Description

This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe offers a rich and creamy classic comfort dish made easy with tender beef stewed to perfection, sautéed garlic mushrooms, and a luscious sour cream sauce. Perfect over egg noodles or mashed potatoes, it’s a satisfying meal that can be prepared with minimal hands-on time.

Ingredients

Scale

Beef and Seasoning

1.75kg (3.5lb) beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into 4cm (1.5”) cubes
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp oil

Aromatics and Sauce Base

20g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved then sliced into 1 cm (2/5”) slices
4 garlic cloves, minced
7 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 litre (1 quart) reduced salt beef stock/broth

Mushroom Garlic Butter

1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream
3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter
700g (1.2 lb) mushrooms, sliced into 0.5cm thick slices
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

To Serve

Wide egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes
Chives for garnish

Instructions

Season beef: Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels, then evenly sprinkle with 1.5 tsp salt and 1.5 tsp black pepper to ensure the meat is well-flavored.
Brown beef: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based pot or skillet over high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer without crowding and brown aggressively on all sides for about 4 minutes. Remove browned pieces and repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil as needed. This step seals in juices and adds rich flavor.
Sauté aromatics: Let the pot cool slightly, then melt 20g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter. Add minced garlic and sliced onion, cooking for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add flour and mustard: Sprinkle 7 tbsp plain flour evenly over the garlic and onions, stirring well to combine. Add 4 tbsp Dijon mustard and continue stirring; the mixture will become gluey, which helps thicken the sauce.
Add beef stock: Slowly pour in half of the 1 litre reduced salt beef stock while stirring continuously to dissolve the flour without lumps. Add the remaining stock, scrape the pot bottom to loosen browned bits, and bring to a simmer.
Slow cook beef: Transfer the liquid and browned beef to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours until beef is tender and pulls apart easily. Alternatively, simmer covered on stove low/medium-low heat for 2 hours or pressure cook for 40 minutes on high in an Instant Pot (skip flour if pressure cooking to keep gluten free).
Prepare garlic butter mushrooms: In a large skillet over high heat, melt half of the 3 tbsp butter. Add half the mushrooms, cooking until nearly golden, about 3 minutes. Add half the minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, cooking for another minute until fragrant and golden. Remove mushrooms and repeat with remaining butter, mushrooms, and garlic.
Finish stroganoff: Mix 1.5 cups of liquid taken from slow cooker with 1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream to temper and prevent curdling. Gently stir this mixture back into the beef stew. Carefully fold in sautéed mushrooms.
Serve: Spoon beef stroganoff over wide egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh chives for color and freshness.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, omit the flour and use cornstarch or a gluten-free thickener, especially when pressure cooking.
Be sure to brown the beef in batches to avoid steaming and ensure a rich flavor.
Tempering the sour cream with hot liquid prevents it from curdling in the stew.
Mushroom quantity can be adjusted based on preference; cremini or button mushrooms work well.
This dish tastes even better the next day after flavors meld thoroughly.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours (slow cooker low) or 5 hours (slow cooker high)
Category: Main Dish
Method: Slow Cooker, Sautéing
Cuisine: Russian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 450 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 580 mg
Fat: 26 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
Trans Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 35 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg

Keywords: beef stroganoff, slow cooker beef stroganoff, creamy beef stew, comfort food, beef stew, mushroom stroganoff, easy dinner recipe