Slow Cooker Brisket Ragu

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Rich, tender, melt-in-your mouth Slow Cooker Brisket Ragu is an irresistible Sunday dinner I guarantee your family will love! It takes just 20 minutes of prep, then you can set it and forget it until it's ready to serve.

I just love my slow cooker. A couple of years back, my kids bought me a new slow cooker, and I never get tired of using it to make dinner! There's nothing better than throwing ingredients into the pot, running errands, and coming home to a gorgeous dinner with hardly any effort.

One of my favorite slow cooker meals is this beef ragu recipe. Not only is it a simple, set-and-forget slow cooker recipe, but it's filling and hearty and makes the whole house smell incredible. This is true comfort food!

Why make beef ragu in the slow cooker?

• It's easy: I love making beef ragu in the slow cooker because all you have to do is a bit of prep work, then you can add the ingredients to the pot and let it cook for you while you go about your day. The only prep you have to do is slicing the vegetables, searing the beef, and then shredding it later on when it's ready to serve. It's very simple.
• It tastes incredible: The flavors of this beef ragu recipe develop beautifully in the slow cooker. Slowly cooked over a period of six hours, it becomes so tender and oh-so-tasty.
• It's great for meal prep: You can make the beef ragu on Sunday, then use it for meals throughout the week. It's perfect for freezing, too.

What is ragu sauce?

Ragu sauce is an Italian meat-based sauce, using chopped or ground meat, that is traditionally served with pasta. It has a bold tomato flavor enhanced by the fat that melts into the sauce as the meat cooks. Because of this, ragù will always have the best flavor if you allow it to cook slowly, making the slow cooker a great choice for this recipe.

What is the difference between a ragu and a bolognese?

Bolognese is a meat sauce that is a type of ragu, but unlike other ragu recipes, it uses much less tomato (sometimes none at all), and white wine rather than red. This results in differing flavor profiles. If you want to try a bolognese, I have a recipe for that too: Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle Pasta.

How to Make Slow Cooker Ragu

Step 1: Let's get into how to make beef ragu in the slow cooker! First, cut your brisket into quarters and remove most of the fat using a sharp knife. Season the meat on all sides.

Step 2: Set a heavy pan over medium-high heat on the stove and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and sear it on all sides so it's browned all over. You only need to sear it - don't cook it any more than that.

Step 3: Once seared, place the beef into your slow cooker.

Step 4: Now, we start on the ragu sauce. Saute the onion, celery, and carrots in the same pan until a little softened. Then, add red wine. Be sure to use a high-quality red wine you would also drink; if it tastes bad to drink, it will taste bad in your ragu. Let it sizzle and reduce until it's almost disappeared.

Step 5: Next, add the tomato paste, tomato purée, and beef stock. The flavor is really getting good, now! Make sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and mix them together well. Then, pour this over the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring from time to time, until the meat starts to fall apart.

Step 6: In the last 10 to 11 minutes of cook time, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain it quickly, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Step 7: Once cooked, remove the beef from the slow cooker carefully and use two forks to shred it into strands. Once shredded, add it back to the slow cooker with the ragu sauce and mix together to combine.

Step 8: Finally, add the pasta straight to the ragu and toss to coat. Or, you may want to serve the pasta on plates and add the sauce to it, if you plan on storing leftovers. Enjoy!

Storing Leftover Beef Ragu

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If storing, I recommend mixing the pasta in separately in individual servings, and storing the ragu sauce by itself.

Freezing Cooked Ragu

This ragu freezes well, for up to 3 months. Once cold, transfer it to a large ziplock plastic bag and freeze. You can even freeze it in smaller portions to have meals ready to go. Do not freeze it with the pasta! Just freeze the sauce.

What to Serve with Ragu

• Pappardelle pasta: In my opinion, this is the best pasta for ragu. I love to make my own pasta (recipe coming soon!). Tagliatelle is a great alternative.
• Rice: If you want, you can also serve ragu over rice, and it's a great combination. Try my Instant Pot White Rice.
• Sloppy Joe style: Try serving it on buns, like traditional sloppy joes.
• With bread: I have a recipe for instant pot french bread, or even sprouted bread, and it is delicious with this ragu. My quick dinner rolls are great with it, also!

Toppings for Ragu Sauce

• Chopped parsley: For a pop of green, chop up some fresh parsley and sprinkle it over top.
• Fresh herbs: If you love the flavor of rosemary or fresh thyme (I know I do), you can sprinkle a little bit over the top.
• Parmesan cheese: In my opinion, it is necessary to add parmesan to this delicious beef brisket ragu!

If you're after a comfort food classic that's full of flavor but cooks itself while you do other things, then this Slow Cooker Brisket Ragu is definitely for you!

How to Make Ragu Ahead of Time

• Make this ragu up to 2 days ahead. At the end of step 6, allow the ragu to cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to a covered dish and placing it in the fridge to cool completely. Reheat in a pot when required.

FAQ

Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

• These Slow Cooker Pork Ribs with Bourbon BBQ Sauce are sublime.
• Try my Barbacoa Beef - it's great for meal prep.
• Slow Cooker Meatloaf is delicious, too.
• Slow Cooker Short Ribs are on rotation in my household!

Slow Cooker Brisket Ragu

Recipe Author: Isabel Laessig

My Slow Cooker Brisket Ragu is a comfort food dream come true. Just 20 minutes of prep, and you'll come home to an amazing dinner your family will love.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Calories 302 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• 2 Forks for shredding the beef
• 1 Cutting board
• 1 Sharp knife

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 lbs boneless beef brisket - cut into quarters
• ▢ 2  Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1  clove  garlic - crushed
• ▢ 1½ cups onion - finely chopped
• ▢ 3  stalks celery - finely chopped
• ▢ 2  medium carrots - grated
• ▢ ½ cup red wine - (good quality, not sweet)
• ▢ ⅓ cup tomato paste
• ▢ 1½ cups tomato puree
• ▢ ¾ cup  beef stock
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon, heaping dried oregano
• ▢ 2  teaspoons  sugar
• ▢ 1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½  teaspoon  salt
• ▢ 2  dried bay leaves
• ▢ ½ cup whole milk

Instructions 

• Cut beef brisket into quarters. Trim the fat, if necessary. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.
  3 lbs boneless beef brisket,½  teaspoon  salt,1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and sear on all sides until browned all over. Remove from the pan, and add the beef to the slow cooker.
  2  Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• To the same pan, add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots over medium-high heat. Saute while stirring until soft, or about 5 minutes.
  1  clove  garlic,1½ cups onion,3  stalks celery,2  medium carrots
• Add wine and continue to saute until the liquid reduces and is almost gone (1 minute or so). Add tomato paste, puree, and beef stock. Stir, and bring to a simmer.
  ⅓ cup tomato paste,1½ cups tomato puree,¾ cup  beef stock,½ cup red wine
• Add oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and milk. Stir well to combine. Make sure to add the milk slowly so it does not curdle.
  1 Tablespoon, heaping dried oregano,2  teaspoons  sugar,2  dried bay leaves,½ cup whole milk
• Pour the mixture over the top of the beef in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, mixing it every so often. It's ready when the beef starts to fall apart easily with a fork.
• Remove the beef from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the beef. Once shredded, add it back to the slow cooker and mix it well with the ragu red sauce.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt, then, when boiling, add the pasta and cook. Stir occasionally until al dente, then drain quickly, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
• Add the pasta straight to the ragu, and toss to coat. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water by the Tablespoon if the sauce seems dry. Divide the pasta among warmed plates, sprinkle with parmesan, and enjoy!

Final stepPlease consider Leaving a Review below to tell me what you think of the recipe! This helps me know what you're looking for, so I can continue to provide you with high-quality recipes at no cost.

4.54 from 15 votes

Notes

• Make this ragu up to 2 days ahead. At the end of step 6, allow the ragu to cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to a covered dish and placing it in the fridge to cool completely. Reheat in a pot when required.
• This ragu freezes well, for up to 3 months. Once cold, transfer it to a large ziplock plastic bag and freeze. You can even freeze it in smaller portions to have meals ready to go.

Nutrition

Serving: 2servingCalories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 31gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 904mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2474IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 4mg