A deeply rich meat sauce slow-cooked until the beef falls apart
Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu
Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu
8h 20mEasy
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
8 hr
Total Time
8 hr 20 min
Servings
8
8 servings
Difficulty
Easy
Cost
Moderate
$$
Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu
A deeply rich meat sauce slow-cooked until the beef falls apart
A hearty Italian-American beef ragu made with chuck roast braised in tomatoes and red wine until it shreds into the sauce, served over pappardelle.
20m
Prep Time
480m
Cook Time
500m
Total Time
8
Servings
Easy
Difficulty
Moderate $$
Cost
Sarah Chen
(Updated )
A good ragu is the kind of thing that fills your whole house with a smell so good it practically counts as hospitality. This version uses chuck roast, which is full of connective tissue that breaks down during the long, slow cooking into gelatin, giving the sauce a body and richness that ground meat cannot match.
The slow cooker does the heavy lifting. You brown the meat, build a quick base, and then walk away for 8 hours. When you come back, the beef has fallen apart into the sauce and the whole thing is ready to be tossed with wide noodles.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pappardelle pasta for serving
- Parmesan for serving
PrecisionUtility
Test Kitchen Pick
Slow Cooker
Helpful Tool
Why a slow cooker helps here
This dish is mostly about giving the ingredients enough time. A dependable slow cooker makes that hands-off part much easier to repeat.
The easiest win here is steady low heat without needing to hover over the pot.
- Keeps cooking low and steady
- Makes prep-ahead dinners easier
If you like batch cooking or low-effort dinners, this is one of the most reusable tools you can buy.
Shop slow cooker options for this recipeInstructions
- 1
Season the chuck roast generously with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides in a hot skillet with olive oil until deeply browned.
- 2
Saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the same skillet for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 3
Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up the browned bits.
- 4
Transfer everything to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaf.
- 5
Cook on low for 8 hours until the beef is falling apart.
- 6
Shred the beef with two forks and stir it into the sauce. Remove the bay leaf.
- 7
Cook pappardelle, toss with the ragu, and serve with parmesan.
Serving Suggestions
Ways to Serve This Dish
Serve with crusty artisan bread for dipping
Finish with a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil
Pair with a simple arugula salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette
Finish with freshly grated Parmesan and a crack of black pepper
DepthPantry
Test Kitchen Pick
Olive Oil
Helpful Pantry Staple
Why the olive oil matters
On recipes like this, olive oil is not just a background fat. A better bottle gives you cleaner flavor and a better finish.
This is one of the few pantry upgrades that keeps paying off every time you cook in this lane.
- Useful in dressings, sauces, and finishing
- Improves flavor without changing the recipe structure
A good bottle of olive oil is one of the safest pantry upgrades for Mediterranean and Italian cooking.
Shop olive oil for this recipeTips & Storage
Pro Tips
Do not skip the searing step — it adds essential depth of flavor.
This ragu freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Short ribs work as an excellent alternative to chuck roast.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 serving with pasta) · 8 servings
Calories420
LowModerateHigh
A moderate-calorie serving · based on a 2,000 cal daily diet
Protein34g
Carbohydrates28g
Fat18g
Fiber3g
Sugar6g
Sodium520mg
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this ahead?
- Yes. The components or finished dish hold well if properly chilled and stored.
- Can I adjust the seasoning?
- Yes. Taste near the end and adjust salt, acid, or heat so it suits the way you like to cook and eat.
About Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is a professional recipe developer and food editor with over a decade of experience in test kitchens and food media. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America before spending six years developing and testing recipes for national food publications, where she honed her ability to translate restaurant techniques into approachable home cooking. At RecipePool, Sarah leads recipe development, ensuring every dish is tested at least three times for clarity, accuracy, and genuine deliciousness. When she is not in the kitchen, she is browsing farmers markets and collecting vintage cookbooks.
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