Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Stovetop stroganoff relies on quick-cooking steak or ground beef, but a slow cooker lets you use chuck or stewing beef, which needs hours to turn tender. The beef is tossed in flour, browned and cooked with mushrooms, onion, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard until it breaks apart under a spoon. Sour cream goes in at the very end, once the slow cooker is off the high heat, so the sauce stays smooth instead of splitting. Serve it over egg noodles.
By Maya Ellison
Published
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 7 hrs 35 mins
- Total Time
- 7 hrs 50 mins
- Servings
- 6 servings
How do you make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff?
Toss 900 g (2 lb) cubed beef chuck with flour, salt and pepper and brown it in batches. Add it to the slow cooker with 450 g (1 lb) sliced mushrooms, onion, garlic, 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, thicken with cornstarch, then stir in 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream on WARM.
- Total time
- 7 hrs 50 mins
- Calories
- 700 per serving
- Protein
- 42 g
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Slow cooking
Ingredients
To finish
To serve
Equipment
Slow cooker (5-6 litre) · Large skillet · Large pot · Colander · Whisk
Quick Directions
Coat the beef
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and trim off any large pieces of hard fat.
Brown the beef in batches
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Soften the onion and deglaze
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it starts to soften.
Load the slow cooker
Scatter the mushrooms over the beef, pour the onion and stock mixture on top and stir everything together.
Slow cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef breaks apart easily when pressed with a spoon.
Thicken the sauce and cook the noodles
If the slow cooker is on LOW, switch it to HIGH.
Stir in the sour cream
Switch the slow cooker to WARM or turn it off.
Serve
Spoon the stroganoff over the noodles and top with the rest of the dill or parsley and a spoonful of sour cream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making slow cooker beef stroganoff, written out in full.
Coat the beef
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and trim off any large pieces of hard fat. Toss it in a bowl with the salt, pepper and flour until every piece is lightly coated.
Brown the beef in batches
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the beef in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once or twice, until browned on a couple of sides. It does not need to cook through. Move it to the slow cooker, then brown the rest of the beef in the remaining oil.
Soften the onion and deglaze
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it starts to soften. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then pour in the stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and paprika.
Load the slow cooker
Scatter the mushrooms over the beef, pour the onion and stock mixture on top and stir everything together. The mushrooms release their own liquid as they cook, so the beef does not need to be covered.
Slow cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef breaks apart easily when pressed with a spoon. Slow cookers vary, so if the beef still feels firm, cover it again and check every 30 minutes.
Thicken the sauce and cook the noodles
If the slow cooker is on LOW, switch it to HIGH. Stir the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth, stir it into the slow cooker, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions and drain them.
Stir in the sour cream
Switch the slow cooker to WARM or turn it off. Put the sour cream in a bowl and whisk in about 250 ml (1 cup) of the hot sauce, a little at a time, to warm it gently. Stir this mixture into the slow cooker with half the dill or parsley. Do not let the sauce bubble once the sour cream is in, or it may split. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Serve
Spoon the stroganoff over the noodles and top with the rest of the dill or parsley and a spoonful of sour cream.
Recipe Tips
- Use chuck or stewing beef. Lean, quick-cooking cuts such as sirloin or tenderloin turn dry and stringy over a long slow cook.
- Take the sour cream out of the fridge when you start the noodles. Cold sour cream added to a hot sauce is more likely to curdle.
- Full-fat sour cream holds up much better than light or fat-free versions, which split easily in a hot sauce.
- If the sauce looks thin after thickening, leave the lid off for the last 10 minutes on HIGH before you add the sour cream.
Variations
- Swap the egg noodles for mashed potatoes or rice.
- Replace 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the stock with dry white wine, and let it bubble in the skillet for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the stock.
- Add 1 tbsp tomato paste with the garlic for a deeper colour and a slightly sweeter sauce.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Warm it with the hot sauce the same way, since it splits even more easily.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 700 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbs | 55 g |
| Fat | 35 g |
| Saturated fat | 14 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 660 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Refrigerate the stroganoff and the noodles in separate airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3-4 days.
- Freezer
- Sour cream turns grainy in the freezer, so freeze the beef and mushroom sauce before adding the sour cream, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and stir in fresh sour cream after reheating.
- Reheat
- Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of stock if it has thickened, until it reaches 74°C (165°F). Keep the heat low so the sour cream does not split.
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff FAQs
What is the best beef for slow cooker stroganoff?
Boneless chuck or stewing beef. These cuts have connective tissue that breaks down over hours of slow cooking, so the beef ends up tender enough to break apart with a spoon. Steak cuts such as sirloin or tenderloin suit a quick stovetop stroganoff but dry out in a slow cooker.
Why did my stroganoff sauce curdle?
Sour cream splits when it boils or when cold sour cream hits a very hot sauce. Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature, warm it first by whisking in some of the hot sauce, and stir it in with the slow cooker on WARM or off. Once a sauce has split it will not turn fully smooth again, but it is still fine to eat.
Do I have to brown the beef first?
No, but browning adds colour and a deeper flavour to the sauce, and it takes about 10 minutes. To skip it, put the flour-coated beef straight into the slow cooker and whisk the stock with the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, paprika and garlic before pouring it over. The flour still thickens the sauce.
Can I freeze slow cooker beef stroganoff?
Yes, but freeze it before adding the sour cream, which turns grainy when frozen. The beef and mushroom sauce keeps for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat it gently until it reaches 74°C (165°F), then take it off the heat and stir in fresh sour cream.
Can I put frozen beef in the slow cooker?
No. Frozen beef warms too slowly in a slow cooker and can sit at unsafe temperatures for hours. Thaw it in the fridge overnight first, then cut and coat it as the recipe describes.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
