Description
Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is a hearty comfort food that combines tender beef, rich tomato sauce, and fragrant herbs, perfect for family gatherings.
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup beef broth (low sodium preferred)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- optional pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Brown the Beef: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes on all sides, then transfer them to the slow cooker.
2. Sauté the Veggies: In the same skillet, cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine (or broth) to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the veggie mixture into the slow cooker.
3. Add the Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Mix everything well.
4. Slow Cook to Perfection: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
5. Shred & Return: Remove the beef cubes, shred them with two forks, and return the shredded beef to the sauce. Stir to combine. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig if used.
6. Serve in Style: Toss the ragu with your choice of pasta, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and garnish with chopped basil or parsley.
Notes
To make the dish healthier, consider reducing the amount of oil used, opting for leaner cuts of beef, or increasing the proportion of vegetables in the sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup ragu with 2 ounce cooked pasta
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Sodium: 800 milligrams
- Fat: 22 grams
- Saturated Fat: 7 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 33 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 26 grams
- Cholesterol: 80 milligrams