Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
124 CommentsUpdated Jun 23, 2026
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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.
Pasta night once a week is a must; if we aren’t making this easy spaghetti sauce, we make Pink Sauce Chicken Pasta, or Olive Garden Chicken Pasta.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Want to Make This
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
- Tips & Variations
- How to Serve Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
- Can Raw Ground Beef Be Put in Spaghetti Sauce in the Crockpot?
- How to Store Extra Spaghetti Sauce:
- More slow cooker pasta night recipes
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Featured Comment
“My all time favourite spaghetti sauce!! The splash of wine gives it a nice edge.”
– Kevin
Why You’ll Want to Make This
- When it comes to pasta sauce, your first thought might be to grab a few jars from the grocery store. While that’s certainly convenient, you can just as easily whip up a delicious, homemade sauce with little prep.
- This is my mom’s recipe that I’ve adapted for the slow cooker. I think you’ll love it!
- No standing at the stove stirring the pot, the crockpot does all the work.
- Makes plenty for dinner, and leftovers for later in the week, or you can freeze.
Recipe Ingredients
Ground Beef – Cooked and drained for a hearty base.
Canned Tomatoes – Crushed, diced (undrained), and tomato paste for rich texture and flavor.
Onion & Garlic – Diced onion and fresh minced garlic for depth and aroma.
Seasonings – A blend of brown sugar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Simple to toss in the crockpot, but this sauce comes together by simmering all day!
- Cook the beef in a pan, then remove any excess grease. Combine all the ingredients in the Crockpot.
- Set the lid on and let it simmer away. Remember, the longer this cooks, the better it gets.
Tips & Variations
- Meat Swaps: You can substitute one pound of Italian Sausage for the ground beef in this recipe. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken or 2 lbs of frozen meatballs.
- Adding Wine: 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).
- Veggies: Add additional vegetables such as diced carrots, celery, or mushrooms.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Here is how I serve this spaghetti sauce from the slow cooker to my family and guests:
- Spoon this homemade spaghetti sauce over your favorite noodles—such as standard spaghetti, angel hair, or bucatini. Try zucchini noodles if you’re keeping it low-carb.
- You can also use this sauce for slow cooker lasagna or try it in a ravioli lasagna for a fun and different twist.
- Serve it up with garlic bread, breadsticks, or any crusty bread you love to round out the meal.
- Reader Suggestion: Stir in some butter just before serving.
Can Raw Ground Beef Be Put in Spaghetti Sauce in the Crockpot?
No, not if you want it to turn out good. Raw meat cooked in the slow cooker, with sauces, turns into sandy bits and just makes the sauce bland and greasy. Cook that hamburger meat on the stove top.
How to Store Extra Spaghetti Sauce:
Place extras in the fridge for up to four days. Or for more extended storage, spoon into small portions and freeze for up to three months. Great for last-minute budget meals.
More slow cooker pasta night recipes
Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs and Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti are classic family favorites—one a saucy, hands-off dinner and the other a cheesy, layered casserole made right in the slow cooker.
Cincinnati Chili and Crockpot Bolognese Sauce are hearty meat sauces perfect for serving over spaghetti when you’re craving something rich and satisfying. For a family style meal, try my slow cooker chicken spaghetti.
If you tried this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Happy Slow Cooking!
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
How to Video
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.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
It was really good. So glad I tried it !
This was the best sause I’ve ever made! I did not want meat sauce, I wanted meatballs so I did not do the 1st step. I also reduced the garlic and oregano. Also, I hate diced tomato so I used 2 28oz crushed tomato. The whole house smelled wonderful! I made my own meatballs and tossed them in with the pre-cooked sausage at about 6 hours into the cooking time. This is a real “keeper” recipe for my family!!
Have you ever tried this with zucchini noodles? I just want to know if they would hold up well under the sauce. I’m a little inexperienced.
I have not tried either, sorry!
This sauce is fantastic on zucchini noodles. Zoodles!
I love all your slow cooker recipes this one is especially good. Many of your recipes have become my tried and true. I find flately going to the instapot, have you ever considered making instapot recipes or showing how you can convert your slow cookers to the instapot.
No, at this point I only like cooking in my slow cooker. 🙂
This is just right!! I made different types of pasta. Kid friendly and Adult preference. Placed a few Cheeses on the side with chopped green onions to make it even better. Left overs went into an oven bake the next day. Yum!
This sauce was delicious and easy. It made a lot. I made it exactly with the ingredients and measurements in the recipe, perfect.
OUTSTANDING SAUCE !! Family Enjoyed it.
Can you freeze this sauce or how long can you store it?
About 3 months is the longest I would freeze it for.
How long do you cook the pasta before putting into the slow cooker? Love the recipes
The pasta should never be added to the pasta sauce in the crock pot.
One hour before you plan to serve dinner, fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Turn off the heat and place a lid on the water. About 20 minutes before serving time, add olive oil to the water and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir until the pasta is submerged in the water. If the water boils over, turn down the stove until the pasta is cooking, but not spilling on top of the stove.
Follow package directions for cooking the pasta. When the pasta is done, drain the water off and put the pasta back into the pot, add olive oil, and stir to coat the pasta. Cover the pasta with a lid until serving time.
This is delicious! It was so easy and everyone loved it!