What can I use instead of crushed tomatoes?

Tomato sauce can be used instead of crushed tomatoes. The finished ragu may have a smoother texture because tomato sauce has fewer visible pieces. Keep an eye on the sauce consistency after the roast is shredded. If it seems thin, the recipe notes using an equal-parts cornstarch-and-water slurry and cooking it 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Can I make a smaller batch?

Yes, this recipe can be reduced for fewer servings by scaling down the listed ingredients. Use a slow cooker large enough for the roast and liquid without crowding or overflowing. Cooking time is still guided by whether the beef is tender and shreds easily. Check the roast with forks rather than relying only on the clock.

Can I freeze beef ragu?

Yes, the beef ragu can be frozen. Keep the pasta separate, then mix in freshly cooked pasta when the ragu is ready to serve again. Separate pasta avoids noodles sitting in the sauce during freezing and thawing. For easier portions, divide the meat and sauce into containers before freezing.

How do I keep the pasta from getting mushy?

Cook the pasta separately and stop when it is al dente. It will continue softening slightly after it is mixed into the warm beef ragu. Wider shapes such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, and fettuccine are suggested for this dish. Stir the cooked noodles in only after the beef has been shredded and returned to the sauce.

Should I cook ragu on low or high?

Low is the recommended setting for the most tender beef. Cook on low for 8 hours, or use high for 4 to 5 hours until the roast shreds easily. The high setting is useful when time is shorter, but tenderness remains the key cue. Avoid lifting the lid repeatedly while the roast cooks.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Tender Chuck Roast and Tomato Sauce

By Ava MitchellOct 8, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

495 min

Total

510 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Set up dinner in 15 minutes, then let the slow cooker handle the rest. This Italian beef ragu combines tender shredded chuck roast, crushed tomatoes, and pasta in a hearty tomato sauce with oregano, basil, and thyme.

Chuck roast is seasoned directly with dried herbs, salt, and pepper, so there is no separate browning step. Garlic, onion, carrots, and celery form the base beneath the roast, while beef broth and crushed tomatoes create the cooking liquid. Wide pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine catches the shredded beef and sauce once stirred in at the end.

The roast is ready when it shreds easily with two forks and large pieces of fat can be removed before returning the meat to the crock pot. Cook the pasta separately and keep it al dente; pasta that is cooked too long before mixing can become mushy in the hot ragu. Stir gently until the beef, sauce, and noodles are evenly combined.

Serve the ragu warm with shredded Parmesan cheese, homemade garlic bread, breadsticks, or Air Fryer Broccoli. The sauce is substantial enough for serving over the suggested wide noodles, with bread useful for catching the remaining tomato sauce.

Why you'll love this recipe

Minimal morning prep gets dinner started in 15 minutes because the slow cooker handles the long cook while you are away.
No skillet is needed because the seasoned chuck roast goes straight into the crock pot with vegetables, broth, and crushed tomatoes.
Budget-conscious chuck roast works well here because its marbling turns tender during the long cook and shreds easily into the sauce.
Pantry seasonings keep shopping simple because dried oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper build the ragu’s herb-forward flavor.
Wide pasta makes serving straightforward because tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine can be cooked separately and stirred into the finished sauce.
A full slow cooker batch feeds eight because two pounds of beef, vegetables, tomatoes, broth, and pasta are combined in one main dish.

Instructions

Season the chuck roast with salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme.

Add the minced garlic, diced onion, diced carrots, and chopped celery to a crock pot.

Place the seasoned roast on top of the vegetables.

Pour in the beef broth and add the crushed tomatoes over the roast.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and shreds easily.

Remove the beef, shred it with forks, discard any large pieces of fat, and return the beef to the crock pot.

Stir in the cooked pasta and mix well with the beef and sauce.

Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve warm.

FAQ

Yes, the vegetables can be diced and the seasonings measured ahead. Keep the prepared ingredients ready for assembling in the crock pot the next morning. The pasta should still be cooked separately near serving time. A first-time cook should place the vegetables in the cooker before setting the seasoned roast on top.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Tender Chuck Roast and Tomato Sauce

1 / 6

Dinner Soups & Stews Beef Italian Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Tender Chuck Roast and Tomato Sauce

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Tender Chuck Roast and Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 495 min
Total time: 510 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb chuck roast; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried basil; 0.5 tsp dried thyme leaves; 1 tbsp garlic (minced); 1 onion (large, diced); 2 carrots (medium, peeled and diced); 2 celery stalks (chopped); 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz); 1.5 cups beef broth; salt (to taste); pepper (to taste); 8 oz pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine; cooked according to package directions)

By Ava MitchellOct 8, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

495 min

Total

510 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Minimal morning prep gets dinner started in 15 minutes because the slow cooker handles the long cook while you are away.
No skillet is needed because the seasoned chuck roast goes straight into the crock pot with vegetables, broth, and crushed tomatoes.
Budget-conscious chuck roast works well here because its marbling turns tender during the long cook and shreds easily into the sauce.
Pantry seasonings keep shopping simple because dried oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper build the ragu’s herb-forward flavor.
Wide pasta makes serving straightforward because tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine can be cooked separately and stirred into the finished sauce.
A full slow cooker batch feeds eight because two pounds of beef, vegetables, tomatoes, broth, and pasta are combined in one main dish.

Ingredients

Servings8

•2 lb chuck roast
•1 tsp dried oregano
•1 tsp dried basil
•0.5 tsp dried thyme leaves
•1 tbsp garlic (minced)
•1 onion (large, diced)
•2 carrots (medium, peeled and diced)
•2 celery stalks (chopped)
•1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
•1.5 cups beef broth
•salt (to taste)
•pepper (to taste)
•8 oz pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine; cooked according to package directions)

Instructions

1
Season the chuck roast with salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme.
2
Add the minced garlic, diced onion, diced carrots, and chopped celery to a crock pot.
3
Place the seasoned roast on top of the vegetables.
4
Pour in the beef broth and add the crushed tomatoes over the roast.
5
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and shreds easily.
6
Remove the beef, shred it with forks, discard any large pieces of fat, and return the beef to the crock pot.
7
Stir in the cooked pasta and mix well with the beef and sauce.
8
Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve warm.