Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

This hearty slow cooker spaghetti sauce is a must-have for busy days. Loaded with ground beef, Italian sausage, and rich tomato flavor, it’s a simple set-it-and-forget-it favorite.

Everything simmers low and slow for hours, letting the seasonings meld into a deeply flavorful, meaty sauce. Spoon it over your favorite pasta, use it in baked ziti or lasagna, or freeze it for a future meal — it’s a versatile and satisfying classic.

What You’ll Like About This Recipe

• Hands-off cooking. Once you’ve browned the meat and sautéed the aromatics, the slow cooker does the rest. The long, gentle heat develops flavor without constant stirring or watching the pot, which makes this an easy choice for busy days or lazy weekends.
• Meaty flavor. Using both ground beef and Italian sausage gives the sauce a layered flavor—beefy, savory, and just a bit spicy from the sausage. The combination makes the sauce taste as if it simmered on the stove for hours, even though most of the work happened up front.
• Nicely balanced. Crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste create a thick, robust sauce, while a small amount of sugar softens the acidity, making the flavors rich and rounded rather than sharp or overly tangy.
• Flexible heat level. Crushed red pepper flakes are optional, so you can keep the sauce mild for kids or anyone who prefers gentle flavors. If you like more kick, just increase the flakes or add a dash of hot sauce at the table.
• Freezer-friendly meal prep. This sauce makes a generous batch and freezes beautifully. You can portion it into containers or freezer bags, so future dinners are as easy as cooking pasta while the sauce reheats.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground beef – Using lean ground beef keeps the sauce hearty without being overly greasy. An 85% to 90% lean blend still has enough fat to add flavor, but most excess fat is cooked off and left behind when you transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
• Italian sausage – Bulk sausage (or links with the casings removed) brings in extra richness, fennel, and spices. You can use sweet Italian sausage for a milder sauce or hot Italian sausage if you want more heat. A mix of sweet and hot is a nice middle ground.
• Italian seasoning – This blend usually includes oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary and makes it easy to add herb flavor in one step. If you prefer, you can substitute your own combination of dried basil and oregano with a pinch of thyme.
• Onion and garlic – Classic aromatics that form the backbone of the sauce. Sautéing them in the same skillet you used for the meat picks up all the browned bits, giving the sauce extra depth. Yellow onion is a good all-purpose choice, but white or sweet onions work, too.
• Crushed tomatoes – These give body and a smoother consistency to the sauce. Look for good-quality canned tomatoes with no strong metallic aftertaste.
• Diced tomatoes – The diced tomatoes add texture and tomato chunks so the sauce doesn’t feel too uniform. Using both crushed and diced tomatoes creates a nice balance between saucy and chunky.
• Tomato paste – Concentrated tomato flavor that thickens the sauce and gives it that slow-cooked richness. Stirring it in with the other tomatoes means it has plenty of time to mellow and blend into the sauce.
• Bay leaves – They quietly enhance the savory, herbal notes in the background. Remember to fish them out before serving, since they’re not meant to be eaten.
• Sugar – Just enough to round out the acidity of all those tomatoes. It shouldn’t make the sauce taste sweet; it simply smooths and balances the overall flavor.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Optional, but a small pinch adds gentle heat and livens up the tomato and meat flavors.

Steps to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

1. Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage with the Italian seasoning in a large skillet, breaking the meat into small crumbles as it cooks so it browns evenly.
2. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker, leaving just enough fat in the skillet to cook the aromatics.
3. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until it softens and begins to turn translucent, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the pan.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, then scrape the onion and garlic mixture into the slow cooker with the meat.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring to combine everything well.
6. Cover the slow cooker and cook the sauce on low until the flavors are well developed and the texture is thick and rich, checking partway through and adding a small splash of broth, wine, or water if it seems too thick.
7. Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve the hot sauce over cooked spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meat thoroughly rather than just cooking it until it’s no longer pink; good browning adds a lot of flavor and helps the sauce taste like it simmered all day.
• Deglaze the skillet lightly with a splash of water, broth, or wine after cooking the onion and garlic so all those flavorful browned bits make it into the slow cooker.
• Thicken the sauce by leaving the slow cooker lid slightly askew for the last 30 minutes if you prefer a very dense, clinging texture on the pasta.

Recipe Variations

• Chunky vegetable version. Add diced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, or grated carrots along with the onions so they have time to soften and melt into the sauce. The vegetables bring sweetness, extra nutrition, and a bit more texture.
• Wine-enriched sauce. Deglaze the skillet with red wine before transferring everything to the slow cooker, and add an extra splash directly to the slow cooker if you like. The wine adds depth and a subtle, restaurant-style richness as it cooks down.
• Herb-forward twist. Stir in a handful of chopped fresh basil or parsley at the end of cooking, or add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the slow cooker and remove it before serving. Fresh herbs brighten the sauce and keep it from tasting heavy.
• Spicy arrabbiata-style. Use hot Italian sausage and increase the crushed red pepper flakes for a bold, spicy sauce. A pinch of smoked paprika or a spoonful of Calabrian chili paste can add even more complexity if you enjoy heat.
• Lighter, lean-meat option. Substitute part or all of the beef and sausage with ground turkey or chicken. To keep the sauce from becoming dry, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and be generous with the tomatoes so the meat stays tender.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve over spaghetti, penne, or your favorite pasta.
• Top with grated Parmesan, fresh basil, or chopped parsley.
• Use in baked ziti, lasagna, or stuffed shells.
• Add garlic bread and a green salad for a complete meal.

How to Store

• Refrigerate – Cool the sauce quickly, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. If the sauce is still warm, divide it into smaller, shallow containers so it chills faster and stays safe.
• Reheat – Warm the sauce gently in a covered saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened too much. You can also reheat smaller portions in the microwave, stopping to stir once or twice so it heats evenly.
• Freeze – Portion the cooled sauce into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, label with the date, and freeze for up to about 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stove, loosening with a bit of liquid if needed as it warms.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Diana Rattray

Elevate your spaghetti game with this meaty slow cooker sauce. Bursting with savory flavors from lean beef and Italian sausage, it’s a pasta lover’s dream.

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Servings 8 servings

Calories 421

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Course Pasta, Sauces

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage, bulk or remove from casings
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 28 ounces tomatoes, canned, diced, undrained
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 small bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional

Instructions

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• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, sausage, and Italian seasoning and cook, breaking up and stirring for 7 to 9 minutes until browned and no longer pink; transfer to the slow cooker.
• Add the onions to the same skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and aromatic. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer; transfer to the slow cooker.
• Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
• Cover and cook the sauce on low for 5 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Check about halfway through and add a splash of broth, red wine, or water if too thick.
• Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 20gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 772mgPotassium: 789mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1163IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 3mg

Disclaimer:

Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.

Keyword spaghetti sauce

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