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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Beef

    Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

    Published: Oct 16, 2020 · Modified: Nov 1, 2020 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 24 Comments

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    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Carb

    Tender, fall apart, melt in your mouth beef in a rich tomato sauce, all mixed in to chunky pasta. Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is total comfort food. Cooked low and slow, this is a great family meal that freezes well, making it perfect for bulk cooking.

    A bowl of pappardelle pasta mixed with a beef sauce, topped with grated cheese and chopped herbs.

    This slow cooker recipe might take a little more effort than some (as the beef needs searing first), but it is totally worth it. This the meal you want to come home to on a cold winter's night. A hearty sauce that is easy to adapt and you can even bulk it out with some veggies.

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • What is a ragu?
    • How to adapt it
    • Slow cooker recipes
    • What to serve this with?
    • FAQs
    • More beef recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • Total comfort food
    • Cooked low and slow, so you can come home to it ready to eat
    • You can use a cheap cut of meat, making it budget friendly
    • Freezes well, making it perfect for bulk cooking
    • Uses mostly cupboard staples
    • Lots of different ways to serve it

    What you will need

    • Beef - We used a beef roasting joint, which was the cheapest joint that we could find in the supermarket. The great thing about this recipe, is that you can use a cheap joint, making it a budget friendly meal. Chuck roast (called braising steak in the UK) is another good choice too. Don't worry about the joint being large when you buy it, as you will be cutting it in to 4 before searing anyway.
    • Onion - This is a must in the base of the ragu and add lots of flavour. You could swap it for shallots, which will give a sweeter taste.
    • Carrots - Along with the onion and celery, carrot is part of the holy trinity of Italian cooking (called Soffritto in Italian), this adds some flavour, texture and of course some nutrients. You can just use the standard orange carrots you find in the supermarket. Make sure they are finely diced. The sweetness of the carrot also helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
    • Celery - This also makes up the soffritto and really adds so much flavour to the slow cooker beef ragu.
    • Garlic - This recipe is garlic heavy, with 4 cloves in it, but that's the way it should be. You could crush fresh garlic, or save yourself some time and use some lazy garlic from a jar.
    • Tinned tomatoes - This is what makes up the majority of the rich sauce. Try to use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can get, as you really will taste the difference. Cheap tinned tomatoes tend to be really watery and it will make a thinner sauce.
    • Tomato puree - This gives the dish a more intense tomato flavour. You could swap it for a sun-dried tomato paste for something a little different.
    • Beef stock - This helps to make the sauce really rich, and intensify that beef flavour.
    • Dried herbs - We used basil and oregano and they are a must in this Italian dish.
    Ingredients needed to make slow cooker beef ragu.

    Step by step

    One: Heat half the oil in a large pan and add the four pieces of beef. Sear the beef on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). Put the seared beef into the slow cooker.

    A frying pan with two large pieces of beef searing in it.

    Two: Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and cook the onions, garlic, carrot and celery for 3-4 minutes. Once softened, add to the slow cooker.

    A slow cooker containing seared beef and cooked chopped vegetables.

    Three: Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

    A slow cooker with cooked beef in a tomato sauce.

    Four: Once cooked, remove the beef from the slow cooker and finely shred using two forks.

    A plate with a large pile of shredded beef on it.

    Five: Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and mix well.

    Beef ragu sauce in a slow cooker.

    What is a ragu?

    Traditionally, in northern Italian regions, a ragù uses minced, chopped or ground meat and is cooked with sauteed vegetables (carrot, celery and onion) in a liquid. It doesn't have to be beef, and the meats may include one or more of beef, chicken, veal, pork, duck, goose, lamb, game or mutton, including their offal.

    How to adapt it

    This is a fairly basic standard recipe, and there isn't a huge amount of room to change it (why mess with perfection, right?), but there are a few small changed you can make.

    If you want a super rich sauce, then add some red wine to it. We left it out as we were serving it up to the kids as well, and the alcohol doesn't burn of when slow cooking like it would cooking it on the hob. Swap 100ml of the water for red wine - something like a Merlot will work.

    If you want to give this slow cooker beef ragu a veggie boost, then you have a few options. Cook some mushrooms, bell pepper and courgette at the same time are the onion, carrots and celery. This isn't traditional at all, but we always like to give some options for a vegetable boost in our recipes. You could also stir in some spinach 20 minutes before everything is finished cooking.

    A pair of tongues picking beef ragu out of a slow cooker.

    Slow cooker recipes

    Slow cookers are honestly the busy parent's best friend. Not just for parents, if you know you have a busy day and the last thing you want to when you get home is make dinner than get that slow cooker on. A little bit of prep in the morning, and then you can leave it bubbling away all day and come home to a warming and comforting dinner.

    If you are looking for some more healthy slow cooker meals that the whole family will love, then check out our book The Healthy Slow Cooker(aff).

    What to serve this with?

    We have served ours with pappardelle and we love it because this really thick pasta lets the sauce cling to it. You could use any other pasta, but the thicker the better as the sauce should be mixed in to it, rather than it piled on top like a bolognese.

    You don't have to serve it on pasta though, as it's delicious on creamy mashed potato too, creamy polenta or mixed in to gnocchi. We have also been known to just scoop it up with some crusty bread.

    The finish it off, we add a sprinkling of Parmesan and some fresh finely chopped basil.

    A fork picking up some pasta with a meat sauce on it.

    FAQs

    What is the best cut of meat for beef ragu?

    Beef brisket, chuck roast, or a cheap beef roast joint will all work well for this recipe.

    What is the difference between a ragu and bolognese?

    Whilst they are sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences. The main one being, that a ragu is a very meat heavy sauce, and will have a higher meat to tomato ratio. Whereas a bolognese will have more tomatoes.

    Do I have to sear the beef first?

    Technically, you don't have to sear the beef first and you could skip this step, but we really don't recommend it. Whereas with chicken dishes you can get away with not searing the meat first, it's a bit different when it comes to beef. Searing the beef before it goes in to the slow cooker caramelises the surface of the meat, which gives it a richer flavour.

    Can you overcook beef in the slow cooker?

    It is almost impossible to overcook beef in the slow cooker, and this is a really forgiving dish when it comes to cooking time. When slow cooking, the trapped steam and direct heat is what tenderises the beef, which is why you can get away with using such a cheap cut of beef. When cooking at such a low temperature, it's hard to over cook it.

    Is a slow cooker better on high or low?

    If we have the time, we would always cook on low and slow. When using a cheaper cut of meat, this allows it to get really tender and for the sauce to really intensify in flavour. You are looking for a rich sauce, and cooking it for a longer time will give you that.

    How to store slow cooker beef ragu?

    Once the ragu is fully cooled, you can keep it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add it to a hot pan and heat through, or you could reheat it in the microwave.

    Can you freeze slow cooker beef ragu?

    Yes, this freezes really well, making it perfect for batch cooking, as it makes 8 generous servings. Once it is cooled, portion it out in to freezer bags and then they can lay flat, stacked in the freezer. They will keep well for 3 months.

    What to do with leftovers?

    If we have any leftovers that we aren't going to freeze or serve on pasta the next day, then we use it to make lasagna. If you thought lasagna was total comfort food already, this takes it to the next level. Use the sauce in replace of the usual meat sauce you would use, for a really rich lasagna. It also makes an epic filling for a grilled cheese sandwich.
    Extra tips

    • If you are making this for children, then make sure that you don't use red wine and that you use a low salt stock.
    • You can give this recipe a veggie boost by also adding some mushrooms, bell pepper and courgette and then stirring in some spinach 20 minutes before it's ready.
    • Use the best quality tomatoes you can get, as you really will taste a difference in the sauce.
    • Give it a taste before serving, as it might need a little extra seasoning.

    More beef recipes

    • Beef Burrito Bowl
    • Mexican Beef and Potato Bake
    • Slow Cooker Beef Curry
    • The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Casserole
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    If you’ve tried this Beef Ragu, or any other recipe, on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
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    Recipe

    Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

    Cooked low and slow, this is a great family meal that freezes well, making it perfect for bulk cooking.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    The words low carb in a white circle.
    Low Carb
    4.94 from 32 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours
    Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a bunch of celery.
    Celery
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 463kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 1.3 kg Beef joint cut into 4 pieces
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves crushed
    • 2 carrots diced
    • 2 ribs celery chopped
    • 800 g chopped tomatoes canned
    • 3 tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
    • 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
    • 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 150 ml beef stock
    • 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

    Instructions

    • Heat half the oil in a large pan and add the four pieces of beef. Sear the beef on all sides (about 3 minutes). Put the seared beef into the slow cooker.
    • Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and cook the onions, garlic, carrot and celery for 3-4 minutes. Once softened, add to the slow cooker.
    • Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.
    • Once cooked, remove the beef from the slow cooker and finely shred using two forks.
    • Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and mix well.

    Notes

    • If you are making this for children, then make sure that you don't use red wine and that you use a low salt stock.
    • You can give this recipe a veggie boost by also adding some mushrooms, bell pepper and courgette and then stirring in some spinach 20 minutes before it's ready.
    • Use the best quality tomatoes you can get, as you really will taste a difference in the sauce.
    • Give it a taste before serving, as it might need a little extra seasoning.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2740IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 5mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

    ** All links marked (aff) are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms for more information **

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joce

      November 10, 2020 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I’m assuming the 463 cals doesn’t include the parpadelle pasta? As your recipe states low carb... I served mine with the pasta so thinking that may have increased the cals if it wasn’t included

      Reply
    2. Angela

      October 16, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is wonderful, total comfort food. Yum!

      Reply
    3. Traci

      October 16, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      So much YUMMMM! I could eat this for days...but it probably won't make it more than two days LOL. Thanks for another great recipe!

      Reply
    4. Jess

      October 16, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      Love this meal for a busy night running kids around. So easy to throw it in the crockpot and it is ready when we come home from a busy night!

      Reply
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    Dannii in hat and glasses stood on a beach.

    Welcome! My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist, along with travel, home and family life and general happiness.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food and lifestyle blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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