Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This comforting beef stroganoff is pure magic in your slow cooker! Busy families and anyone who loves tender, flavorful meals will absolutely adore this dish because it practically cooks itself while you go about your day.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 30 minutes, Additional Time: 4 hours, Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Aging, Healthy Immunity, Low-Sodium, Soy-Free, High-Protein, Egg-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 257 Calories, 10g Fat, 14g Carbs, 26g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Beef stew meat: You’ll need 1½ pounds of good quality beef stew meat. Don’t worry about getting the most expensive cut – the slow cooking will make it incredibly tender!

Vegetable oil: Just 2 teaspoons for browning the beef. This step adds so much flavor to your final dish.

Fresh mushrooms: 2 cups of sliced mushrooms work perfectly here. Button or baby bella mushrooms are my favorites for this recipe.

Onion: One medium onion chopped up will give you about ½ cup. Yellow or white onions work great – use whatever you have on hand!

Garlic: 2 cloves minced will add that wonderful aromatic base. Fresh garlic really makes a difference here.

Seasonings: You’ll need ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 bay leaf for that perfect herb blend.

Lower-sodium beef broth: One 14.5-ounce can provides the rich base for your stroganoff sauce.

Dry sherry: ⅓ cup adds incredible depth of flavor, but you can substitute more beef broth if you prefer.

How to Make Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Step 1: Trim any excess fat from your beef and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Drain off any fat when done.

Step 2: Place mushrooms, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf in your 3½ or 4-quart slow cooker. Add the browned beef on top. Pour the beef broth and sherry over everything.

Step 3: Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove and toss that bay leaf when cooking time is up.

Step 4: If you used the low setting, switch to high now. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add about 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid while whisking constantly.

Step 5: Stir the sour cream mixture back into your slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 more minutes until the sauce thickens beautifully. Serve over hot noodles and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Easy and Quick Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff Version

Want to save some prep time? You can skip browning the beef and just add it raw to the slow cooker! The flavor won’t be quite as deep, but it’ll still be delicious and saves you about 15 minutes of prep work. Just add an extra 30 minutes to your cooking time to make sure the beef gets perfectly tender.

Serving Ideas

This stroganoff is pretty much a complete meal all on its own! The tender beef and creamy sauce over noodles is totally satisfying. If you want to add a side, try some buttery green beans or a simple mixed green salad with a light vinaigrette.

Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. To reheat, warm gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of beef broth if the sauce seems too thick. You can also microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Substitutions

No sour cream? Greek yogurt works great as a substitute – just use the same amount. If you can’t find beef stew meat, chuck roast cut into chunks works perfectly. For a lighter version, try using fat-free sour cream or even cream cheese thinned with a little milk.

Pro Tips

Don’t skip the browning: Those few extra minutes of browning the beef really boost the flavor!
Slow cooker liner trick: Use a disposable slow cooker liner for super easy cleanup – just toss it when you’re done!
Sauce too thin?: Mix an extra tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water and stir it in during the last 15 minutes.
Make it richer: Add a tablespoon of butter when you stir in the sour cream mixture for extra richness.

FAQs

Can I make this without the sherry?

You bet! Just use an extra ⅓ cup of beef broth instead. The flavor will be slightly different but still absolutely delicious.

What’s the best type of noodles to use?

Wide egg noodles are traditional and perfect for holding all that creamy sauce. But honestly, any pasta shape you love will work great!

Can I freeze the leftovers?

The stroganoff itself freezes okay for up to 2 months, but the sour cream sauce might separate a bit when thawed. I’d recommend freezing it before adding the sour cream, then stirring that in when you reheat.

My sauce curdled – what happened?

No worries! This usually happens when the sour cream gets too hot too fast. Next time, make sure to temper it by adding the hot liquid slowly while whisking. If it does curdle, try whisking in a little cold milk to smooth it out.

I hope you and your family love this cozy stroganoff as much as we do! Let me know how it turns out for you – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures and any fun twists you add to make it your own.