This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is exactly the easy button dinner you need on busy nights. Made with lots of veggies and plenty of protein, it’s a hearty, filling sauce that simmers for hours and tastes absolutely incredible with hardly any work.

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Recipe Ingredients and Notes

Protein: I love the combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage in this recipe but you could also use only ground beef or substitute ground turkey. I’ve made this sauce a variety of ways and it always turns out great so just use what you prefer!
Herbs and Spices: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and dried bay leaves make this homemade slow cooker spaghetti sauce incredibly flavorful.
Veggies: fresh garlic cloves, yellow onion, green bell pepper, and carrot all help to add some extra flavor to the sauce as well. The carrot actually helps to give the sauce a bit of sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes so don’t skip it. Picky eaters won’t even realize they’re there!
Broth: beef broth is my preferred choice, but vegetable and chicken broth will also work. I like to use a low-sodium variety.
Balsamic vinegar: another flavoring balancing ingredient that helps make this sauce the best.
Honey or Brown Sugar: adds the perfect touch of sweetness along with the carrot.
Parmesan Rind: trust me on this. It adds a delicious, salty, savory richness to the sauce. You may be able to find Parmesan rinds at your grocery store in the cheese or deli section.

spaghetti sauce ingredients in slow cooker

How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce in 4 Easy Steps

Brown the meat. Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Then, transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
Sauté the veggies. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrot to the same skillet, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Transfer the veggies to the slow cooker.
Combine and cook. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients. Then, cover and cook on high or low, adjusting the seasonings as needed.
Serve. Spoon the sauce over cooked pasta, and add grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy!

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat

Fridge: Transfer cooled sauce to an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Portion the sauce into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Thaw frozen slow cooker spaghetti sauce in the fridge overnight. Then, warm it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of water or broth as needed to loosen it back up. You can also reheat the sauce from frozen in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.

spaghetti sauce over spaghetti noodles with fork

More Homemade Sauce Recipes

I hope you give this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe a try! It’s easy to make, hearty, and so delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Italian Inspired

Print Recipe

Description

This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is exactly the easy button dinner you need on busy nights. Made with lots of veggies and plenty of protein, it’s a hearty, filling sauce that simmers for hours and tastes absolutely incredible with hardly any work.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, small diced
1 small green bell pepper, small diced
1 large carrot, peeled and small diced
28 ounce can of peeled tomatoes
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1 dried bay leaf
1 parmesan rind
cooked pasta, for serving
chopped parsley, for serving
grated parmesan cheese, for serving
you favorite pasta, for serving

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Cook until browned and fully cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Transfer the cooked meat to the base of your slow cooker.
Next, to the same skillet, add the onion, bell pepper, and carrot. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Transfer the veggies to the slow cooker.
Next, add the peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, honey, dried bay leaf, and parmesan rind to the slow cooker and give it a stir.
Cook the spaghetti sauce on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Add a bit more salt and pepper to taste, stir, and then serve the sauce over your favorite cooked pasta topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.