This Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is a delicious, hearty comfort food idea – made in the slow cooker with sour cream and stewing beef, it's a delicious crock pot version of the classic stroganoff recipe!
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Why make beef stroganoff in the slow cooker?
This crock pot beef stroganoff is the BEST way to use your slow cooker to its full potential. This is the type of recipe you can leave sitting cooking all day while you're at work, or you can meal prep it for the week while you run around and have a fun weekend. It's such a hands off way of cooking and you mostly will just be dumping all the ingredients and cooking.
It's going to take a long time to cook, but the final effort is going to be SO worth it! With tender chunks of beef that have been slow cooked to perfection, you'll only want to make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff and never any other version!
What is in stroganoff sauce?
Believe it or not you only need a tiny bit of beef broth to make the sauce since the mushrooms release a ton of liquid. This recipe doesn't call for any flour, cornstarch or thickening agents because you'll be undercooking the egg noodles a little bit in order for them to soak up and thicken the sauce.
Here's exactly what is in this easy stroganoff sauce. No more cans of cream of mushroom soup with this easy combo!
- Red wine
- Worcestershire sauce
- Beef broth
- Sour cream
How to Make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff (step-by-step)
Here's exactly how to make this slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe below:
- Add all the ingredients except for sour cream and egg noodles to the crockpot, then cook on low for 8 hours.
- In the last 5 minutes of cook time, cook the egg noodles for 4 minutes on the stove, then drain.
- Stir in the sour cream and egg noodles, then let the mixture sit with the lid on for 5 minutes.
- Add your garnishes then serve and enjoy!
What type of beef to use
Typically I buy regular stewing beef – the slow cooking process tenderizes it. You can feel free to use a higher quality cut like a sirloin steak or even use ground beef. If using ground beef, I just recommend that you brown it in a skillet first for a couple of minutes and drain the extra fat – either that, or skip the butter since the beef will contain enough fat on its own. The choice is yours!
How to tenderize stewing beef
You can tenderize the beef ahead of time, and the process is super simple. Just add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of cornstarch to the beef along with 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before adding to the crockpot.
The baking soda and cornstarch creates a layer that will prevent the meat from becoming dry. This is definitely an optional step but it results in much more tender beef and will definitely make the dish a lot richer!
Ingredient substitutions
Instead of any heavy cream I'm using sour cream to still add some creaminess without all the extra calories and fat.
Technically you can just add in an extra tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce in place of the red wine but if you're looking for an indulgent and rich-tasting stroganoff, you really should use it. Any type of red wine will do and the bonus is that you can also do a little bit of “taste testing” as you're cooking. 😉
If you don't have Worcestershire or red wine you can also substitute 1-2 tbsp of Dijon mustard as that will give this slow cooker beef stroganoff the kick it needs – just be sure to include the mushrooms, onions, garlic and salt & pepper as those are the other key flavour agents in this recipe.
What other ingredients can you add?
I love adding more veggies to this dish in order to beef up the nutrition content and make it healthier. Here are some suggestions of what you can add to this recipe:
- Finely chopped broccoli florets
- Finely chopped cauliflower florets
- Chopped leafy greens such as spinach
- Grated carrots
- Diced up bell peppers
- Diced up zucchini
Cooking the egg noodles
You want the egg noodles to be a little bit underdone so that they still have a chance to soak up the extra sauce once everything has finished cooking, but you also don't want them to become too soggy. Egg noodles cook in just a matter of 3-4 minutes (even though most packages state 5-7 minutes) so you can literally cook them at the last minute right before you're about to serve everything.
You should cook them separately on the stovetop and then add them to the slow cooker when ready to serve, but I have heard of people adding them right to the pot with an extra cup of beef broth and cooking on high for 30-45 minutes. This is an option you could try that should result in less prep and clean up.
What to serve with crockpot beef stroganoff
I love to serve egg noodles alongside stroganoff, but that is just one option! You can serve regular cooked pasta with it, or mashed potatoes are another authentic option. I even like just a side of broccoli to add some green. Here are some side dish ideas for beef stroganoff:
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted vegetables
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed or steamed cauliflower
- Side salad
Can you freeze beef stroganoff?
Yes you can! This recipe freezes beautifully – just pack up into individual portions in glass bowls or foil containers once cooled. Use glass bowls if you plan on microwaving, and foil containers if you plan on reheating in the oven. Here are the instructions for freezing and reheating:
- Microwave: Sprinkle 1 tbsp water overtop and cook from frozen for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Oven: Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 F oven, stirring halfway through cook time.
Storing and reheating this recipe
This recipe is great for leftovers – if you don't decide to freeze it, you can pack it up and store it in the fridge in glass containers for up to 5 days. When ready to reheat, sprinkle 1 tbsp water overtop, add a little bit of extra salt & pepper, then reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Make sure to stir halfway through to get an even heat throughout.
What fresh herbs can you add?
I like to garnish with some fresh herbs like chives, dill or parsley in order to add some colour and make it more nutritious. If you're going to add herbs, I recommend they be fresh and not dried. You can add up to 1 tbsp of freshly chopped chives and parsley, but I wouldn't recommend you add more than 1 tsp of dill or the flavour will be too much.
More ways to cook beef stroganoff
I'm so in love with beef stroganoff that I've even made an Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff on my other website, Eating Instantly, and I've also made a one-pot Healthy Beef Stroganoff that is more reminiscent of Hamburger Helper with extra veggies. I could eat this stuff all the time once the weather gets cold!
More family-friendly dinner recipes
If you're looking for more hearty recipes for family dinner, look no further! Here are some of my other fave ideas:
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on refrigerating the leftovers
- I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Grab some slow cooker liners to reduce clean up
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
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Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 lb stewing beef
- 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional but it gives a much richer flavour)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 (340g/12oz) package egg noodles, fully cooked
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for sour cream and egg noodles to crock pot, stirring well. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- In the last 5 minutes of the beef mixture cooking, boil egg noodles for 4 minutes on the stove, then drain and set aside. You want the noodles to be slightly underdone so they soak up some of the sauce.
- Once cook time has finished, stir in sour cream and mix to combine well, then gently stir in hot egg noodles. Let the mixture sit with the lid on for 5 minutes (sauce will thicken up this way) then serve with chives/parsley overtop (optional) and enjoy!
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Shauna says
Would Greek yogurt work instead of sour cream? Seems logical, buuuut, you never know.
Taylor Stinson says
It would but the taste will be slightly different. I prefer sour cream much more!
Diana Erickson says
How about cream of mushrooms soup instead of sour cream?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Diana – you could try adding it but I haven’t tried it myself. Let me know if you do!