Description
This Sunday Dinner Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is a comforting and hearty Italian-style dish made with tender beef chuck roast, slow-cooked in crushed tomatoes, red wine, and herbs. Perfect for cozy evenings, it’s ideal over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes. A rich, easy beef ragu recipe for family dinners, meal prep, or freezer-friendly make-ahead meals.
Ingredients
2.5 lbs beef chuck roast
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Merlot)
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Sear the beef chunks in a hot skillet until browned on all sides, then set aside.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the slow cooker.
3. Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, and beef broth. Stir everything to combine.
4. Place the seared beef into the sauce and add bay leaf, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until beef is fork-tender.
6. Shred the beef in the slow cooker with two forks.
7. Stir and let it simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
This ragu can be served over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
You can skip the searing step, but it adds extra flavor to the sauce.
Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months and taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 115mg