Meal Prep

Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe

~ Carrie Tyler ~ 1 Comment
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Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle with a fork on plate with basil and parmesan on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

This is my easy, made-for-busy-moms Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe!  It has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.  It’s made with beef chuck, so it’s affordable and easy to work with.  It’s made without wine, but instead gets that acidic backdrop from Balsamic Vinegar.  And it’s easy for busy moms because it’s made in a slow cooker!  Just toss all ingredients in, set for 6-8 hours, shred the beef, and that’s it!

Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle on plate with parsley, basil, parmesan, and bread on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

EASY DINNER TO FREEZE FOR LATER!

This recipe makes a ton of sauce that freezes and then cooks up again deliciously!  That means it’s perfect for getting multiple meals out of.  Simply cool and then freeze the portion you want to save.  It will keep in your freezer for up to 4-6 months.  Click here to get more freezer dinners: Five 5-Ingredient Freezable Dinners – with Grocery List!

Here are some other recipes that are great for freezing:

Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle with a fork on plate with parsley, basil, parmesan, and bread on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

I made this recipe in a slow cooker. However, you could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or any or any good quality enameled cast iron 5-6 quart dutch oven or small roasting pan with a lid. For the oven, you will want to cook it for 2-3 hours at 400 F degrees until the meat is fall apart tender.

PREP-AHEAD STEPS FOR YOUR BEEF RAGU RECIPE

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you can prepare in the day(s) ahead. (Full recipe is below)

The prep for this recipe is to dice the onions and carrots, as well as to mince the garlic.  The rest of the ingredients are simply measured out and then added to the slow cooker insert.

Can I substitute red wine for the Balsamic Vinegar?

Yes, you can add red wine to this recipe and then will want to eliminate the balsamic so the ragu is not too acidic.  If you want to add wine, you can reduce the 2 cups of broth to 1.5 cups and then replace the reduced amount of 1/2 cup with wine.  Or add 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of wine for even more wine flavor.  I would use a good dry red wine that you enjoy drinking.

Are there any other cuts of beef that can be used?

The beauty of this dish is that you can use a less expensive tough cut of meat used for stew and it gets really tender and delicious.  If you want to make this even more decadent, you could use boneless short ribs in this instead.  Just cut them into cubes so they cook evenly and get as tender as possible.  

COOK YOUR BEEF RAGU RECIPE 

This is the easiest part!  Just put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, mix to combine, and then set the slow cooker to 6 or 8 hours, depending on your schedule.

Raw beef cubes in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Raw beef cubes, diced onion, and diced carrots in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Pouring pureed tomatoes over raw beef, diced onion, carrots, and other ingredients in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

2 bay leaves on top of ingredients in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

When the beef is done cooking and is fall apart tender, scoop all of the cubes out of the sauce and shred them. Leave your Slow Cooker on the warm setting. Once shredded, add it back to the sauce in the slow cooker.

2 forks shredding cooked beef for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

2 forks shredding cooked beef for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Adding cooked shredded beef to sauce in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.Cook your pappardelle pasta in a large pot of water with a large pinch of salt. Follow package instructions. Cook to al dente and then strain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, you can give the fresh parsley a rough chop and either tear the basil into pieces or roll the leaves and slice across to chiffonade it.

Mix the pasta and some of the sauce. Serve and garnish with the basil, parsley, and parmesan. 

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle with a fork on plate with parsley, basil, parmesan, and bread on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.
Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle with a fork on plate with parsley, basil, parmesan, and bread on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.
5 from 1 vote
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Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe

This is my easy, made-for-busy-moms Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe!  It has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.  It's made with beef chuck, so it's affordable and easy to work with.  It's also a beef ragu without wine, but instead gets that acidic backdrop from Balsamic Vinegar.  And it's easy for busy moms because it's made in a slow cooker!  Just toss all ingredients in, set for 6-8 hours, shred the beef, and that's it! #beefragu #meatsauce #ragurecipe #easyfamilydinners #dinnerideas #slowcooker #crockpot

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Beef, beef sauce, pasta, pasta sauce, ragu, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Servings 10 servings
Calories 876 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

Ragu Ingredients

  • 2 1/2-3 lbs Beef chuck roast, cubed
  • 1 Medium onion, diced finely
  • 1 cup Carrots, diced finely
  • 6 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 cup Beef broth
  • 3 Tbsp Tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Pasta and Toppings (serves 10, so reduce by half if you will freeze half of the ragu)

  • 40 oz Uncooked Pappardelle pasta (4oz dried per serving)
  • 1 small bunch Fresh Basil leaves
  • 6 oz Grated or Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 small bunch Fresh Italian Parsley (optional)

Instructions

Prep Ahead Steps

  1. Finely dice the carrots and onions. Mince the garlic cloves.

Make the Ragu

  1. Put all ingredients into the slow cooker pot, starting with the beef chuck cubes, then adding all of the other ingredients. Mix to combine. Store in the fridge overnight to cook in the morning or move on to the next step.

    Pouring pureed tomatoes over raw beef, diced onion, carrots, and other ingredients in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Cook your Beef Ragu and Pasta

  1. In the morning, set your slow cooker to 6 or 8 hours, depending on your schedule.

  2. When the beef is fall apart tender, scoop all of the cubes out of the sauce and shred them. Leave your Slow Cooker on the warm setting. Once shredded, add it back to the sauce in the slow cooker.

    Adding cooked shredded beef to sauce in pot for Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

  3. Cook your pappardelle pasta in a large pot of water with a large pinch of salt. Follow package instructions. Cook to al dente and then strain the pasta.

  4. While the pasta is cooking, you can give the fresh parsley a rough chop and either tear the basil into pieces or roll the leaves and slice across to chiffonade it.

  5. Mix the pasta and some of the sauce. Serve and garnish with the basil, parsley, and parmesan. Enjoy!

    Shredded Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle with a fork on plate with parsley, basil, parmesan, and bread on the table. It's so easy to make and has a thick meaty texture and a super rich delicious flavor.

Recipe Notes

You could also make this recipe in the oven by braising the beef with the same exact ingredients in a dutch oven in the oven for 3-4 hours until the beef is pull apart tender.

Garlic Steak Kabobs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

~ Carrie Tyler ~ 1 Comment
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Nothin’ says Summer to me more than grilling a good kabob!  The fantastic aroma of a smoky bbq fills the entire neighborhood and makes your mouth water.  These Garlic Steak Kabobs with a Creamy Cilantro Sauce are my favorite Summer family dinner.  Beef filet is cut into chunks and then marinated with a delicious garlicy sauce.  Skewered and grilled with onion and red pepper, they are tender, flavorful, and utterly mouthwatering.  Then, drizzle with or dip into a cool and bright Creamy Cilantro Sauce for the perfect bite!

Kabobs are Great for Meal Prep!

Kabobs are also such an easy Meal Prep idea because you can prep them entirely ahead and then simply grill them when you’re ready to eat!  You can also make a double recipe to have leftovers of this delicious meat and then slice for steak sandwiches, a quick stir fry, or add to a mushroom sauce over pasta!  Want more ideas for making food once and getting two dinners out of it?  Click here to get 30 Leftover Protein Dinner Ideas!

Cilantro Cream sauce in bowl with spoon for Garlic Steak Kabobs. Lime, garlic, and cilantro on counter. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Cilantro – love it or replace it  

Ok, I know that cilantro can be polarizing.  Not everyone love it.  In fact, I spent most of life absolutely hating it.  But then somewhere in my early 30’s, I took a turn.  Today, I truly love it!!  Can’t get enough of it!  If you’re on the fence, please give it a try in this recipe.

If you know it’s not for you, you can certainly swap it for a combination of parsley and dill or basil.

Here are some of the other recipes that Cilantro really brings a delicious impact to:

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

For kabobs, you do need skewers. I like metal ones vs. wood so that you don’t have to worry about them burning up. You also can wash and reuse metal ones. Flat skewers are also great so that the food doesn’t spin around. You can grill it on one side, then flip the skewer and the food flips too vs. rolls. Finally, LONG skewers are best. Look for 14″ or longer so that whether you want to grill a little or a lot of food, you have the space on the skewer. Here are some skewers that I really like!

For the cilantro sauce, my go-to mini food processor was perfect for the job.

PREP-AHEAD FOR YOUR GARLIC STEAK KABOBS

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you can prepare in the day(s) ahead! (See full recipe below)

For this recipe, you can marinade the beef, cut the red pepper and onion, and make the Creamy Cilantro Sauce.

Cut red pepper for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Cut onion for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

For the Cilantro sauce, all of the ingredients go right into a food processor.  Blend until smooth and store in the fridge. 

Adding sour cream to cilantro sauce ingredients in food processor for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Zesting lime into cilantro sauce ingredients in food processor for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Squeezing lime into cilantro sauce ingredients in food processor for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Cilantro sauce in food processor for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

What is the best meat for kabobs? 

I love so many different types of kabobs!  Chicken, shrimp, swordfish, and so many veggies are fantastic grilled on a kabob.  The key is to make sure that whatever goes on a skewer is firm enough to stay on as it cooks. 

For beef kabobs, you want to ensure you have a tender cut.  I recommend Petite Beef Filet. It’s one of the most tender cuts without the most expensive price tag. The Petite Filet comes from the shoulder and is so incredibly tender. It tastes very similar to filet mignon, but is much less expensive.

Petit Beef Filets for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

You can either buy the pre-cut beef for kabobs or cut your own into 2 inch cubes.

Then mince the garlic and add it plus the olive oil, seasonings, Worcestershire Sauce, and water to the beef in a storage bag or container.  Rub the marinade around the meat and then store in the fridge until ready to skewer and grill.

Ingredients in bowls for marinade for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Raw beef cubes in bag with marinade for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

What Other Vegetables Can be Added? 

One of the great things about skewers is that you can grill foods that are normally too small or fragile to grill, as they may slip through the grill into the fire.  However, when placing food on a skewer, you want to make sure that all food on one skewer has the same cooking time.  If you place zucchini on these beef skewers, they may turn to complete mush by the time the beef is done.  I really only find that peppers and onions hold up to the beef on the same skewer.

Other veggies that you should put on a separate skewer are zucchini or yellow squash chunks, whole button mushrooms, whole brussels sprouts, Corn chunks.

Finally, veggies that DO NOT do well on a skewer are any with a high water content or extremely long cooking times.  Examples are tomatoes and carrots.  

SKEWER & COOK YOUR GARLIC STEAK KABOBS 

When you’re ready to grill, I think it’s helpful to split the ingredients into the # of skewers I plan to make. So, if I am making 4 skewers, then split the beef cubes into 4 equal portions. Same for the onion and the red pepper. This way you don’t end up with one skewer with very little.

Separate portions of beef, onion and red pepper for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

To make the skewers, simply alternate the red pepper, a couple layers of the onion, then the beef. Repeat until you use up the portioned out ingredients for that skewer. If you want, you can brush additional oil on the skewers, but since you had oil in the marinade, I find that I don’t need any additional for the onion and red pepper.

Tip: A safe way to skewer tougher veggies is to place them on a hard surface and then push the skewer down through them.

Putting skewer through onion and red pepper for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Putting skewer through beef, onion and red pepper for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Putting skewer through onion and red pepper for Garlic Steak Kabobs. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Raw Garlic Steak Kabobs with red pepper and onion on a pan. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Preheat your grill to high. These don’t take much time at all to cook to medium. Place on the grill for about 4-5 minutes, then flip the skewers over and grill the other side for another 4-5 minutes. (4 minutes on each side will get you to a medium-rare and 5 minutes to a medium.)

Garlic Steak Kabobs with red pepper and onion on a grill. #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Garlic Steak Kabobs with red pepper and onion on a sheet pan! #beefkabobs #steakkabobs

Serve with rice or quinoa or potatoes on the side.  Add the cilantro sauce and enjoy!  😍 Carrie

Garlic Steak Kabobs with red pepper and onion on plate with quinoa. Creamy Cilantro Sauce drizzled on top! #beefkabobs #steakkabobs
Garlic Steak Kabobs with red pepper and onion on platter with a Creamy Cilantro Sauce! #beefkabobs #steakkabobs
5 from 1 vote
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Garlic Steak Kabobs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

These Garlic Steak Kabobs with a Creamy Cilantro Sauce are my favorite Summer family dinner.  Beef filet is cut into chunks and then marinated with a delicious garlicy sauce.  Skewered and grilled with onion and red pepper, they are tender, flavorful, and utterly mouthwatering.  Then, drizzle with or dip into a cool and bright Creamy Cilantro Sauce for the perfect bite! #beefkabobs #steakkabobs #kabobideas #summerfood #grillingrecipes

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Beef, beef kabobs, cilantro, filet mignon, grilling, kabobs, steak
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

Steak Marinade

  • 1 lb Beef Cubes for Skewers or Petit Beef filets
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (table salt is fine as a substitute)
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Cold Water

Kabobs

  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 1 Large Yellow Onion

Creamy Cilantro Sauce

  • 1 cup Fresh Cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

Prep Ahead Steps

  1. If needed, cut your petit beef filets into 2 inch cubes and place into a large gallon storage bag or container to marinade. Mince the garlic. Add all of the ingredients for the marinade and then rub them all over the beef cubes. Seal the bag or container and place in the fridge until ready to grill (up to 4 days in advance).

  2. Cut the onion in half, then quarters. Cut the red pepper into similar size pieces discarding the seeds and the stem. Store in the fridge until ready to skewer.

  3. Make the Cilantro Cream Sauce by adding all ingredients to the blender. Pulse to get things started and then puree until smooth. Store in the fridge.

Grill!

  1. Before skewering, I like to split the ingredients into the # of skewers I plan to make. So, if I am making 4 skewers, then split the beef cubes into 4 portions. Same for the onion and the red pepper. This way you don't end up with one skewer with very little.

  2. To make the skewers, simply alternate the red pepper, a couple layers of the onion, then the beef. Repeat until you use up the portioned out ingredients for that skewer. If you want, you can brush additional oil on the skewers, but since you had oil in the marinade, I find that I don't need any additional for the onion and red pepper.

  3. Preheat your grill to high. These don't take much time at all to cook to medium. Place on the grill for about 4-5 minutes, then flip the skewers over and grill the other side for another 4-5 minutes. (4 minutes on each side will get you to a medium-rare and 5 minutes to a medium.)

  4. Serve with the cilantro sauce and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I say 4 servings for this recipe, but you should be able to get about 16 cubes of beef out of a pound.  So, depending on what else you are serving and the size eaters you have, that could be 4-6 servings.