Chicken Ragu (Slow Cooker)

What I love best about this easy chicken ragu is the prep – you don’t have to brown or pre-cook anything! Just mix up the sauce ingredients, add the chicken, and leave it to simmer.

Ingredients

• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Balsamic vinegar
• Minced garlic
• Chopped onion
• Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Pasta
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Chicken: I like boneless chicken thighs because they have a higher fat content than chicken breasts, which tend to end up a little dry. The thighs are still tender and juicy even after a few hours in the slow cooker. Also, they have more flavor, which makes the sauce even better.

Pasta: You can use any short or long pasta shape. I like thick spaghetti, but linguine, fettuccine, or bucatini are also great. Or pair the chicken ragu with penne, cavatappi, gemelli, or small shells.

How to Make It

Mix the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, onion, and seasonings in the slow cooker. Place the chicken thighs in the sauce and spoon the sauce over the top so they are covered.

Cook the ragu on high for three to four hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. When the sauce is done, boil the pasta and drain it.

Recipe Tips

• Make it spicy: If you like some heat, add about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce when you mix it up.
• Check the salt: Before you add the cooked pasta, give the sauce a taste and add more salt if you think it needs it.
• Pasta: Be sure to boil the pasta separately and not in the slow cooker with the sauce.
• Sides: Add your favorite cooked veggie side, like roasted broccoli, green beans, or a green salad. If you’re feeling extra, go ahead and treat yourself to some garlic toast, too!
• Make ahead: You can make the sauce ahead and freeze it for several months. I recommend not adding the pasta if you plan to do this – boil a fresh batch when you reheat the sauce.
• Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days.

If you’re craving pasta, I hope you give this easy slow cooker ragu sauce a try! It’s so easy – I think you’ll love it.

Happy slow cooking,

More Easy Pasta Recipes

• Pasta with Steak and Spinach
• Creamy Gruyere Spaghetti
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Lemon Ricotta Pasta

📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.

Chicken Ragu (Slow Cooker)

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This chicken ragu is so easy to make! Tender chicken thighs and sauce simmer in the slow cooker for several hours – when it’s done, shred the chicken and add your favorite cooked pasta. It’s a comforting low-fuss dinner.

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste (see note)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 8 ounces thick spaghetti
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2. Place the chicken thighs in the sauce and spoon the sauce over the top of them so they are covered.
3. Cook the ragu on high for three to four hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
4. When the ragu is almost done, boil the pasta following the package instructions and then drain it.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks and stir to combine the shredded meat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley. Taste the sauce and add more salt if you think it needs it.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and use tongs to coat it evenly in the sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese for serving.

Notes

If you like some heat, add about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce when you mix it up.

I used no salt added tomato paste, so if yours has salt, the nutrition info will vary. If you are sensitive to salt, I recommend reducing the amount in the recipe (or omit it). Before you add the cooked pasta, give the sauce a taste and add it to your taste if you think it needs more.

Pasta: Be sure to boil the pasta separately and not in the slow cooker with the sauce.

Make ahead: You can make the sauce ahead and freeze it for several months. I recommend not adding the pasta if you plan to do this – boil a fresh batch when you reheat the sauce.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days.

Nutrition

• Calories: 625
• Sugar: 19.6g
• Sodium: 931.8mg
• Fat: 11.2g
• Saturated Fat: 2.8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6.4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 74g
• Fiber: 8.8g
• Protein: 58.2g
• Cholesterol: 213.2mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.