Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

This is the best slow cooker spaghetti sauce with shredded beef. Ragu style, this hearty recipe that is great on top of noodles and freezes well too. Want to add frozen meatballs inside too? You can do that and make it spicy too if you want.

I guarantee your family and extended crew are going to love this. It’s a cheap dinner you can make with leftover beef or fresh chuck roast. It’s just one easy Crockpot recipe I make every month for my family.

I have experimented a lot with the sauce base. From using a fresh roast and cooking to fall-apart-tender to using leftover beef, or chopped up and cooked Frozen Meatballs in Crockpot. Simmered in the sauce makes this protein come out super tender and creates a really hearty meal. Hate wasting leftovers and want to make another meal with leftover beef? We have been there too, time and time again. This has been our favorite option for that.

You could make Crockpot spaghetti and meatballs if you had those left over too, but make your own sauce. Any meat really works, just set aside a good 6 hours to get it perfect. You’d want to start with this in the morning so it can get a deeper flavor throughout the day. Then add the noodles when you get home.

What is the secret ingredient in spaghetti sauce?

The “secret ingredient” often depends on the cook, but many swear by adding a small touch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Others use unexpected additions like a splash of red wine, dash of balsamic vinegar, or a pinch of cinnamon. Even a Parmesan rind can deepen the flavors. Fresh herbs added at the end, such as basil or parsley, can also make the flavors pop. Ultimately, the secret is a subtle extra that enhances the sauce without overpowering the classic tomato, garlic, and onion base.

How Long to Cook Spaghetti Sauce in Slow Cooker?

This time we just made the sauce. Timing for that is 8 hours. If you want to add noodles at the end you would want an additional 30 minutes at the end to get those tender. This does vary depending on whether you are adding raw or precooked meat though, for the latter I would suggest closer to 6 hrs.

Can you put raw ground beef in spaghetti sauce?

No. You need to brown it first before adding. No matter how you cook it you’d be safer to cook it until it’s no longer pink beforehand. You could use our Crockpot ground beef recipe first off and incorporate the rest mid day, or with leftovers.

If you have smaller kids I might opt for penne pasta instead of regular longer versions. It’s easier to eat and leads to less of a mess.

Should you pre-cook meat to make spaghetti sauce?

Yes, typically like when we are making our 5 ingredient Crockpot chili you would need to brown (until no longer pink) before adding other ingredients. If you are starting with bite-sized beef pieces you could add raw because it is cooking for so long you don’t really have a risk of it being undercooked, but browning is preferred.

Can You Make Spaghetti Sauce with Leftover Meatballs?

I think you get the drift that any cooked meat works in this baby right? You can throw your bag left right in or quarter them to make the bites smaller if you want to make it more like ground beef. It saves well too. If you make too much just let it cool to room temperature. Then store in freezer bags, flatten them and stack in the freezer. They will stay well for several months.

My family loves it so much I sometimes make double when I batch cook. When you’re ready to enjoy again just put the frozen bags in the fridge. Let meat sauce defrost on it’s own.

Can you cook noodles in the sauce?

Yes, we have done this time and time again with our one pot spaghetti. This would work similarly except it takes longer. When it’s about 30 minutes before you want to serve dinner, submerge noodles into the sauce and put the lid back on. Depending on how tender you want them to become it will take 30-45 minutes to get this done. WAY better than boiling in water too I must say.

Tips for Success

As with any other recipe with beef or ground beef starting our raw and then cooked in a Crock, you’ll want to brown the outsides first. Ok, so you could skip this step but it is a good idea to keep it tender and add a bit of texture. Using pre-cooked meat? This isn’t necessary at all, just dice and throw right in there. Either way you want 6 hours to simmer, 8 is better.

Slow coking makes for the most tender fall apart protein inside. If you follow the below recipe exactly and when it’s done you think it is too thick, just add some broth. Easy peasy.

How long to keep leftover spaghetti sauce?

The general rule is 4-5 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer. Of course you need to store it properly in air tight containers first once it is room temperature or it will grow unwanted bacteria inside. You can use next day to make Instant Pot spaghetti which we love.

Other easy recipes with spaghetti sauce you’ll love

Love this and want to try more easy slow cooker recipes on The Typical Mom blog? Here are a few others that are always a hit around here: Our Crockpot lasagna casserole is the easiest way to make this classic dish. NO boiling required at all.

If you insist on those long noodles, then you should follow the instructions for our Crockpot lasagna recipe.

Want to make this quicker? Well we do have an homemade Instant Pot spaghetti sauce recipe as well. Of course we do. Homemade and easy to do, you can use ground beef or sausage in this one for a quick meal.