my parents brand new slow cooker, and it still took between 6-8 hours on high, but others have commented and said they did 8 hours on low, then 2 hours on high and it was perfect.
Enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turns out! 🙂
It sounds easy to make and delicious. I will definitely try to make it this week.
Thank you Priscilla! Enjoy!
Hi! I made this recipe yesterday. The flavor was great – however, the meat came out tougher/dryer then expected. I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then switched it to low for 2 hours given I have a new slow cooker that does tend to cook some dishes faster. Anyone else have found a good cooking time (on high or low) for a newer version of a slow cooker?
I plan to prepare this one day in advance. Should it be reheated in the slow cooker on warm? If so, how long would you suggest? Thank you.
You can reheat it in the slow cooker on warm, I’d say start reheating it at least 30 minutes – 1 hour before you plan to serve it. Enjoy!
AMAZING with a glass (or more!) of red wine! Both my wife and my 14months old loved it 🙂
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can you tell me how to adjust this meal to make 14 adult serves in metric please ????
Have you ever added any veggies? Carrots or mushrooms maybe? I made it once and loved it but would like to add a little extra
Hi Misty, I have not, but I’m sure that throwing some carrots and celery in would be a nice addition!
This is in my ‘small’ slow cooker right now. Should be done before I go to zzzz land. Plan to leave overnight to get the best of the flavours for tomorrow night’s supper – CAN.NOT.WAIT 🙂
Hi Geri! Thanks so much for sharing! Enjoy 🙂
I’m having company over and want leftovers. Has anyone used more than 2lbs of beef? How long did you slow cook it for? Thanks!
Does anyone know the nutritional content of this recipe?