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Home » Easy Main Meals » Easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

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Easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is the most delicious tender shredded beef dish full of deeply comforting Italian flavours and super versatile never mind economical.

beef ragu with pappardelle in a white serving dish sprinkled with parmesan cheese and a fork resting on the side of the bowl on a beige napkin. Another bowl of ragu and pasta is partially visible

I roll here as always and that is with just throwing it all in and leaving the slow cooker to work it's magic. My absolute favourite way to cook.

The beef doesn't need searing, the flavours here as just wonderfully rich enough to need nothing more.

This is probably a contentious instruction but I really haven't got time to clear up after all that fat spitting and I really don't think it matters. I know, I'm a radical.

Jump to:
  • What is ragu?
  • Reasons to love slow cooker beef ragu
  • Ingredients
  • Step by step method
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Variations & Substitutions
  • More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
  • Easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

What is ragu?

Ragu is traditionally a rich Italian meat based sauce with chopped vegetables (sofritto) that is usually served with pasta (pappardelle). It needs to cook for long enough to allow the ingredients to deliciously meld together. A kinda pulled beef vibe. It is similar to Bolognese but the pasta sauce is classically made with red wine.

Reasons to love slow cooker beef ragu

  • delicious
  • use up any veggies you need to use up
  • perfect to come home to
  • economical
  • versatile
  • great for batch cooking
  • easy and stress free
  • make ahead

*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe card*

Ingredients

ingredients in bowls and jugs on a white surface all labelled in black text

2 medium carrots - finely chopped

2 sticks celery - finely chopped

half of large onion or one medium onion finely chopped

here is a link to show the easiest way to chop veg finely for your sofritto. I've always wanted to be able to chop like a chef but I'm still rubbish

1 tsp garlic puree or 1 grated/chopped large clove

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

800 grams (1.75 lb) stewing beef or shin of beef or braising beef

250 mls double strength stock (I use red wine stock pots)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp flour

tin of chopped tomatoes

half a tsp dried thyme

half a tsp dried sage

Step by step method

Chop up your vegetables (not tomatoes) quite finely or you could blitz in the food processor trying to still keep them chunky.

Put the beef chunks, veg, flour, herbs, sugar and salt into the pot and mixed the flour through.

chopped carrots, onions and celery sprinkled with flour in a cream slow cooker pot on top of raw beef chunks

Tip in the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic puree and stock and stir again.

raw ingredients sitting in a cream slow cooker pot with a wooden spoon resting on the side

Put the lid on and cook for 8 hours on Low or 6 hours on High.

Stir through to help shred the meat up and meld into the sauce.

cooked beef ragu in a cream slow cooker pot with a wooden spoon resting on the side

Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing in the fridge or the freezer.

slow cooker beef ragu and pasta ribbons in a white serving bowl with a fork resting on the side. forks crossing are resting to one side of the bowl and a small dish of parmesan cheese is above and below the dish. Another dish of ragu and pasta is partially visible

Serving Suggestions

Traditionally beef ragu is served with pasta, my favourite with this is pappardelle and sprinkled with some sort of cheese, I love grated parmesan but cheddar works well too.

But this is such an incredibly versatile dish it goes amazingly well with just about anything.

  • jacket potatoes
  • mashed potatoes
  • rice
  • new potatoes
  • roast potatoes
  • wedges
  • dauphinoise potatoes
  • sloppy joe stylee
  • crusty bread

Variations & Substitutions

You can add in or use up any vegetables that will stand up to long, slow cooking.

So things like swede, butternut squash, courgettes, peppers are perfect and you could throw in not so robust vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach and broccoli closer to the end of cooking.

Tips & Tricks

If you want to have a richer sauce then use 150 mls of red wine and 125 mls of beef stock. But be mindful that the alcohol content may not cook off if you are feeding it to children etc

I use red wine stock pots instead of beef stock pots to get the rich flavour without using red wine.

You can mix up the herbs to suit what you have but just be careful with the amount as some herbs like oregano are more powerful than others.

Double up the mixture so that you can freeze half for another meal or two.

Freeze once cool in a stout container for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before heating till piping hot.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Slow Cooker Savoury Mince

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta

beef ragu with pappardelle in a white serving dish sprinkled with parmesan cheese and a fork resting on the side of the bowl on a beige napkin. Another bowl of ragu and pasta is partially visible

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is the ultimate hearty comfort food. Shredded beef in a rich tomato sauce flavoured with garlic, herbs and traditionally served with pasta. It's super versatile and ideal for batch cooking.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people
Calories 249 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker
  • 1 choppoing board
  • 1 chopping knife
  • 1 Measuring Jug
  • 1 Wooden spoon
  • 1 tbsp measure

Ingredients
 

  • 800 grams stewing steak
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried sage
  • 1 beef stock cube/pot - 250 mls boiling water
  • 1 tsp garlic puree 1 clove
  • 2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Chop up your vegetables (not tomatoes) quite finely or you could blitz in the food processor trying to still keep them chunky.
  • Put the beef chunks, veg, flour, herbs, sugar and salt into the pot and mixed the flour through.
  • Tip in the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic puree and stock and stir again.
  • Put the lid on and cook for 8 hours on Low or 6 hours on High.
  • Stir through to help shred the meat up and meld into the sauce.
  • Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing in the fridge or the freezer.

Notes

If you want to have a richer sauce then use 150 mls of red wine and 125 mls of beef stock. But be mindful that the alcohol content may not cook off if you are feeding it to children etc
I use red wine stock pots instead of beef stock pots to get the rich flavour without using red wine.
You can mix up the herbs to suit what you have but just be careful with the amount as some herbs like oregano are more powerful than others.
Double up the mixture so that you can freeze half for another meal or two.
Freeze once cool in a stout container for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before heating till piping hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3070IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.

Keyword beef ragu,, comfort food, slow cooker beef ragu, slow cooker recipe
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Hi, I'm Jenny Walters. A mother of two and passionate filler of bellies with stress free, simple and delicious recipes that gladden the soul. I am at heart a home cook.

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