Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

This slow cooker bolognese sauce is a blend of ground beef, bacon and vegetables, all simmered together with tomato sauce in a crock pot. An easy meat sauce that pairs perfectly with spaghetti and makes a great filling for lasagna!

When I know I’m going to have a busy day, I turn to my favorite slow cooker recipes such as tender crock pot pork roast, hearty slow cooker beef stew, and this delicious slow cooker bolognese.

Slow cooker bolognese sauce served with spaghetti.

You can’t go wrong with a hearty meat sauce over pasta, and this slow cooker bolognese fits the bill. It’s quick to put together, and slow cooking it adds so much extra flavor. My kids ask for this dish every week!

Crock Pot Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

Ingredients including ground beef, bacon, vegetables and marinara sauce.

This recipe consists of bacon, ground beef, onion, garlic, carrot, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, marinara sauce, tomato sauce and parsley.

How do you make slow cooker bolognese sauce?

Start by cooking some bacon in a pan until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, then drain off some of the fat. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook, breaking it up into small pieces. Next, add carrots, onions, garlic and Italian seasoning. Transfer the beef, vegetables and bacon to a slow cooker. Pour in a jar of marinara sauce and a can of tomato sauce, then stir to combine. Cover the pot, then cook. When it’s time for dinner, all you need to do is boil some pasta and you’ll be ready to eat!

Step by step shows showing bacon, beef and vegetables being cooked in a pan.

Tips for the perfect dish

Pancetta is a traditional addition to bolognese sauce. I typically have bacon on hand most of the time, so I started making this dish with bacon and never looked back, because the bacon adds a great smoky, savory flavor. For a more authentic sauce, feel free to use pancetta.
I make this dish with 90% lean ground beef. I find it has great flavor but isn’t overly greasy. If you use a beef with a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off any excess grease before you cook it.
To save time in the morning, feel free to cook up the beef, bacon and vegetables the night before and store them in the fridge.
This sauce really only needs to cook for about 4-6 hours on low heat to achieve the desired results. If you need to leave it in the slow cooker for longer, that should be fine.
Slow cooker bolognese sauce is a great candidate for the freezer! Store it in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 2 months.

Process shots showing beef being mixed with tomato products and cooked.

Recipe FAQs

How do you thicken bolognese sauce in a slow cooker?

I use Newman’s Own marinara sauce for this recipe, and I find that my sauce is always plenty thick at the end of the cooking time. If you feel that your sauce needs to be thicker, switch the heat to high and take the cover off your crock pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is at the desired consistency.

Can you put raw beef in a slow cooker?

You can put raw beef in a slow cooker. That being said, for a recipe like this one, you’ll want your beef to be in fine crumbles, which is easier to create in a pan on the stove. In addition, pre-cooking the beef and vegetables in the bacon fat adds a lot of extra flavor. It’s definitely worth the extra bit of work to start this recipe on the stove then transfer it to the crock pot.

A ladle holding up a serving of slow cooker bolognese sauce.

Flavor variations

This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

Protein: Feel free to swap out the ground beef for turkey, or use a blend of both ground beef and Italian sausage for a different flavor.
Creamy Sauce: Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream during the last 20 minutes of the cooking time.
Chunky Sauce: Add 1 cup canned diced tomatoes that have been drained.
Herb Lovers: Stir in 2 tablespoons each of fresh chopped basil and parsley when the sauce is finished.

I make this slow cooker bolognese on a regular basis – it’s easy, kid friendly, and always packed with flavor!

More slow cooker recipes to try

Print
Pin

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Instructions

Place the bacon in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crispy.
Remove the bacon from the pan and place on paper towels to drain.
Spoon off some of the excess bacon grease in the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Add the ground beef to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula into small pieces, for 4-5 minutes.
Add the onion and carrot to the pan. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, then cook for 30 seconds. If you’re using beef with a higher fat content than 90% lean, you’ll want to drain off any excess grease.
Place the bacon and beef and vegetable mixture in a slow cooker (at least 4 quart size).
Pour in the jar of marinara sauce and tomato sauce. Stir until everything is well combined.
Cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Uncover the slow cooker and give the sauce a stir. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

Notes

Pancetta is a traditional addition to bolognese sauce. I typically have bacon on hand most of the time, so I started making this dish with bacon and never looked back, because the bacon adds a great smoky, savory flavor. For a more authentic sauce, feel free to use pancetta.
I make this dish with 90% lean ground beef. I find it has great flavor but isn’t overly greasy. If you use a beef with a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off any excess grease before you cook it.

Nutrition

food 4u

Main menu