Skip to Content

Italian Beef Ragu

Italian beef ragu is a year round favourite, made with beef brisket which has a deep rich meaty flavour, also smoked pancetta and vegetables to flavour the sauce. Once prepared this easy beef ragu is cooked low and slow in the oven or slow cooker until the beef is fork tender and falling apart!

A bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

This slow cooked beef ragu recipe is inspired by a dish I enjoyed in Venice on a warm day in May. It was one of the most glorious bowls of food I’ve ever eaten! Soft pillows of fresh gnocchi with a light coating of beef ragu sauce, just enough to give you the taste, but not so much as to overload the dish. It was light and delicious and I’ve often thought of that dish and wanted to try and recreate it.

I always think that stews and ragu’s are great for feeding a larger group of friends and family. Make this easy beef ragu the day before, ready to heat up when your guests arrive and serve with gnocchi or pasta, some steamed vegetables, or a crisp salad.

If you prefer to make slow cooker beef ragu, that’s not problem. I use both the oven and the slow cooker and include instructions for both methods within this post and in the recipe card notes.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Preparation time is minimal and once assembled you can leave the ragu to bubble away in the oven or your slow cooker.
  • Feed a crowd, this best beef ragu recipe sauce will happily feed 8 people, but double it up and you can feed a crowd.
  • Make ahead up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. This ragu will taste better the long it sits.
  • Dairy free and gluten free if you use gluten free beef stock.

Recipe ingredients

Italian beef ragu recipe ingredients set out in individual bowls.
  • Beef – I used beef brisket which I cut into large chunks to make it easier to fit in the pot.
  • Pancetta – I recommend using smoked pancetta or lardons for extra flavour, although unsmoked will work too.
  • Oil – use regular olive oil or a similar oil of choice.
  • Vegetables – a combination of onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and garlic were used to flavour the ragu.
  • Wine – I used white wine to deglaze the pan after sauteeing the pancetta and vegetables.
  • Herbs – I used both fresh flat leaf parsley and dried bay leaves and oregano to add flavour.
  • Tomatoes – I used cans of plum tomatoes.
  • Beef stock – I used gluten free rich beef stock.
  • Seasoning – I seasoned the ragu with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

How to make slow cooked beef ragu

  • Preheat the oven to 130C/140CFan/270F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large oven proof pan, over a medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and saute until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered down.
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and sauté gently for 5 minutes to soften, but not colour the vegetables.
  • Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan and stir for a minute, before adding the white wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer the wine until it is well reduced.
  • Now add in all the remaining ingredients to the casserole, season well with salt and pepper, stir well to combine and cover with a tight fitting lid.
  • Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 4-5 hours. Stir the ragu throughout the cook to ensure it does not stick. The stew is cooked when the meat is tender and falling apart.
  • Remove the chunks of beef from the pan and shred with two forks, before returning to the pan and stirring through the sauce.
  • Serve the ragu with gnocchi, creamed polenta or pasta of choice.

How to make slow cooker beef ragu

This recipe is easily adapted for slow cooker beef ragu:

  • Ignore the first instruction to preheat the oven.
  • Follow the instructions for sauteeing the vegetables, up to the end of step 4 in the recipe card.
  • At this point transfer the sauteed vegetable and reduced wine mixture into a slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker.

TOP TIP: Slow cookers require less liquid than the oven method. So to avoid a watery ragu I recommend reducing the liquid, swapping the beef stock for a beef stockpot or bouillon cube, and give everything a good stir to combine.

  • Now place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
A bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Recipe variations

  • If using diced stewing steak cut back on cooking time and only cook for 2-3 hours depending on the size of the diced steak.
  • Try a combination of beef and pork and add in some pork shoulder.
  • You can use shoulder of lamb or lamb shanks in place of the beef.
  • Mushrooms add real depth of flavour, so if you like a lot of mushroom, feel free to add more.
  • Swap the white wine for red wine.
  • I’ve added parsley, but you could also use fresh basil.

Serving suggestions

This dish works really well with gnocchi which I have used here. You can also try it with some pasta, try tagliatelle or paparadelle, short pasta like rigatoni, or for something a little different creamed polenta.

However, a ragu is essentially a stew, therefore if you want to serve it alongside some steamed vegetables and sauted or creamy mashed potatoes, that would work very well too.

Hand holding a bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Useful hints and tips

  1. The combination of onion, carrot, celery and garlic makes a great base for many soup and stew recipes and imparts real flavour into the dish.
  2. Mushrooms add real depth of flavour, but if you really don’t like mushroom you can leave them out. However, what I would recommend instead, is to leave them in but cut them chunky. That way if anyone doesn’t want to eat them they are easily picked out!
  3. Great for batch cooking and if you don’t have a pan big enough, split it into two separate pans to cook at the same time in the oven.
  4. Containing no dairy so suitable for a dairy free diet.
  5. Use gluten free beef stock and this beef ragu is suitable for coeliacs and gluten free diners.
  6. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
A bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

FAQ

What cut of beef is best for ragu?

I’ve used beef brisket, but you can swap brisket for other slow cook cuts like boneless chuck roast, beef shoulder or rib trim. I opt for these cuts as they have an intense beefy flavour and lots of rich marbling which only adds to the overall taste of the finished ragu.

Why is my beef ragu tough?

A good beef ragu needs to be cooked low and slow so that it is falling apart. If the meat is tough you need to cook it a little longer.

Why is my beef ragu watery?

If your ragu sauce is watery not enough liquid has been cooked off. Remove the beef and while you are pulling the beef apart, return the pot to the stove and reduce the sauce over a high heat, before returning the beef to the pot.

If using the slow cooker method I recommend swapping beef stock for a beef stockpot or stock cube to reduce the amount of liquid added.

Can beef ragu be made ahead?

Yes, this Italian beef ragu is a great make ahead dish. As it is the case with most stews, it will taste even better the longer it is left to sit as the flavours intensify and meld together. Cook the ragu up to 3 days before you plan to eat, allow it to cool, before covering and placing it in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy it.

Can I freeze beef ragu?

Beef ragu freezes really well. Simply cook it, allow it to cool completely and place in a suitable container and pop into the freezer. This beef stew will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Pin the recipe

Pinnable image with recipe title and a bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this dish then try some of our slow cooked beef dishes:

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.

A bowl of Italian beef ragu, served with gnocchi and garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Italian Beef Ragu

Italian beef ragu is a year round favourite, made with beef brisket which has a deep rich meaty flavour, also smoked pancetta and vegetables to flavour the sauce.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 326kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • knife
  • Measuring jug
  • measuring spoons
  • Dutch oven or slow cooker if using

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 g pancetta (diced)
  • 2 large onions (sliced)
  • 2 carrots (sliced)
  • 2 sticks celery (sliced)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 5 chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
  • 200 ml white wine
  • large bunch flat leaf parsley (chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 750 g beef brisket (cut into large chunks, or use similar cut for slow braising)
  • 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
  • 200 ml beef stock
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 130C/140CFan/270F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large oven proof pan, over a medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and saute until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered down.
  • Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and sauté gently for 5 minutes to soften, but not colour the vegetables.
  • Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan and stir for a minute, before adding the white wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer the wine until it is well reduced.
  • Now add in all the remaining ingredients to the casserole, season well with salt and pepper, stir well to combine and cover with a tight fitting lid.
  • Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 4-5 hours. Stir the ragu throughout the cook to ensure it does not stick. The stew is cooked when the meat is tender and falling apart.
  • Remove the chunks of beef from the pan and shred with two forks, before returning to the pan and stirring through the sauce.
  • Serve the ragu with gnocchi, creamed polenta or pasta of choice.

Notes

I have used beef brisket which I cut into very large chunks to make it fit easier into my Dutch oven. You can swap brisket for other slow cook joints like boneless chuck roast or beef shoulder. I opt for these cuts as they have an intense beefy flavour and lots of rich marbling which only adds to the overall taste of the finished ragu.
If using diced stewing steak cut back on cooking time and only cook for 2-3 hours depending on the size of the diced steak.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe is easily adapted to the slow cooker. Ignore the first instruction to preheat the oven and instead follow the instructions for sauteeing the vegetables, up to the end of step 4 in the recipe card. At this point transfer the sauteed vegetable and reduced wine mixture into a slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker.
Slow cookers require less liquid than oven or stove top method. So to avoid a watery ragu I recommend reducing the liquid, swapping the beef stock for a beef stockpot or bouillon cube, and give everything a good stir to combine.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Italian Beef Ragu
Amount Per Serving
Calories 326 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 74mg25%
Sodium 304mg13%
Potassium 567mg16%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 2555IU51%
Vitamin C 3.1mg4%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Main Course
Cuisine : Italian
Keyword : braised beef, slow cooked, slowcooker
Tried this recipe? We’d love to see your photos!Mention @lostinf00d or tag #lostinfood!
Share on Facebook
Recipe Rating




Chloe

Friday 16th of February 2024

I wouldn't normally have thought of using brisket for a ragu but it worked really well with loads of flavour and a great texture!

Lesley

Friday 16th of February 2024

Thank you Chloe, brisket is such a versatile cut of beef, perfect for slow braised dishes like this ragu.

Cat

Tuesday 13th of February 2024

I love using my slow cooker, especially for dishes like this. It is packed with flavour and the beef was so tender. We loved it!

Lesley

Thursday 15th of February 2024

I totally agree, the slow cooker really comes into its own with slow braised dishes like this.

Janice

Monday 5th of February 2024

We loved this delicious ragu. I made it in my slow cooker and the flavour is off the chart. Thanks for a great recipe.

Lesley

Monday 5th of February 2024

Thank you Janice, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Kirsty Hijacked By Twins

Monday 8th of May 2017

Beef ragu is a family favourite here! We all love it and this one sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x