Cozy Beef Ragu
This cozy Beef Ragu is rich, slow-simmered, and packed with flavor. Made with tender beef, tomatoes, and aromatics, it’s a comforting, high-protein sauce perfect for pasta, meal prep, or freezer dinners.
Creator: Leslie Stokes
There are certain meals that instantly make your house feel warmer. Like candles lit, music playing, kids wandering into the kitchen asking what smells so good kind of meals. This beef ragu is one of those.
It’s rich, comforting, slow-simmered, and tastes like something you’d order at a little Italian spot where they bring bread before you even ask. The kind of sauce that clings to pasta and somehow tastes even better the next day.
And the best part? It’s incredibly simple. No fancy techniques. No babysitting the stove. Just honest ingredients doing their thing.
This is one of those recipes I love having in the fridge because it turns into multiple meals with almost zero effort — which, let’s be real, is the goal.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Ragu
• Cozy, comforting, and deeply flavorful
• High-protein and filling
• Perfect for meal prep and freezing
• Tastes better the longer it sits
• Feels fancy but is actually very low effort
This is the kind of dinner that makes a random Tuesday feel special.
Best Meat for Beef Ragu (Important)
You want a cut that breaks down and becomes tender over time. My favorites:
• Chuck roast (boneless) – best overall
• Beef shoulder
• Short ribs (boneless or bone-in)
If you’re short on time, you can use ground beef, but this version is all about that fall-apart texture that makes ragu, ragu.
How to Serve Beef Ragu
This is where it gets fun.
• Tossed with pappardelle, rigatoni, or tagliatelle
• Over creamy polenta
• With mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
• Stuffed into baked sweet potatoes
• Layered into lasagna or baked ziti
• Served over protein pasta for extra macros
Finish with fresh basil and lots of parmesan.
Tips for this Meal Prep
• Stores in the fridge for up to 4 days
• Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
• Flavor improves overnight (perfect make-ahead meal)
• Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of broth
I love keeping a batch in the freezer for those weeks where everything feels chaotic.
I hope this meal prep helps you! Don’t forget to follow along on social meadia for more Meal Prep + healthy recipes!
Cozy Beef Ragu (Slow-Simmered & Meal Prep Friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 2 celery stalks finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine optional, but recommended
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional: parmesan rind for extra richness
Let's Make It
How to Make Beef Ragu (Stovetop)
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Deglaze with red wine, scraping up all the browned bits. Let simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and parmesan rind (if using).
- Return beef to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook on low for 2½–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is fall-apart tender.
- Shred the beef directly in the pot and stir everything together. Remove bay leaf and rind.
Crockpot Option (Very Busy-Mom Friendly)
- Sear the beef first (worth it).
- Add everything to the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours.
- Shred and stir before serving.
Nutrition Facts
(Per Serving – Approximate)
• Calories: ~480
• Protein: ~42g
• Carbohydrates: ~12g
• Fat: ~26g
• Fiber: ~3g
(Not including pasta — add based on how you serve it.)
Meal Prep in 1 Hour
You can use any two of the meals in this series to get your meal prep done in just about and hour, give or take!
Having your breakfast and lunch ready for the week helps you stay on track with your nutriton, saves you time and money! I truly beleive that meal prep does not need to be over complicated, take too much time or be boring!
I always get asked- “do you ever get tired of eating the same thing all week?” and the answer is, no! Not when the food taste good! I give plenty of variety in these preps and keep it simple!
As always, thanks for being here and remember, don’t over complicate the process! Take a deep breath, you got this!
