Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce is a rich, thick and meaty sauce made easy in the slow cooker.
A simple combination of ground beef & Italian sausage, tomatoes and our favorite seasonings creates a sauce perfect over pasta or in lasagna!
Easy Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Everyone has a spaghetti sauce recipe but this one is a favorite because it’s flavorful and incredibly easy! This versatile sauce can be kept simple or your favorite veggies, seasonings, or meats can be added.
Ingredients
This is our most basic recipe, perfect on its own or with your favorite add-ins.
MEAT
This spaghetti sauce is made with ground beef and Italian sausage. It can be made with ground chicken, ground pork, or even ground turkey!
VEGGIES
Onions and green peppers are added to this sauce. Switch it up and adding shredded zucchini, sliced mushrooms, or even small diced squash for an additional nutritional boost!
SAUCE
Fresh tomatoes can be substituted for the canned tomatoes, but the tomato paste and tomato sauce are base ingredients that give this sauce its savory deep flavor.
How to Make Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
This recipe couldn’t be easier!
- Cook meat, onion, and garlic until no longer pink. Drain fat.
- Add meat and remaining ingredients (per recipe below) to a 6QT slow cooker.
- Prepare pasta, serve with pasta sauce on top and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Tips for Success
- Drain the meat after browning.
- If you’d like a thicker sauce, simply continue to cook in the crockpot with the lid off until it is thickened, or simmer it in a saucepan until it thickens, stirring often.
- Cook spaghetti in salted water until it is al dente (a little firm). Do not rinse the pasta, this helps the sauce adhere to it.
- Freeze sauce on its own without pasta and add fresh pasta when serving.
From frozen, slow cooker spaghetti sauce should last about a month in the freezer. Simply thaw and reheat in a bowl in the microwave. Serve this slow cooker spaghetti sauce with meatballs or with just some noodles, this recipe is amazing for any occasion! Perfect for a party, a potluck, or a special family celebration!
Easy Pasta Sauces
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Bucatini all’Amatriciana
- Easy Marinara Sauce
- Homemade Pesto
- Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Did your family love this Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage or use all ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned do not drain
- 24 ounces tomato sauce
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons each fresh parsley and basil plus extra for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Brown ground beef, sausage, onions, and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add beef mixture and remaining ingredients (except fresh herbs & pasta) to crock pot.
- Cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving.
- Prepare spaghetti or pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
- Top spaghetti with meat sauce. Garnish with additional herbs if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta, Sauce, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Followed recipe exactly, delicious!
Thanks, Taryn. So glad you enjoyed it!
I seen your recipe for this sauce and cooking it at t his very minute in my so cooker, I have made and tossed many other spaghetti sauce recipes in the trash, I’m hoping yours is going to be a keeper! I used mild ground Italian sausage 1 lb. My wife Susan who battled brain cancer died and her awsome recipes went with her, everyone is eating good in Heaven!
That looks yummy! This is one variation of spaghetti sauce that I haven’t tried yet. Will definitely try it out!
Can you use a store bought seasoned salt instead
That would work perfectly!
Take it from an Italian, you are missing 4 ingredients
Would you elaborate for this foodie please? Thanks!
Very close to the recipe I use when making my sauce in a regular stock pot. A few easy modifications I would offer, replace the diced and crushed tomatoes with 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes. This would also eliminate the need for any sugar as San Marzanos are more than sweet enough on their own, I never add sugar to anything tomato based. If you find your sauce to be acidic, you need better quality tomatoes or you can add a very small pinch of baking soda to your sauce to counter that. The other thing is to add a couple of bay leaves to the sauce. They are indispensable in any tomato sauce.
If you really want to take the flavour over the top, finely chop three or four anchovy fillets and add them to your frying pan with the garlic and veggies. They will totally dissolve, leaving only an amazing umami flavour behind. I also suggest adding half of your Italian spice blend when you brown the ground beef as the fat in the beef will release more of the flavours of the herbs and spices. Add the rest near the end of cooking so that they do not lose their flavours by cooking them too long. I usually do the same with the onions and green pepper, holding a small quantity to add near the end of cooking to bring a brighter, fresher taste and a different texture to the sauce.
These are very easy mods that add no time or difficulty to the recipe but will add a large boost to the taste in the end.
Thank you for sharing your tips Robert! Great suggestion on the tomatoes and I do love the umami that anchovies add to dishes in small amounts.
Thank you for these tips!
If using fresh tomatoes, how much
The fresh tomatoes should replace only the diced tomatoes (you’ll still need the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste). You’ll need about 3-4 cups diced.