Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
105 Comments Aug 04, 2023
Updated Dec 08, 2024
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Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce is a hearty blend of beef, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs, slow-simmered to perfection. This flavorful meat sauce pairs beautifully with any type of pasta for a satisfying, homemade meal.
We love pasta night at our house. When we aren’t making this classic spaghetti sauce in our crockpot, we have Cincinnati Chili, Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta, Cajun Chicken Fettuccine, Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce, or Ravioli Lasagna.
Table of Contents
Why you should cook spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker
When it comes to pasta sauce, your first thought may be to pick up a few jars from the local grocery store. And while that may be the easiest thing to do, you can easily make a delicious sauce right in your own kitchen. Skip the jar sauce and use this great recipe to make a sauce that’s absolutely delicious.
You only need a few pantry staple ingredients, most of which you may already have on hand. This basic recipe is also versatile meaning not only can you serve it in a variety of ways, but you can also switch up some of the ingredients to make the perfect meaty sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef: Grab at least 1 lb. of beef for this recipe. You’ll brown it and drain excess fat before adding it to the crock pot.
- Canned Tomatoes: To harness the taste of fresh tomatoes, this recipe calls for a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain), and a can of tomato paste (helps thicken spaghetti sauce). (You can use fire-roasted tomatoes if desired).
- White Onion: Diced and tossed into the sauce to add both flavor and heartiness to the meaty sauce.
- Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic cloves (minced) to capture the bold flavor of this ingredient.
- Seasonings: Brown sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes come together to make the best spaghetti sauce.
- {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images}
Variations
- You can substitute one pound of Italian Sausage for the ground beef in this recipe. Cut the salt in half for the recipe in half if you use Italian sausage. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Use a 2 lb. bag of frozen meatballs if desired in place of the ground beef.
- Add a half cup of red wine at the beginning of the recipe if you would like a red wine flavored sauce. I like to use red blend when I’m cooking (and for drinking).
- Add additional vegetables such as diced carrots or mushrooms.
- To make vegetarian: Add soy crumbles to this recipe instead of ground beef if desired. Or add chopped carrots, celery, bell peppers, and fresh sliced mushrooms. A can of fire roasted diced tomatoes would taste great as well.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the crock pot.
Step Two – In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add the ground beef. Brown ground beef and crumble with a spatula or wooden spoon. Drain the fat. Add the meat to the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker and stir.
Step Three – Cover and cook the homemade spaghetti sauce on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Do not open the lid during cooking time. Serve the tomato sauce with desired cooked noodles. Enjoy!
How to Serve:
- Pour the meat sauce over your favorite cooked noodles. Consider classic spaghetti, delicate angel hair, hearty bucatini, or even low-carb zucchini noodles. Bucatini is my top choice—it’s a thick, hollow pasta that perfectly holds this rich, slow-cooked sauce.
- Finish your dish with freshly chopped herbs, a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, and plenty of parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
- For a complete meal, serve this savory spaghetti sauce alongside garlic bread, breadsticks, or your preferred crusty bread.
Recipe FAQs
A small can of tomato paste is what I use to thicken this spaghetti sauce. Do not forget to add it or you will have a watery sauce.
DO NOT add uncooked noodles to the slow cooker. The slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough, fast enough to properly cook noodles. The noodles will turn out mushy.
Add any remaining sauce into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. You can also make this a jarred sauce and store it for months. If you’re not familiar with canning sauces, you can use freezer bags to store the sauce for up to 6 months. Allow it to defrost before cooking.
More pasta night recipes:
- Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Tomato Butter Sauce
- Slow Cooker Puttanesca Sauce
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce with Kielbasa
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken and Pasta
- Slow Cooker Southwestern Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini
- Slow Cooker Pizza Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Zucchini Bolognese
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 28 oz. diced tomatoes, (two 14 oz. cans) do not drain
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
For serving:
- cooked noodles
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add the ground beef. Brown and crumble with a spatula or wooden spoon. Drain the fat.
- Add the meat to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Do no open the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve with desired cooked noodles and top with parmesan cheese.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- You can substitute one pound of Italian Sausage for the ground beef in this recipe. Cut the salt in half for the recipe in half if you use Italian sausage. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Use a 2 lb. bag of frozen meatballs if desired in place of the ground beef.
- Add a half cup of red wine at the beginning of the recipe if you would like a red wine flavored sauce. I like to use red blend when I’m cooking (and for drinking).
- Add additional vegetables such as diced carrots or mushrooms.
- To make vegetarian: Add soy crumbles to this recipe instead of ground beef if desired. Or add chopped carrots, celery, bell peppers, and fresh sliced mushrooms. A can of fire roasted diced tomatoes would taste great as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Are these recipes available on tik tok ?
Hi Anthony! Some are! I need to start making more of them.
Will 4 QT crock pot be big enough for this recipe? Thank you
Yes!
How long will this last in the fridge? I need it for a big party (60 people) on Saturday. If I make it Thursday will it be ok for the party on Saturday?
I would make it fresh myself, ground beef can taste off if leftover that long.
Can you use meatballs and ground beef together in the crock pot
I don’t see why not!
Superb
This recipe sounds amazing! I have frozen tomatoes from my garden that I want to use up. Do you have a suggestion on how I could use them for this recipe?