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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is an Italian-style braise where chuck roast cooks low and slow until fall-apart tender, then gets shredded and simmered in thick tomato-wine sauce. Serve it over pappardelle or rigatoni for a rich, hearty ragu with classic basil, oregano, and bay leaf flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Use chuck roast for best shredding texture.
tomato base
  • 2 can (28 oz) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry red wine (Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon) Choose a dry red wine for balanced acidity.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 large onion Finely diced.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 2 stalks celery Finely diced.
  • 2 medium carrots Finely diced.
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
serve
  • 1 Pappardelle or rigatoni, cooked, for serving
  • 1 Fresh basil For garnish.
  • 1 freshly grated Parmesan For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and start the ragu
  1. Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper, then place it in the slow cooker so it sits flat for even heating.
  2. Whisk together the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, sugar, and bay leaves until the paste dissolves and the mixture looks evenly combined, then pour the sauce over the beef.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 8–10 hours, until the beef is completely fall-apart tender and the sauce looks thick and cohesive around the meat.
Shred and serve
  1. Remove the beef, shred it into large pieces with two forks, and discard the bay leaves.
  2. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and stir to combine until the meat is coated and the ragu has a consistent, thick texture.
  3. Serve the ragu over pappardelle or rigatoni, then garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan.

Notes

For extra flavor, let the ragu rest 10 minutes after cooking so the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta better. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use gluten-free pasta (pappardelle-style ribbons or rigatoni) without changing the sauce.