Beef Ragu Recipe {Slow Cooker or Stovetop}

Close overhead shot of slow cooker beef ragu recipe served over pasta in a blue and white bowl

5 from 7 votes

Beef Ragu Recipe {Slow Cooker or Stovetop}

Total comfort food -- with just 10 minutes of prep! Prepare this Beef Ragu recipe in the slow cooker or on the stovetop for an Italian-inspired easy dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword beef ragu recipe, ragu recipe, slow cooker beef ragu

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

Servings people

Calories 375kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Slow Cooker for slow cooker method
Dutch oven for stovetop method

Ingredients

2 ½ - 3 lb. chuck roast
3 teaspoons kosher salt divided
3 Vidalia onions thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
1 stalk celery finely diced
1 carrot peeled and finely diced
6 oz tomato paste
1 ½ cups red wine for stovetop method
½ cup red wine for slow cooker method
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2½ cups water for stovetop method
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
For serving: pappardelle or other sturdy pasta

Instructions

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Whisk together tomato paste and ½ cup red wine; transfer to slow cooker. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrot, Parmesan cheese, crushed tomatoes and ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir.
3 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 Vidalia onions, 3 cloves garlic, 1 stalk celery, 1 carrot, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 ½ cups red wine, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
Season beef with ¾ teaspoon salt and place in the slow cooker.
2 ½ - 3 lb. chuck roast
Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours. You know it’s done when the beef is fall-apart tender. Discard garlic cloves and use two forks to shred the beef. Add remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt, stir, and serve over pasta.

STOVETOP METHOD:

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with ¾ teaspoon salt; brown in hot oil (about 4 minutes per side).
2 ½ - 3 lb. chuck roast
Remove meat to a platter.
Reduce heat to low; add onions and additional ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir frequently, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the onions cook and caramelize for 25-30 minutes. NOTE: If you don't have the time or patience to cook the onions for this long, that's fine -- just sauté them for about 7 minutes (until tender). The caramelizing adds extra rich flavor, but it will still be delicious with a shorter time too!
3 Vidalia onions
Add garlic, carrot and celery; cook for 2 more minutes.
3 cloves garlic, 1 stalk celery, 1 carrot
Clear space in the bottom of the pot; add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
6 oz tomato paste
Add wine and deglaze the pot by scraping up bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
½ cup red wine
Simmer for 3 minutes. Return meat to the pot; add 2 ½ cups of water, Parmesan cheese and crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to very low; cover halfway (leaving the lid ajar to let the steam escape). Simmer for about 3 hours, or until meat is fall-apart tender.
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2½ cups water, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
Discard the garlic cloves. Remove meat to a rimmed baking sheet (or cutting board) and shred with two forks. Return shredded beef to the pot, and stir in remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Serve over pasta.

Notes

Note the different amounts of liquid called for in the different cooking methods. The stovetop version requires water and more red wine, because you simmer with the lid ajar -- which releases steam and allows the sauce to thicken. The slow cooker, by contrast, needs the lid closed -- which means that condensation falls back into the sauce. As a result, you will omit the water and drastically reduce the amount of red wine when preparing the Crock Pot ragu.
This recipe calls for kosher salt. If you're using regular table salt, you will likely need to decrease the amount of salt that you add to the dish. Just taste and adjust to your liking!
Don't want to use red wine? You can substitute with an equal amount of beef stock.
If you can find San Marzano crushed tomatoes, they're the best!
Is Beef Ragu spicy? No, not at all! This mild sauce is incredibly kid-friendly. That said, you can easily add heat to the dish by stirring in crushed red pepper, to taste.
How to thicken Beef Ragu: if you find that your sauce looks too thin -- even after you have added back in the shredded beef -- you can continue to simmer the sauce without a lid until the ragu reaches the desired consistency.
How to freeze Beef Ragu: This sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To preserve the ragu even longer, package in an airtight container (or in a Ziploc freezer bag) and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat Beef Ragu: Thaw frozen ragu in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a saucepan, cover and cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until warmed through.

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