An easy slow cooker spaghetti bolognese recipe, perfect for busy weekdays or lazy weekends! It's rich, tender, and oh so tasty!
There's no browning required in this crockpot bolognese recipe, so just put all of your ingredients in your slow cooker, give it a stir, and switch on! I love minimal prep, maximum taste recipes like this.
This super tasty slow cooker spag bol is on a regular rotation in my house! The kids love it, the adults love it, everyone loves it! Therefore it's a definite win in my book.
Cooking bolognese long and slow in a crockpot or slow cooker results in meltingly tender meat and a rich and flavourful sauce.
You just can't beat it, especially when it's served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garlic bread!
👩🍳 Love bolognese? Try my chicken bolognese recipe too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best slow cooker spaghetti bolognese recipe!
- Dump and go slow cooker recipe.
- Minimal hands on prep.
- No browning required.
- Perfect for batch cooking.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredients
- Beef Mince - it's best to use lean steak mince (less than 5% fat), if you're not browning the mince first.
- Bacon - finely chopped streaky bacon adds a lovely salty flavour to the dish.
- Onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for the soffrito base. Chop the vegetables as finely as you can, especially if you have fussy eaters in the house!
- Passata - or use a tin of chopped tomatoes if you prefer a chunkier textured bolognese.
- Tomato Puree - adds depth to the ragu sauce.
- Sugar - to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Beef Stock Pot - there's no need to dilute it with water as there is plenty of liquid in the recipe already.
- Red Wine Vinegar - or use a splash of red wine.
- Worcestershire Sauce - substitute with half a teaspoon of marmite for the same deep savoury flavour.
- Milk - helps tenderise the meat and balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Herbs - bay leaves and oregano. Fresh or dried!
- Salt and pepper for seasoning, and fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for garnish.
- Spaghetti - or another long pasta.
🥄 Equipment
I use a Morphy Richards 3.5 litre slow cooker* (they also do a 6.5-litre capacity one too). The 3.5-litre slow cooker is more than big enough to feed a family of 4-5 people, so this is the one I use on a day to day basis!
You'll also need a vegetable peeler* and chopping board*!
Please note these are affiliate links* and I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase.
🔪 How to make spaghetti bolognese in a slow cooker
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the finely chopped vegetables in the base of the slow cooker basin.
Two: Add the minced beef and bacon. Start breaking the beef up a bit with a wooden spoon.
Three: Add all of the other ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and there are no big lumps of minced beef left. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 5. In order to thicken the sauce without using cornflour, take the lid off for the last hour of cooking.
💭 Top tips
- This recipe doesn't require browning of the vegetables and minced beef prior to cooking them in the slow cooker. Therefore, it's best to use very lean minced beef (5% fat) so you don't get a layer of fat on top of the sauce. You'll also need to cut your vegetables as small as possible to ensure they become tender and 'melt' into the ragu during slow cooking. I use a mini chopper for this!
- The minced beef will need to be broken up with a wooden spoon as you mix all of the ingredients together in the slow cooker. Don't leave any large lumps lingering.
- You can use dried or fresh herbs. If you're using dried herbs, check the best before date! You don't want to use stale tasting herbs that have been sitting in your cupboard for years.
- The sugar is really important in this recipe as it helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Don't skip it!
- To thicken the sauce without using cornflour or thickening granules, take the lid off the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking!
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the bolognese with spaghetti, linguine, or even tagliatele. I once served it with penne pasta, but the kids weren't impressed!
I like to make a pesto focaccia to serve alongside it, and a crisp green salad.
Leftovers are delicious stirred through cheesy pasta, or why not top some cheesy chips with leftover bolognese to make loaded fries!
I often eat leftover bolognese for lunch the next day on an air fryer baked potato!
📖 Variations
- Add more vegetables to the sauce. Finely chopped mushrooms or courgettes work well.
- If you have a bottle of red wine open, add a glug and omit the red wine vinegar.
- Use half beef mince and half pork mince for a lighter, less rich flavour.
- Love a bit of heat? Add a small chopped chilli.
- Add chorizo instead of bacon, or make my easy chorizo bolognese recipe!
- Make a double batch (you'll need a 6.5 litre slow cooker to do this), and freeze half for another day.
🥡 Storage
- To Store. The cooked bolognese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave.
- To Freeze. The bolognese can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge, before reheating in the microwave.
❓ FAQs
Yes, you can! Mix the raw mince in with the other ingredients, switch on the slow cooker, and I guarantee you will have meltingly tender mince at the end of cooking. I almost never bother browning mince for slow cooker recipes. It's best to use a lean minced beef (5% fat or less) if you're not browning it first.
Adding milk adds a wonderful richness to the bolognese and helps to tenderise the meat, making it melt in the mouth.
Adding a little bit of sugar helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes in the ragu and gives a lovely rounded flavour to the sauce.
😋 More bolognese recipes
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese (no browning)
Ingredients
- 500 g Minced Beef 5% fat or less
- 3 Streaky Bacon Rashers chopped
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
- 1 Carrot finely chopped
- 1 Celery Stick finely chopped
- 400 ml Passata
- 60 ml Milk
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Beef Stock Pot I use knorr
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tablespoon Oregano dried or fresh
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Parsley or Basil, to garnish
- 400 g Spaghetti or other long pasta
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped vegetables in the base of the slow cooker basin.1 Onion, 3 Garlic Cloves, 1 Carrot, 1 Celery Stick
- Add the minced beef and bacon. Start breaking the beef up a bit with a wooden spoon.500 g Minced Beef, 3 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Add all of the other ingredients (not the spaghetti or fresh parsley garnish!) and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and there are no big lumps of minced beef left. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 5. In order to thicken the sauce without using cornflour, take the lid off for the last hour of cooking.400 ml Passata, 60 ml Milk, 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar, 1 Beef Stock Pot, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Bay Leaves, 2 tablespoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Cook the spaghetti according to instructions, then serve with the slow cooker bolognese, garnished with fresh herbs and some grated Parmesan if you like!400 g Spaghetti, 2 tablespoon Fresh Parsley
Video
Notes
- This recipe doesn't require browning of the vegetables and minced beef prior to cooking them in the slow cooker. Therefore, it's best to use very lean minced beef (5% fat) so you don't get a layer of fat on top of the sauce. You'll also need to cut your vegetables as small as possible to ensure they become tender and 'melt' into the ragu during slow cooking. I use a mini chopper for this!
- The minced beef will need to be broken up with a wooden spoon as you mix all of the ingredients together in the slow cooker. Don't leave any large lumps lingering.
- You can use dried or fresh herbs. If you're using dried herbs, check the best before date! You don't want to use stale tasting herbs that have been sitting in your cupboard for years.
- The sugar is really important in this recipe as it helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Don't skip it!
- To thicken the sauce without using cornflour or thickening granules, take the lid off the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking!
- Add more vegetables to the sauce. Finely chopped mushrooms or courgettes work well.
- If you have a bottle of red wine open, add a glug and omit the red wine vinegar.
- Use half beef mince and half pork mince for a lighter, less rich flavour.
- Love a bit of heat? Add a small chopped chilli.
- Add chorizo instead of bacon, or make my easy chorizo bolognese recipe!
- Make a double batch (you'll need a 6.5 litre slow cooker to do this), and freeze half for another day.
- To Store. The cooked bolognese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave.
- To Freeze. The bolognese can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge, before reheating in the microwave.
Dannii
This is my favourite ways to make a bolognese. The meat is so tender.
Andrea
I can just imagine how wonderful your home smells with this cooking all day. It looks and sounds fantastic!
Lucy
I love this spaghetti bolognese is made in the slow cooker. Perfect for busy weekdays where I can come home and enjoy this meal straight away. A delicious meal the whole family loves.
Jess
I just made this for my family and added some lentils in it. It was a major hit!