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Sunday slow cooker beef ragu served in a bowl with a fork.
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4.43 from 14 votes

Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragù

Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragù is freezer ready and features shredded beef in a rich and savory tomato sauce. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 15 minutes
Total Cost: $12.16 recipe / $1.01 serving
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 209.33kcal
Author: Beth Moncel

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion $0.16
  • 4 cloves garlic $0.32
  • 1 carrot $0.14
  • 3 lbs. boneless beef shoulder roast $7.53
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil $0.04
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano $0.05
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme $0.05
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary $0.05
  • Freshly cracked pepper $0.05
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste $0.24
  • 1 cup beef broth $0.13
  • 2 (28oz.) cans crushed tomatoes $3.38
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste $0.05

Instructions

  • Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Peel the carrot, then shred it using a cheese or box grater. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
  • Use a sharp knife to remove any large pieces of fat from the beef. Cut the trimmed beef into large 2-3 inch chunks.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. When the oil is very hot, add the beef pieces and cook for a few minutes on each side or until well browned. Cook the pieces in batches to avoid over crowding the skillet.
  • Place the browned beef in the slow cooker. Add the beef broth to the still warm skillet and whisk to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the beef broth from the skillet into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the oregano, thyme, and rosemary over the beef. Top with some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
  • Finally, add the tomato paste to the slow cooker along with the crushed tomatoes. Place a lid on the slow cooker and turn on the heat to high. Cook for 6-8 hours on high, or until the meat is extremely tender and shreds easily.
  • Use tongs to shred the meat in the sauce, removing any remaining large pieces of fat or connective tissue that did not break down. Stir the sauce well, taste, and add salt as needed (1/2 to 1 teaspoon). Serve immediately with pasta or divide the sauce into smaller containers (for faster cooling) and refrigerate. Once completely cooled, the sauce can be frozen for longer storage.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 209.33kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.77g | Protein: 27.01g | Fat: 6.31g | Sodium: 477.98mg | Fiber: 2.72g