Easy Beef Ragu (Slow Cooker)

A slow cooker filled with pasta, shredded meat in tomato sauce, topped with chopped parsley and grated cheese, with a wooden spoon resting inside. Parsley and cheese bowls are nearby.

A slow cooker beef ragu with chuck roast, no searing, no wine. Dump everything in, walk away, and serve fall-apart shredded beef over pappardelle.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Low Lactose

Keyword beef ragu, comfort food, easy, one pot, slow cooker ragu

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings servings

Calories 532

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 3 to 4 large chunks
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and small diced
2 celery stalks, small diced
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf

For Serving

1 pound pappardelle or rigatoni, cooked in salted water according to package directions

Instructions

Add the Beef to the Slow Cooker: Place the chuck roast chunks in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic around and over the beef.
Add the Liquids and Seasonings: Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning, gently stirring to combine. Nestle the bay leaf into the sauce.
Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 6-7 hours, until the beef is completely tender and shreds easily with two forks.

Tip: It should fall apart with almost no resistance. If it doesn't, it means it’s not cooked enough, so cover and cook for another 30 minutes and check again. Keep going until it’s fall-apart tender.

Shred and Finish: Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the slow cooker, breaking it into rough, uneven pieces.

Tip: Some medium chunks are good, you want texture here.

Stir the shredded beef into the sauce and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Let the sauce sit on warm for 10 minutes to allow the beef to fully absorb the sauce.
Serve: Spoon the ragu generously over cooked pappardelle or rigatoni. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley if that’s your thing.

Notes

You can serve the ragu with pasta per the directions, over polenta, or with crusty bread.
If serving with pasta I found that pulling a couple of cups of the sauce out of the slow cooker, then adding the cooked pasta and tossing it, then serving with reserved sauce on top was best for even coating of the noodles, but you can also just serve the pasta straight up with sauce on top.

Nutrition