Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce with Beef

Best slow cooker spaghetti sauce with beef is here. Ragu style 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.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

Ok so you want to make our Crockpot spaghetti and meatballs but make your own sauce. Totally possible. 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.

The next time you go to the store grab a roast. Simmered in the sauce it comes out super tender and creates a really hearty meal. Of course you can omit it entirely and make homemade vegetarian spaghetti sauce but…..

As with any other recipe with beef 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.

Slow Cooker Ragu Sauce

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, quickly make some air fryer ground beef, or just use a pan on the stovetop.

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.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

If you follow the below recipe exactly and when it’s done you think it is too thick, just add some broth. Easy peasy. This is what you’ll want to take out.

1. Beef roast and large skillet to brown
   1. or brown ground turkey or Italian sausage and use that
2. Onion
3. Carrots
4. Celery
5. Diced tomatoes
6. Beef broth
7. Red wine vinegar
8. Tomato paste
9. Oregano
10. Basil
11. Salt and pepper to taste
12. Garlic powder
13. A bit of sugar
14. Bay leaves

Once you sear the meat you just throw it all in. Slow coking makes for the most tender fall apart protein inside.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

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.

Reheat in a sauce pan, again in the Crock pot just to reheat on low. Thin out with a bit of tomato sauce if needed. Could dice green pepper and add for some texture and serve pasta sauce over egg or spaghetti noodles.

Can you use jar sauce in slow cooker

I mean I guess so but why?? Make from scratch like this, there is an array of variations and add ins for this. Only have crushed tomatoes on hand, use that. Love Italian seasoning well then add some too. A bit of brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness too. It’s a great recipe where you can substitute away.

1. Heat a skillet on the stovetop. Add a bit of olive oil with your cut up pieces of roast.
2. Sear on all sides and then transfer beef into slow cooker.
3. Add diced onions into the same skillet with drippings, add garlic powder
   • could add diced garlic too if you’re a lover and cook down until caramelized.
4. Add meat and onions into the crockpot.
5. Then add all other ingredients with the bay leaves on top so they’re easier to remove at the end.
6. Cover and cook for 8 hours or high for 6 hours. Remove bay leaves. Shred beef with two forks.

Serve over air fryer zucchini noodles or regular pasta. Printable recipe shared below so you can keep it on hand. Nutritional information included as well such as saturated fat (which will vary depending on meat selected), calories, etc…

Slow Cooker Recipes with Spaghetti Sauce

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:

1. Our Crockpot lasagna casserole is the easiest way to make this classic dish. NO boiling required at all.
2. If you insist on those long noodles, then you should follow the instructions for our Crockpot lasagna recipe.
3. Slow cooker pulled pork is always a winner. Served on slider buns or just on top of rice it’s an inexpensive meal that feeds a crowd.

Want to make this quicker? Well we do have an 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.

How long to keep leftover spaghetti sauce?

The general rule is 4-5 days in the fridge. 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.

What is the secret ingredient in spaghetti sauce?

That is up to you! That is why there are so many recipes out there. Everyone has their “secret” to their batch because they add something they love. Yours is likely different because we all have different taste buds.

Make it your own, like we did here, and share with others so everyone can enjoy a bowl of pasta!