365 min
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
Five-minute prep turns into tender, tangy chicken for tacos, bowls, nachos, and the easiest lunches of your week.
Slow-Cooker Dinners
Slow Cooker Beef & Mushroom Ragu
A Sunday-sauce mood with weekday effort: deeply savory beef, mushrooms, and tomatoes ready to blanket pasta or polenta.
Directions
Brown the beef
Season beef. Sear in olive oil in batches until deeply browned; transfer to the slow cooker.
Cook the vegetables
In the same pan, cook mushrooms, onion, and carrots for 7 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
Deglaze
Pour in wine or broth and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes, then pour everything over the beef.
Slow cook
Add crushed tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours until the beef pulls apart.
Shred and reduce
Discard bay leaf, shred beef in the sauce, and cook uncovered on HIGH 20 minutes if the sauce is loose. Toss with pasta and pasta water.
Why this works
Why it worksBrowning creates the roasted flavor a slow cooker cannot produce alone.
Why it worksMushrooms amplify beefiness while keeping the sauce from feeling heavy.
Why it worksPasta water helps the ragu cling instead of sitting on top.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Compare on AmazonPasta pot and colanderChoose stable handles and a size that fits the dinners you actually cook.See current options →
Compare on AmazonFine graterUseful for citrus, hard cheese, garlic and finishing details.See current options →
Compare on AmazonKitchen tongsA dependable tool for tossing, turning and serving.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use boneless short ribs or pork shoulder.
- Replace wine with beef broth plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
- Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes, or spaghetti squash.
Cook notes
- Do not crowd the beef while browning; work in batches.
- Chuck roast is ideal because its connective tissue becomes silky during the long cook.
Storage
Refrigerate 4 days or freeze the sauce up to 3 months. Freeze without pasta for best texture.
Questions
Do I have to brown the beef?
No, but the sauce will taste flatter. Browning is the single most valuable extra step.
Can I cook it on HIGH?
Yes, about 4 to 5 hours, though LOW produces more tender beef.
Why is my sauce greasy?
Chuck varies in fat. Chill the sauce and lift off the solid fat, or skim the surface before serving.
Cook next
More recipes you’ll like
365 min
45 min
Creamy Garlic-Parmesan Ribeye Rigatoni
Juicy slices of seared ribeye and mushrooms folded through rigatoni in a silky garlic-Parmesan pan sauce.
435 min
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy without being heavy, loaded with beans, corn, green chiles, and a lime finish that wakes up the whole bowl.
40 min
Creamy Ground Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles
Browned mushrooms, crumbled beef, and a tangy sour-cream gravy cling to wide egg noodles in this 40-minute comfort-food dinner.
Slow Cooker Beef & Mushroom Ragu
Screen stays awake when supported.
1. Brown the beefSeason beef. Sear in olive oil in batches until deeply browned; transfer to the slow cooker.
2. Cook the vegetablesIn the same pan, cook mushrooms, onion, and carrots for 7 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
3. DeglazePour in wine or broth and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes, then pour everything over the beef.
4. Slow cookAdd crushed tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours until the beef pulls apart.
5. Shred and reduceDiscard bay leaf, shred beef in the sauce, and cook uncovered on HIGH 20 minutes if the sauce is loose. Toss with pasta and pasta water.