This rich and hearty lamb ragu is the ultimate comfort food and it is so easy, as it is all done in the slow cooker. Succulent and melt in your mouth Welsh Lamb shoulder that just falls apart, in a rich herby tomato sauce, all mixed through some pasta. Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu is a comforting and warming meal, that freezes well, making it perfect for batch cooking.
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This is a cosy and comforting meal in a bowl and a delicious way to use flavour packed Welsh Lamb. You can make a big batch of it to go with spaghetti, gnocchi or even topped on a baked potato.
The best thing about it, is that it looks far more impressive than it actually is. I mean, it IS impressive, but it's super easy to put together. Just brown the meat and vegetables and dump it all in the slow cooker for 5 hours.
Ragu is a generic term used to describe a rich, slow cooked meat sauce. It should have a lot of flavour and it is usually served with pasta.
Typically it will involve tomatoes, however meat is the star of the dish. You have probably already had a ragu before, as bolognese is a ragu.
Bolognese tends to have more sauce, whereas ragu is more meat than sauce. Have you tried our Slow Cooker Bolognese before?
If you are looking for some more meaty slow cooker recipes to try, then why not try our succulent Slow Cooker Beef Brisket, easy Slow Cooker Chicken Korma or our flavourful Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa?
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Why You Will Love It
- Comforting - This is a big hug in a bowl. Slow cooker dishes are usually super comforting, but this one is extra comforting with the shredded Welsh Lamb and the rich tomato sauce.
- Freezes well - This freezes so well, so we like to make a big batch to keep extras in the freezer for busy week nights.
- Great use of Welsh Lamb - If you haven't cooked with lamb before, then this is a great place to start as it's a very forgiving recipe and pretty much fool-proof.
- Versatile - We love this served on pasta, but there is so much more that you can do with leftovers. More on the below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Lamb - We used a 1.3kg boneless lamb shoulder for this recipe. Lamb shoulder is usually fairly tough, and quite fatty (which is where all the flavour is), but cooking it low and slow really breaks it down and makes it nice and soft.
- Flour - This is used as a coating for the meat because flour is full of starch that will caramelise quickly and give a deeper colour and flavour. It also helps to thicken the sauce when it is in the slow cooker.
- Salt and pepper - Season to taste.
- Oil - This is what the lamb is browned in. We used a good quality olive oil.
- Carrot and celery - This is the base of any good ragu. Make sure to chop them up nice and small.
- Onion - This is also the base of the ragu. You can either use a small brown onion, or you can use shallots which would add a sweeter flavour.
- Tomatoes - Crushed tomatoes (chopped, tinned) are what make up the majority of the sauce for this ragu. Try to use the best quality ones you can, as the cheaper ones tend to be really watery and it will give you a watery sauce. More expensive tinned tomatoes will give you a nice thick and rich sauce.
- Tomato purée - This not only to add a burst of tomato flavour, but it helps to thicken the sauce as well.
- Stock - This helps to make up the sauce. Try to use lamb stock if you can, as it will add to that rich lamb flavour. You could use vegetable or mushroom stock if that is all you can find.
- Red wine - This is optional, but it adds a real rich flavour to the ragu.
- Worcestershire sauce - This is always a great addition to a meat stew, as it gives it a little flavour boost.
- Garlic - Fresh is always best, however you could use ready chopped garlic from a jar if you prefer. Make sure that it is very finely crushed or diced, almost like a paste, as this will ensure that the garlic is evenly distributed in the ragu.
- Rosemary - This is the perfect herb to go with lamb. You could use dried basil instead, which would go well with the tomatoes.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
To prepare:
- One: In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper.
- Two: Add the flour to the diced lamb. Mix well so that all the lamb is all coated.
- Three: Heat the oil in a pan and add the coated lamb (a). Heat so that the lamb is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes (b). Once browned, set aside.
- Four: Add the diced carrot, celery and onion to the pan (a). Cook until softened, about 5 minutes (b).
To cook:
- Five: Add the softened vegetables to the slow cooker and then add the lamb, garlic and rosemary.
- Six: Add the , stock, wine, Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée.
- Seven: Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Eight: Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 5 hours.
What Lamb To Use
We used a 1.3kg boneless lamb shoulder and we found that it was enough to serve 6 people. Lamb has such an incredible flavour, that a little goes a long way.
We wouldn't recommend using other cuts of lamb for this recipe. Lean cuts like chops wouldn't work for the long cooking time, but you could make this with lamb shanks.
If you wanted to use minced lamb, then we would recommend you adapt our bolognese recipe mentioned above.
Serving Suggestions
We think pasta is the perfect addition to slow cooker lamb ragu. Generally, the thicker/wider the pasta the better, because this is such a heavy sauce that it needs something bigger to stick to. So, we would recommend pappardelle or linguine over spaghetti.
If you wanted to use another pasta shape, you could use rigatoni as the ragu ends up inside the tube which is nice. You could also use gnocchi which is nice and chunky. We love putting leftovers on a Baked Potato.
Everyone knows that garlic bread and pasta are a match made in heaven. Carby heaven! Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Why not try our Cheesy Garlic Bread recipe?
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too.
Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette. You could also try our Grilled Little Gem Salad.
If you want to add a big side of vegetables, then we recommend our Garlic Spring Greens, Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, Garlic Green Beans, Air Fryer Carrots, or Roasted Lemon Asparagus.
Storage
Store: We always make more than we need, as leftovers keep really well. You can store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for 3 days. It actually tastes better the next day, as it allows all the flavours to come together.
Freeze: This ragu freezes really well. We wouldn't recommend freezing it with the pasta, but just the ragu. Let it cool completely and then transfer it to freezer bags and they can be laid flat in the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost the ragu in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat this slow cooker lamb ragu in the microwave or in a pan on the hob. Make sure it is piping hot before serving.
Dannii's Top Tips
- If you wanted to add some extra flavour to this lamb ragu, then you could deglaze the pan after you have softened the onions, carrot and celery. You can do this with the red wine and lamb stock. This will help to release the browned bits at the bottom of the pan which will add lots of flavour.
- Another way to add lots of flavour is to add a Parmesan rind to the slow cooker bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Traditionally, a little bit of double (heavy) cream and Parmesan would be added to the ragu and pappardelle mix to make it extra indulgent, but we left that out to keep this a little bit lighter.
- If the ragu feels a little too thick once mixed with the pasta, then you can loosen it up a little with starchy pasta water.
- You can add some chopped bacon or pancetta for extra flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don't have to, but we really recommend it as it adds such a depth of flavour. Depending on the size of your chunks of lamb shoulder, it will only take about a couple of minutes to brown. Basically, you want to trigger the Maillard reaction. It is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavour. You don't have to though, and you can just throw everything into the slow cooker and leave it if you are really short on time.
There really is no rule here. We use a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker and we love it. What I love most about it is that you can put the bowl insert on the hob too. I also love that it has a clear lid, as I am so impatient that I want to keep looking and seeing what it is doing. If you don't have a clear lid, then lifting it to see will release lots of the heat and add to the cooking time.
Yes, you can do some of the prep in advance. You can sear the meat and then keep it until the next day and then follow the rest of the instructions. You can also do that with the carrot, celery and onion too. It might take longer to cook as it will be cold straight from the fridge.
You can either cook the slow cooker lamb ragu on high for 5 hours or low for 7 hours. If you have the time, cook it on low. The cooking time will depend on what slow cooker you have, as they all cook differently. Ceramic slow cookers tend to cook slower than metal ones.
The best way to check that lamb is cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The safe internal temperature for cooked lamb is 62°C/145°F. It should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat that's not touching any bone.
Yes, you could, but cooking it in such a short space of time just doesn't achieve the same depth of flavour.
More Lamb Recipes
If you've tried this Lamb Ragu recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Plain flour
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) Welsh lamb shoulder - cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 Carrots - diced
- 1 rib Celery - diced
- 1 Onion - diced
- 3 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 teaspoon Dried rosemary
- 200 ml (0.85 cups) Lamb stock
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - tinned
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoon Plain flour, and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Add the flour to 1.3 kg Welsh lamb shoulder. Mix well so that all the lamb is coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a pan and add the coated lamb. Heat so that the lamb is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Once browned, set aside.
- Add 2 Carrots, 1 rib Celery and 1 Onion to the pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the softened vegetables to the slow cooker and then add the lamb.
- Add 3 Garlic clove, 1 teaspoon Dried rosemary, 200 ml Lamb stock, 60 ml Red wine and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
- Add 1 tablespoon Tomato puree and 400 g Chopped tomatoes. Mix well.
- Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 5 hours.
Recipe Tips
- If you wanted to add some extra flavour to this lamb ragu, then you could deglaze the pan after you have softened the onions, carrot and celery. You can do this with the red wine and lamb stock. This will help to release the browned bits at the bottom of the pan which will add lots of flavour.
- Another way to add lots of flavour is to add a Parmesan rind to the slow cooker bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Traditionally, a little bit of (double) heavy cream and Parmesan would be added to the ragu and pappardelle mix to make it extra indulgent, but we left that out to keep this a little bit lighter.
- If the ragu feels a little too thick once mixed with the pasta, then you can loosen it up a little with starchy pasta water.
- You can add some chopped bacon or pancetta for extra flavour.
Nutritional Information
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We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
The 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.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
It was so delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I don't often cook lamb but my family love it. This recipe is perfect, with all the right flavours!
Gail Montero says
There is so much flavor in this lamb ragu! What a delicious option for a special dinner.
Beth Sachs says
This easy lamb ragu is proper comfort food. Perfect with pasta and loads of grated Parmesan.
Toni says
This is totally irresistible! My family loved it so much!
Emily says
What a great lamb dish! Can't wait to share!
Tara says
This lamb ragu looks absolutely fantastic! I love all those flavors too. So so comforting.
Tavo says
Wao! Fantastic lamb ragu! I had mine with a bowl of fettuccine.
Natalie says
Absolutely have to make this on Sunday. My boys will love this I'm sure. Looks amazing. Yum! Such a perfect weekend dinner.
Carrie Robinson says
This just has to be the perfect comfort food for winter time! Looks delicious. :)
Toni says
This is so perfect!! I love how easy you can make this in the slow cooker! Thanks for the recipe!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Jess says
I absolutely love how versatile this dish is. Thanks for all the great ideas for what to do with the leftovers!
Lucy says
The lamb is so tender. This is such a warm and comforting meal, perfect for the colder months.
Gina says
There's nothing quite as cozy and comforting as a ragu like this during the winter months. Love it made with lamb!