Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

With a few simple ingredients, this hearty Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce couldn’t be easier or tastier! Serve over pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash for a delicious and healthy dinner. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and freezer-friendly.

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This is one of those dinners that makes everyone in my home happy. So, I make a double batch at least once a month, serve one that night, and freeze one for later. It’s a great use of my time in the kitchen and my future self is always thankful. 🙂

Here’s why I think you’re going to love this slow cooker spaghetti sauce, too…

• Hearty, delicious, and versatile!
• A well-rounded and healthy dinner. Serve over whole grain pasta, zoodles, spaghetti squash, or even quinoa. Sometimes I toss in some chopped spinach, too, and no one even knows!
• Requires only 6 main ingredients, including a short-cut from the store (jarred marinara sauce).
• Freezer-friendly! Just double and freeze the second batch for another meal. (See our freezing instructions below.)
• Gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Leftovers work great for lunches or “leftover night” dinner.

INGREDIENTS in Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a boring sauce just because the ingredients are simple. Check out the heavy-hitting line-up of complex flavors…

• Yellow Onion – You’ll start building big flavor right off the bat by sauteing diced onion in the Instant pot. The high heat brings out the sugars in the onion.
• Fresh Garlic – What pasta sauce can go without garlic? Add this in at the end of sauteing the onion for a little pungent kick.
• Lean Ground Beef – I use grass-fed, organic lean ground beef, but you can easily sub ground turkey or ground chicken. Here’s where Polly and I both get our grass-fed beef.
• Ground Italian Sausage – Oh man, sausage takes this sauce to a whole new level! You can use mild or spicy Italian pork sausage, but make sure it’s ground (not pre-cooked in a link). You can also substitute ground turkey or chicken sausage here. I get my Italian sausage from ButcherBox, because it’s hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and has no icky additives.
• Red Pepper Flakes – This is a favorite pantry seasoning for me. It easily adds a little heat to sauces, soups, and dry rubs. Feel free to add more than the recipe calls for if you like your food spicy.
• Marinara Sauce – Woo hoo for store-bought short cuts! This is one you can feel good about if you select a sauce that’s organic or all-natural. Be sure to read the ingredients and try to avoid “natural flavors”, a lot of added sugar, and other weird ingredients you’re not familiar with. I personally love Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce. Or, try making your own with our Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce recipe. It’s cheap, budget-friendly, freezable, and amazing!

We’ll talk more about what ingredients you’ll need to serve the sauce a little later.

HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE IN THE CROCKPOT

Watch this 1 minute video to see how easy it is to make meat sauce in your slow cooker…

HOW LONG DO I COOK SPAGHETTI SAUCE IN THE Slow Cooker?

This is an all-day slow cooker recipe. You’ll need to do about 20 minutes of work ahead of time to build flavor, including chopping and sautéing the aromatics (onion and garlic) and browning the meat. Then, dump all the ingredients into the crockpot and let them gently simmer away all day long–about 8 hours–on LOW. Your home will smell amazing by dinner time!

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO A FREEZER MEAL

How to Freeze For Later: Saute the veggies and then brown the meat on the stovetop. Let the meat mixture cool, then transfer it to a gallon-size freezer bag or container and pour in the marinara. Seal, gently toss to combine, and freeze flat.

How to Prepare From Frozen: Thaw using one of our safe methods. (Never place frozen food in the slow cooker! It’s unsafe according to the USDA.) Transfer the sauce to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Can you freeze this sauce after you fully cook it, too? Yes! Just be sure to let it fully cool first. I sometimes divide it into smaller dishes and place it in the fridge to help it cool faster. (Cooling helps prevent ice crystals from forming on your meal in the freezer, which can adversely affect the flavor and texture.) Then, freeze in an air-tight freezer bag or container. When you’re ready to use it, thaw and warm up over low heat on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the microwave.

Freezing Tip: It’s helpful to freeze the bag of sauce on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent spills and to freeze until it’s flat. Once it’s frozen solid, remove the pan and the meal will stack easily in the freezer.

Want more freezer-friendly Crockpot meals?

We have SO many to choose from in this roundup of 20+ Crockpot Freezer Meals. Make sure to hop over and browse around.

Can you make Spaghetti Sauce in the Instant Pot?

Yes! In fact, you can cook the entire meal, including the sauce and spaghetti(!!), in your Instant Pot. Use the directions in our Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce blog post.

HOW TO SERVE CROCKPOT PASTA SAUCE

This sauce works to serve over any pasta, zoodles, spaghetti squash, or even quinoa. It’s super versatile!

Here are a few ideas of side dishes to serve along with your main dish:

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

OVEN ROASTED Asparagus

GARLIC BREAD (DONE RIGHT!)

BOTTOM LINE

Whether you want a healthy, kid-friendly dinner or a freezer meal on hand for later, we think you’ll love the simplicity and the all-day flavor of this Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce!

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