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This slow cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle is one of my favorite comfort food dishes. The tender beef melds with a velvety tomato and red wine sauce to create a simple, flavorful meal.

I tried many versions of beef ragu, changing and adjusting ingredients dozens of times, before I landed on this one. It seems so simple. But the ratio of ingredients and cooking method really do make a big difference in this recipe.

There’s no dish more satisfying than this on a cool evening. It’s a soul-satisfying comfort dish. Braising beef is not a quick endeavor, that’s for sure. But it’s so worth it! I learned once I made this recipe the first time that it just takes patience. This combination of ingredients, when cooked for a long period of time over a slow heat, is just a winning combo.

The good news is that this dish can easily be made on the stovetop, in the slow cooker and also in the Instant Pot. If you have a preferred cooking method, you can go that route. The outcome will blow you away.

Beth says:
This is such a simple and flavorful comfort meal. We really enjoyed it. Adding this to my regular rotation!

John says:
Great recipe. I doubled the onion and used thyme as well as Rosemary. When the meat was done I took it out of the slow cooker and then use an immersion blender to liquefy the sauce. I Pasta sauce with egg noodles and then added healthy portions beef stick each plate along with another scoop of sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need the following ingredients for this dish:

Braising beef (shin, chuck steak, flank, or brisket) – Any of these cuts of beef will tenderize and shred easily in this dish
Cooking oil
Red wine – Don’t use anything fancy. Just a bit of Merlot or Cab will do nicely.
Beef broth – You can use beef broth or a beef bouillon cube dissolved in water.
Canned tomatoes
Tomato paste – This thickened, reduced form of tomato is very useful for deepening the flavor of your sauce. It also helps thicken it a bit.
Onions
Garlic
Rosemary
Salt & pepper

Helpful Tips

Whether you’re using a slow cooker, a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot, allowing the ragu to simmer gently over low heat for several hours will help break down the beef, making it tender and allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
Opt for tougher, more flavorful cuts of beef like chuck roast, brisket, or short ribs for your ragu.
Browning the beef well before adding liquids is crucial, as it introduces a rich, caramelized flavor to the dish.

How to Make Beef Ragu

Step 1: Prepare & brown the beef

Start by cutting the beef into 3″ chunks. Seasoning with salt and pepper. Add cooking oil to a skillet over medium heat and sear both sides of the meat until browned.

Once the beef is browned, transfer the pieces into your slow cooker.

Step 2: Prepare the sauce

In the skillet where you just browned the meat, add the wine and whisk to remove the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Simmer it for 3 minutes. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Step 3: Pour sauce over beef

Pour the sauce over the beef in the slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, and rosemary over the top. Cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

As it cooks, the meat will break down and become very fork-tender. It develops incredible flavors as it cooks.

How to Serve Beef Ragu

Once the meat sauce is done cooking, remove the bigger pieces of meat and shred it. Then return the meat to the pot and simmer until you’re ready to serve it.

I personally love Pappardelle pasta. I can’t get enough of the long thick strands of pasta. So I always serve this ragu over pappardelle. However, if you can’t find or don’t want to use Pappardelle, you can serve this beef ragu on just about any pasta – tagliatelle, farfalle, rigatoni, even spaghetti.

This sauce also goes really well with polenta, if you’re avoiding flour or gluten. I’ve even had this on top of cauliflower rice, spiralized vegetables or gnocchi. Who am I kidding – it’s so good that you might be caught eating it straight from the pot.

Other Cooking Methods

If you’re making this in the Instant Pot, add the beef and the sauce to the inner pot. Close the lid and set the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes, then allow a natural release of pressure, which takes about 15 minutes.
To cook on the stove top, add the beef and sauce to a pot. Cover it with a lid and simmer on low for about 4 hours, or until you can easily shred the beef with a fork.
To cook in a Dutch oven, add all the ingredients to the pot, cover, and put it in the oven on 350°F for 3 hours, or until the meat can be shredded easily with a fork.

Making Your Own Pasta

I highly encourage making your own pasta, if you’re up for the challenge. It’s really not difficult to make and it’s so much better than dried store-bought pasta.

Try this recipe to make your own pappardelle pasta at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cut of beef to use?

Any of these cuts of beef will tenderize and shred easily in this dish. Beef shin, chuck steak, flank, roast or brisket.

What is ragu?

Ragu is an Italian meat-based sauce. Ragu in Italian means meat sauce. The meat is the star of the show and is often made with veal, lamb or beef. The meat is slow cooked in tomato sauce with aromatic herbs.

What Our Readers Are Saying

You don’t have to just take my word for it. Hundreds of readers have tried this recipe and loved it. See below some of the reviews we’ve received from visitors on Pinterest.

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