Crock Pot Beef Ragu is a deliciously cozy sauce that simmers all day featuring tender beef steak and a rich tomato sauce with herbs and spices! A CROCK POT VERSION OF BEEF PASTA SAUCE Turn your ordinary pasta night into a dinner to remember with this Crock Pot Beef Ragu sauce recipe. It’s a favorite of ours and after you make it, you’ll see why. The house smells incredible while it’s simmering away for hours. Serve it with your favorite pasta, and the beef sauce really shines thru! Now I know some of y’all are gonna see the list of ingredients and want to skip this recipe or just find all kinds of substitutions. This is not the recipe for that. I have a few crazy easy sauce recipes on this site if that is what you’re looking for but that is not this sauce. This sauce (or gravy as some might call it) is made for Sundays and it is not meant to be rushed. Do not skimp here and don’t try to cook on high. And definitely don’t start substituting or leave out ingredients either. This one is worth it – I promise! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Do this recipe scale easy to feed a crowd? It certainly does! You can easily double or even triple this recipe if needing to make more servings. I would just be sure to use a large enough Slow Cooker if you plan on making tons of sauce. Can I make this sauce on the stovetop instead? Sure. I’d complete the steps up until you were to cook in the crock pot, and instead of putting it in the crockpot, toss it all in a dutch oven over low heat and cover. Cook the sauce for at least 2 hours or until you notice that the beef is fork tender.  Can I make this in the Instant Pot instead? Same thing as above. When ready, add it all to the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and cook for 30-40 minutes on high. Be careful when releasing pressure as it could burn you. Do I have to use the red wine? While it’s a true standard ingredient in a traditional Ragu sauce, I’ve made it optional in this recipe knowing that it would turn some of my readers away from the recipe. However, if you have the opportunity to include it, I highly recommend it. If you must swap it out, you can just use more beef stock in place of the red wine. I don’t like red wine if I’m honest but you don’t taste it as a separate ingredient. Its just adds depth of flavor. Can I cook this on high to speed it up? Nope! Trust me, low and slow is the way to go. I wouldn’t recommend cooking on high because you just won’t get the desired flavor and the beef won’t be nearly as tender if cooked on high. Why are the bay leaves added? Bay leaves are commonly used in red sauce recipes. When added to Ragu sauce that’s cook low and slow, these leaves add a subtle, earthy depth to the sauce all while adding a super subtle aroma. What to serve with Ragu Sauce? Serve up whatever sides you typically enjoy with a nice red sauce and pasta dish. We like a nice big green salad, some Garlic Bread, Cheesy Garlic Bread, delicious Breadsticks or even Cheese Stuffed Breadsticks, or Garlic Knots. What do I do with leftover Ragu sauce? Once your sauce cools down, you can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Can you freeze Ragu sauce? YES! In fact, this is a great idea. You can freeze extra sauce you make, or leftover sauce to have on hand for later in a freezer safe container or freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. I want to share that I’d recommend to save the pasts separately from the sauce. Make fresh pasta when thawing and reheating the sauce. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) olive oil  unsalted butter yellow onion, carrots, celery stalks – this combo of veggies is also called a mire poix. To save time, you can purchase this already chopped. Some stores sell it already cut up for you. garlic cloves– fresh, not jarred. beef chuck steak – you can also use beef short ribs. This recipe is not meant for ground beef. That would not be a traditional beef ragu. If you want a pasta sauce with ground beef, check out my Beef Spaghetti Sauce recipe. crushed tomatoes – if you can find canned San Marzano tomatoes, go with those and crush them up with your hands or a potato masher. Use all the juice too. beef stock – you can use low or no sodium if you prefer. red wine – this is optional. If you rather not use this ingredient, check the FAQ section for what to use instead. tomato paste – I like the kind in the squeeze tube. honey– this DOES not add sweetness to the dish. Don’t let this stop you from making this sauce, I only added it to help cut or offset the acidity from the tomatoes. It’s not going to make this a sweet tomato sauce. chopped parsley – curly or flat leaf parsley both work in this recipe. better than bouillon beef base– I really enjoy using this! I think it works amazingly well in this recipe and it really adds a depth of flavor. But, if you need to swap it out, try using 2 bouillon cubes instead. dried oregano dried thyme red pepper flakes – I don’t find this makes it spicy at all but you can leave it out if you prefer. bay leaves – don’t skip this, it really adds such depth of flavor. HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT BEEF RAGU In a large cast iron skillet add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot (it should start to bubble a bit), add in the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Stir for about 3 minutes or until you start to see the onions turn translucent. Transfer everything to a 5 quart crock pot. Next, add the chuck steak to the cast iron skillet. Sear each side of the steak on medium to high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side so the steak has a deep golden brown color. You are not cooking it through, but getting a good brown color on the outside. If necessary, you may need to add another Tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Transfer the browned steak to the crock pot with the vegetables. To the crock pot add crushed tomatoes, beef stock, red wine, tomato paste, honey, parsley, better than bouillon, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Give it all a good stir. Then cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the beef is tender. Add ⅛ cup of water at a time if you feel the sauce is getting too thick and needs to be thinned out a bit. When the sauce is ready, remove the bay leaves and discard. Next, remove the steak from the crock pot to a cutting board. Shred the steak with 2 forks. The steak should be so tender that it easily separates. Transfer the shredded steak back to the crock pot and cover the crock pot while you make the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions. After draining the pasta, transfer it back into the pot it was boiled in. Add some of the ragu to coat the pasta. Serve the pasta in bowls or on plates and top with more sauce. CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Crock Pot Lasagna Crock Pot Homemade Meatballs and Marinara Crock Pot White Lasagna Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo for Two Crock Pot Stroganoff for Two Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Crock Pot Chili Print Crock Pot Beef Ragu A rich and tasty tomato sauce with tender beef and veggies that simmered in the Crock Pot all day. Course Dinner, Main CourseCuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutesTotal Time 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes Servings 8 servings Calories 409kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredients2 Tablespoons olive oil2 Tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup finely diced yellow onion1 cup finely diced carrots (about 2 carrots)2 finely diced celery stalks (about ½ cup or so)3 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon black pepper⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt1.5 pounds beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes28 ounce can crushed tomatoes2 cups beef stock½ cup red wine (optional, substitute with beef broth)3 Tablespoons tomato paste1 Tablespoon honey1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (curly or flat leaf)2 teaspoons better than bouillon beef base1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried thyme¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes2 bay leaves⅛ cup water (adding more as necessary)8.8 ounces package papardelle pasta (or your favorite pasta, for serving) InstructionsIn a large cast iron skillet add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot (it should start to bubble a bit), add in 1 cup finely diced yellow onion, 1 cup finely diced carrots, 2 finely diced celery stalks, 3 garlic cloves, minced, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Stir for about 3 minutes or until you start to see the onions turn translucent.Transfer everything to a 5 quart crock pot. Next, add 1.5 pounds beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes to the cast iron skillet. Sear each side of the steak on medium to high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side so the steak has a deep golden brown color. You are not cooking it through, but getting a good brown color on the outside. If necessary, you may need to add another Tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Transfer the browned steak to the crock pot with the vegetables. To the crock pot add 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 2 cups beef stock, ½ cup red wine, 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons better than bouillon beef base, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 2 bay leaves. Give it all a good stir.Then cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the beef is tender. Add 1/8 cup water at a time if you feel the sauce is getting too thick and needs to be thinned out a bit. Adding more if needed.When the sauce is ready, remove the bay leaves and discard.Next, remove the steak from the crock pot to a cutting board. Shred the steak with 2 forks. The steak should be so tender that it easily separates. Transfer the shredded steak back to the crock pot and cover the crock pot while you make the pasta. Cook 8.8 ounces package papardelle pasta according to the directions.After draining the pasta, transfer it back into the pot it was boiled in. Add some of the ragu to coat the pasta.Serve the pasta in bowls or on plates and top with more sauce. Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. NutritionCalories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 540mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g