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    Home > Blog > Dinner > Beef Ragu Recipe

    Beef Ragu Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Dec 6, 2020

    Jump to Recipe
    This deliciously cozy Beef Ragu Recipe is hearty, flavorful, rich, and very simple to make. This dish makes amazing leftovers and freezes really well, making it the perfect make ahead recipe!
    Braised beef ragu in two bowls with forks on the side.
    Braised beef shredded in a stock pot.
    Braised beef ragu in two bowls with forks on the side.
    Beef ragu overhead in two bowls with forks.
    Beef ragu in a bowl with polenta and pepper on the side.

    One of our favorite chilly weather meals is this Beef Ragu Recipe. It’s delicious, hearty, cozy, and very easy to make! You basically dump all the ingredients for this ragu into a Dutch oven in stages, close the lid and let everything simmer, until the beef is melt in your mouth soft.

    Leftovers are even better the next day which we also love. This beef ragu recipe also freezes really well so you don’t have to worry about making a full recipe for just a couple people.

    What is Beef Ragu?

    Traditional beef ragu is a budget friendly Italian meat sauce that incorporates tomatoes. It begins with a mix of sauteed vegetables, a soffrito, and It can be used with other proteins such as pork, chicken and lamb, but it’s important that the meat is the main focus. It’s a meat sauce with tomatoes and and not a tomato sauce with meat.

    How to Make Beef Ragu

    Ingredients for this Beef Ragu Recipe

    Ingredients in beef ragu all laid out on a kitchen counter.

    Tools Needed

    • tongs
    • wooden spoon
    • Dutch oven

    Process

    Beef Ragu

    1. Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Pour oil into Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
    2. Add beef to Dutch oven and sear on each side. Remove from pot and set aside.
    3. Add more oil to Dutch oven followed by onions, carrots and celery and sauté. Add the garlic and continue to sauté. Season with salt and pepper.
    4. Stir oregano, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to mixture and stir together.
    5. Deglaze pot with broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
    6. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and basil leaves and stir together.
    7. Add beef back into pot and reduce heat to medium-low to low. Cover and (barely) simmer until beef is for tender and falling apart.
    8. Shred beef with 2 forks and stir into sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Seasoned chuck beef on a plate.
    Season chuck roast with salt and pepper.
    Seared beef in a stock pot overhead.
    Sear chuck roast.
    Sauted veg with tomato paste and herbs in a stock pot.
    Sauté vegetables then add herbs and balsamic vinegar and tomato paste.
    Vegetable and tomato paste in a stock pot.
    Mix together.
    The start of beef ragu in a stock pot.
    Deglaze pot with broth.
    Veg with broth and tomatoes with herbs in a stock pot.
    Stir in tomatoes and basil.
    Beef in tomato sauce in a stock pot.
    Add beef.
    Beef simmering in a stock pot to make beef ragu.
    Simmer until it starts to fall apart.
    Braised beef shredded in a stock pot.
    Shred with forks.

    Polenta

    1. Pour water into a saucepan and place over heat. Season with salt and pepper.
    2. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta until fully combined.
    3. Lower heat and simmer, while constantly stirring, or until the mixture thickens (to a porridge consistency). Remove polenta from heat and stir in the butter and shredded gruyere a little at a time, until mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Polenta in a pot with a wooden spoon.
    Cook polenta.
    Polenta in a pot with cheese and a wooden spoon.
    Add cheeses and stir together and season.

    To Serve

    1. Scoop polenta into bowls and top with beef ragu. Top each bowl with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Serve.
    Beef ragu overhead in two bowls with forks.

    Beef Ragu in the Instant Pot

    This beef ragu recipe does very well in an Instant Pot, plus it saves hours overall. If you’re limited on time and have an instant pot you can easily make this recipe using it!

    1. Press saute function on your instant pot and adjust time to 20 minutes.
    2. Add oil and sear seasoned chuck roast pieces on both sides. Remove beef from pot and set aside.
    3. Add remaining oil to pot and sauté vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
    4. Add oregano, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar and continue sautéing.
    5. Stir in broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and basil and simmer.
    6. Add beef back to pot and press cancel button, to stop sautéing.
    7. Secure lid onto pot and ensure pressure valve is set to sealing.
    8. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
    9. Allow valve pressure to vent naturally before removing lid.
    10. Shred beef and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed.
    11. That’s it!

    Tips and Tricks for Beef Ragu Success

    • evenly sized pieces of chuck roast – this will allow the beef to cook evenly.
    • low and slow – which will prevent the bottom from burning. It will also help to prevent the beef from getting tough.
    • the ‘soffrito’ – which consists of the sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic is a traditional Italian base, used in many dishes. While you may not see it in all ragu recipes, it adds an incredible amount of flavor to the dish.
    • cut of beef – part of the beauty of beef ragu is that you’re able to use an inexpensive, tough cut of beef and turn it into something tender and delicious. Our preference is chuck roast for its good beef flavor and inexpensiveness, but other options are rump roast and short ribs.
    • add more broth as needed – If all liquid has evaporated and beef still needs more time to get tender, stir an additional cup of beef stock back into the ragu and continue to gently simmer.
    Braised beef ragu in two bowls with forks on the side.

    What to Serve with This Beef Ragu Recipe

    Our beef ragu recipe includes a recipe for cheesy polenta, which is one of our favorite ways to serve this dish, but you can also serve it over:

    • pappardelle
    • rigatoni
    • penne
    • tagliatelle
    • gnocchi
    • mashed potatoes

    Making Ahead and Freezing Beef Ragu Instructions

    Make Ahead

    • This dish can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • To reheat: Pour beef ragu into a pot and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If ragu is too thick, stir in 1/2 cup beef stock or water and continue to gently simmer until heated through.
    • Re-season with salt and pepper as needed.

    Freeze Ahead

    • This dish can be poured into an airtight, freezer-friendly container and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • To reheat: Place frozen container of ragu in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Once ragu is thawed or mostly thawed, pour contents into a pot and simmer over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. If mixture is too thick, stir some beef broth to ragu (1/4 cup for every 3 cups) until desired consistency has been achieved.

    More Ragu Recipes and Braising Recipes to Try:

    We really love cozy dishes, especially this time of year. If you’re looking for more simple and delicious ragu and braising recipes, we have some of our other favorites below:

    • Pork Ragu
    • Milk Braised Pork Shoulder
    • Braised Lamb Shanks
    • Garlic and Ginger Braised Chicken
    • White Wine Braised Short Ribs
    Two bowls of beef ragu with fork on the side.

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    A bowl of braised beef ragu with a fork and a bowl of parmesan on the side.

    Beef Ragu Recipe

    4.97 from 28 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    This deliciously cozy Beef Ragu Recipe is hearty, flavorful, rich, and very simple to make. This dish makes amazing leftovers and freezes really well, making it the perfect make ahead recipe!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time: 4 hrs 42 mins
    Servings: 8

      INGREDIENTS  

    Braised Beef Ragu

    • 2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into 4 to 5 large pieces
    • 1 medium onion diced
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
    • 2 medium celery stalks, trimmed and diced
    • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 1½ tbsp minced oregano
    • 3½ tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 cup beef broth
    • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
    • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
    • 1 bunch minced basil leaves

    cheesy polenta

    • 8 cups water
    • 2 cups dry polenta
    • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1½ cups shredded gruyere
    • salt and pepper to taste

    garnish

    • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 12 basil leaves

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    beef ragu

    • Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
    • Add beef to Dutch oven and sear on each side for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
    • Add remaining oil to Dutch oven followed by onions, carrots and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Stir oregano, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to mixture and stir together.
    • Deglaze pot with broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
    • Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and basil leaves and stir together.
    • Add beef back into pot and reduce heat to medium-low to low. Cover and (barely) simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until beef is for tender and falling apart.
    • Shred beef with 2 forks and stir into sauce until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Polenta

    • Pour water into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta in a slow and steady stream until fully combined.
    • Lower heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, while constantly stirring, or until the mixture thickens (to a porridge consistency). Remove polenta from heat and stir in the butter and shredded gruyere a little at a time, until mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    To Serve

    • Pour polenta into bowls and top with beef ragu. Top each bowl with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves (optional). Serve.
    Calories: 756kcal Carbohydrates: 47g Protein: 50g Fat: 42g Saturated Fat: 20g Cholesterol: 169mg Sodium: 719mg Potassium: 1273mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 9g Vitamin A: 4384IU Vitamin C: 21mg Calcium: 466mg Iron: 7mg
    CUISINE: Italian
    KEYWORD: beef ragu, ragu
    COURSE: dinner, Main Course

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    December 6, 2020 / 21 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

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    Reader Interactions

    December 6, 2020 / 21 Comments

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    1. Mary Anne

      February 16, 2021 at 6:30 am

      This recipe sounds delicious! Do you think I could use a bottom round roast with similar results?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        February 18, 2021 at 12:15 pm

        Hi! That should work just fine. The cooking times may have to be adjusted a little

        Reply
    2. Shannon

      November 19, 2020 at 6:32 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jenny! So glad I found this recipe. I actually had some bone-in short ribs in the fridge so I trimmed and seared them and then removed the bones and silver skin at the end. I also didn’t have balsamic vinegar or fresh basil so used red wine vinegar and dried basil instead. The final result was fantastic. It did take a good 4 and a half hours for the beef to fully tenderize but it was well worth the wait!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        November 20, 2020 at 10:00 am

        so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    3. Anne

      October 30, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      Question: could you cook the ragu in the oven vs stovetop? If so, what temperature and how long would you suggest?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 30, 2020 at 5:48 pm

        Yes! 325F for about 2 1/2-3hrs should be fine!

        Reply
    4. Lisa Lescarbeau

      October 26, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      This was soooo good. I doubled it and made it for my family of 8 and leftovers. They all raved about it. I added a little red wine chopped baby bella mushrooms. Yum!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 29, 2020 at 10:18 am

        So glad you enjoyed this! Love your addition of red wine and mushrooms!

        Reply
    5. Athena

      September 21, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy and my siblings approved!!

      Reply
    6. Sandra Weller

      September 12, 2020 at 6:14 am

      This looks delicious. Could you make the rage in an Instant Pot? I’m thinking it would significantly cut down the cooking time.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 12, 2020 at 4:31 pm

        I’m sure you could! I just haven’t tested that so i couldn’t say for certain

        Reply
    7. Carol

      June 20, 2020 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! My roast was 3 lbs. and it took a little less than three hours to cook on the stove. The polenta needed more flavor so I used a total of 2 cups gruyere and 7 T butter, plus 1/4 cup parmesan. The polenta recipe is enough for two nights — Chill the remainder in a loaf pan then slice and saute the next day!

      Reply
    8. Adam Green

      January 05, 2020 at 6:56 am

      5 stars
      Italian food is always my favorite but this one is amazingly tasty. CakeBox

      Reply
    9. Kady

      December 29, 2019 at 9:20 am

      Could the ragu work in the crock pot?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 29, 2019 at 11:25 am

        Yes!

        Reply
    10. Amber Bent

      December 23, 2019 at 7:37 am

      4 stars
      Looking forward to eating tonight as the 3.5 hour cooking time was really far off, and it ended up taking 8 hours at a simmer on my stove! Smelled amazing though!!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 24, 2019 at 1:56 pm

        Whoa, 8 hours is a very long time! It’s always taken me about 3-4 hours!

        Reply
    11. Sabrina

      December 19, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      love this, ragu is one of my favorites, especially since marinara is way over-represented in Italian food! Love polenta too, thank you

      Reply
    12. tammyj

      December 19, 2019 at 7:58 am

      Sounds delicious and am going to cook tonight! Any suggested temp/time to make in oven instead of on top of stove? Thx!

      Reply
    13. Julie S

      December 18, 2019 at 5:48 pm

      My mouth is watering. I’m thinking Christmas Eve dinner…

      Reply
      • amy

        February 23, 2020 at 4:23 pm

        i haven’t tried with this recipe in particular but…in my experience, you can’t fail when braising beef at 325 for 3 hours. it helps if you cut the roast into similar sized chunks, too.

        Reply

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