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Slow-cooked Beef Ragu

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Many of us love a good bolognese sauce, but there is nothing quite like taking it to the next level and creating a homemade Slow-cooked Beef Ragu. This is the recipe I enjoy making when I’ve got a little bit of time up my sleeve. It blips away on the stove while I potter around the house. After a couple of hours of hands-off cooking, what I’m left with is the most luscious, flavoursome sauce to top any pasta of my choice.

Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
There is absolutely nothing as warming or hearty as a good bolognese, so take it to the next level and try this Slow-cooked Beef Ragu.

There’s only 10 minutes of prep to cut up the steak and vegetables, then they are simmered together in one-pan (yes to minimal clean-up!) and, after 2 hours of delicious aromas filling your home, you’re left with fork-tender beef in a rich tomato sauce that is absolute heaven when paired with a chunky pasta like rigatoni. Rigatoni is a great choice as it has a ridged surface that soaks up the mouthwatering sauce.

This recipe serves 6 people, so I often freeze half the sauce, ready for a rainy day, making this an economical family meal perfect for any night of the week. But, honestly, it is so gorgeous that I would serve it to guests when entertaining. It is the most beautiful winter-warmer that is just lovely with a glass of red wine, if you fancy.

Can I leave the red wine out of beef ragu?

Yes. Simply substitute the red wine with more beef stock.

What can I use instead of chuck (braising/casserole) steak?

Any slow-cook cut of beef is suitable for this recipe. Oyster blade (flat iron/butler’s) steak is a good substitute.

My beef is still tough, what do I do?

Keep cooking! If the beef is still tough after 2½ hours of cooking, it needs to cook for longer. Make sure the sauce is still bubbling very gently (you should be able to see bubbles appearing in the sauce; if not, the heat is too low and the beef will take a lot longer to cook). The beauty of slow-cook beef like chuck (braising/casserole) steak is that it is almost impossible to overcook – the longer it cooks, the more it will soften and break down into the sauce. Continue cooking in 30-minute intervals. If the sauce seems to be too thick and sticking to the base of the pan, add ½ cup (125 ml) of water as needed.

Can I spice it up?

Yes, I often like to drizzle some chilli oil over my portion at the end.

Watch how to make Slow-cooked Beef Ragu

If you enjoyed Slow-cooked Beef Ragu, I think you’ll love:

Slow-cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Slow-cooked Beef Stroganoff Pot Pies Recipe
Beef Stroganoff Cottage Pie with Crispy Parmesan Topping Recipe
Beef Casserole Recipe
Slow-cooked Traditional Goulash Recipe

Slow-cooked Beef Ragu

Slow-cooked Beef Ragu

Author: Nicole
5 from 18 votes
“Oh my goodness, it was phenomenal!!”
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Slow-cooked Beef Ragu is an economical but delicious meal, made with simple, economical ingredients. Just 10 minutes of prep, then let the stove do the rest of the work!
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 2 hours 45 minutes
Total 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 brown onions, finely diced
  • 2 large carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 kg (2 lb) beef chuck (braising/casserole) steak, cut into roughly 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes (see note 1 for substitutes)
  • 125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine
  • 125 g (½ cup) tomato paste
  • 700 ml (23½ fl oz) tomato passata
  • 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Pasta, to serve (rigatoni pictured)
  • Freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Equipment

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a deep heavy-based pan with a lid over medium–high heat.
  • Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until softened.
  • Turn the heat to high, add the beef chuck steak and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the meat is sealed all over.
  • Add the red wine, tomato paste, passata, beef stock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 2½ hours or until the beef is tender enough to be easily shredded with two forks (see note 1). 
  • Shred the beef with two forks and serve with your favourite pasta and some grated parmesan.

Nutrition information

Nutrition Facts
Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
Amount per Serving
Calories
476
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
26
g
40
%
Saturated Fat
 
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
14
g
Cholesterol
 
115
mg
38
%
Sodium
 
913
mg
40
%
Potassium
 
1603
mg
46
%
Carbohydrates
 
23
g
8
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
12
g
13
%
Protein
 
37
g
74
%
Vitamin A
 
5008
IU
100
%
Vitamin C
 
22
mg
27
%
Calcium
 
90
mg
9
%
Iron
 
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes

Watch how to make it

Recipe notes

Note 1  – If the beef is still tough after 2½ hours of cooking, it needs to cook for longer. Make sure the sauce is still bubbling very gently (you should be able to see bubbles appearing in the sauce; if not, the heat is too low and the beef will take a lot longer to cook). The beauty of chuck steak is that it is almost impossible to overcook – the longer it cooks, the more it will soften and break down into the sauce. Continue cooking in 30-minute intervals. If the sauce seems to be too thick and sticking to the base of the pan, add ½ cup (125 ml) of water.  

Make Ahead

You can refrigerate the ragu for up to 3 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the fridge to reheat. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the fridge to reheat. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!
Course beef, beef ragu, entrée, Main Course, pasta, Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
Cuisine Italian

  1. Hi, just wondering what “brown onions” are? I’ve heard of yellow, white, red but not brown!

    • Hi Joanne, brown onions are the same as yellow onions. ❤️ Nic x

  2. 5 stars
    So good. We had it with gnocchi and I’m making parcels with it tonight.

    • Hi Gemma, so glad you are enjoying this – and good on you for getting creative with it! Thanks for the rating too. Nic x

  3. 5 stars
    I use the same recipe but sub the beef for lamb shanks. Soo good!

    • Hi Kate, thanks so much for sharing this as it’s so great to know it worked with lamb shanks! Thanks also for the rating, Nic x

  4. What can I add to lessen the + sour taste? Chutney?

    • Hi Maretha, if the sauce tastes a little sour, just stir in 1–2 teaspoons of sugar towards the end of cooking (after the beef has softened). It will balance the acidity from the tomatoes nicely. Hope this helps! Nic x

  5. This was AMAZING! I have a tried and true beef Ragu but this just blew it out of the water! I used a pressure cooker just due to time. Followed as written up until step 3, but then deglazed with the wine and added the contents to the pressure cooker with the rest of the ingredients (halved all the liquid volumes though – half the passatta, half the wine, half the tomato paste, half the beef stock) and cooked it for 50 minutes and came out perfectly!

    • Hi Rebecca, thanks for the terrific feedback and for sharing how you cooked the dish … I always love to hear! Nic x

  6. I cooked in my Slow cooker a few weeks ago, and oh my goodness, it was phenomenal!! I have cooked heaps of different versions of this, but yours is by far the most flavourful. Thank you!

    • Wow, Ryll! Thanks so much for this lovely feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Nic x

  7. We are a family of six so I doubled the recipe in terms of the beef and tripled the other ingredients to ensure there was lots of sauce to soak up the beef whilst cooking. The ragu was delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by my family. I served with fettuccine and steamed green beans on the side. It’s a very rich dish which freezes well as we had leftovers for another meal.

    • Hi Camille, I just loved hearing the details of how you cooked and served this … fantastic feedback! So happy you enjoyed it and that you managed to make two meals from it … great job! Nic x

  8. I’m currently making this right now for tonight’s dinner. It’s simmering away and the smells in the house are amazing

    • Hi Catherine, this is just lovely to hear! Thanks so much for sharing. Nic x

  9. 5 stars
    Made it to my family, great!. Also made pasta from scratch so that was a great addition.

    • Wow, Yoyo, so impressed that you made pasta from scratch! So glad you enjoyed the ragu and thanks for the rating, Nic x

  10. How much prep time is needed before cooking the steak and vegetables?

    • Hi, the prep time for this recipe is only 10 minutes before you put everything into the slow-cooker. Nic x

  11. Is it possible to do this in slow cooker/ pressure cooker for a set and forget situation?

    • Hi Mel, you’re in luck! I now have a slow-cooker version of ragu. You can find the recipe here. Nic x

  12. Can you use a slow cooker for this recipe?

    • Hi Tarnya, I have a ragu recipe coming soon that is made in the slow-cooker, so stay tuned! Nic x

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Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes 

For recipes labelled ‘gluten-free’ or ‘dairy-free’, the ingredients included in the recipe are typically gluten- or dairy-free. However, it is the user’s responsibility to carefully check the ingredient panels on the specific brands of products purchased and used. Simple Home Edit cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions.