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Home Stews

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Stew

By:Nagi
Published:17 Feb '20Updated:12 Feb '21
205 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is the stew version of traditional Beef Stroganoff. An incredible slow cooked beef that’s fall-apart tender smothered in a creamy Stroganoff sauce with buttery garlic mushrooms, it’s made with economical stewing beef yet tastes like a million bucks!

Close up of ladle scooping up Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

You know that anything that involving the words “slow cooked” and “beef” is going to be a winner. And this one is a ripper!

It’s the slow cooked version of classic Beef Stroganoff. Besides the fact that it takes 8 hours in a slow cooker instead of 15 minutes on the stove, this stew version of Stroganoff differs from the traditional version in a few ways:

  • Fall apart tender chunks of beef rather than thin strips that are just cooked so they’re juicy inside;
  • Made with economical stewing beef rather than good to high quality well marbled steak (essential for a really great traditional Beef Stroganoff); and
  • Deeper flavour in the sauce – owing to the long cook time. You can’t shortcut this kind of flavour!

This slow cooked beef melts in your mouth and the depth of flavour in the sauce is magnificent!

Slow Cooked Beef with Stroganoff Sauce served over mashed potato

What you need for Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Here’s what you need to make this incredible slow cooked beef dish! It’s the same ingredients as traditional Beef Stroganoff except using economical stewing beef and more sauce so the beef is submerged while slow cooking!

Use Chuck Beef or other economical stewing beef. Do not waste your money on pricier cuts like sirloin!

Best cut of beef for SLOW COOKER Beef Stroganoff

This recipe needs to be made with economical stewing cuts that need to be cooked for a long time to become tender, such as:

  • chuck beef
  • boneless beef ribs
  • beef cheeks
  • gravy beef

In contrast, traditional Beef Stroganoff, which is cooked quickly on the stove, is best made with pricier cuts suitable for cooking as steaks, such as boneless rib eye/scotch fillet and sirloin.

Just a few notes on some of the other ingredients:

  • Sour Cream – this is what makes Stroganoff Sauce creamy. It’s added at the end so there’s no risk of it splitting during the slow cooking time;
  • Dijon Mustard – for flavour and thickening, a traditional ingredient in Beef Stroganoff Sauce; and
  • Flour – thickens the sauce. See recipe notes for gluten free option!

How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This is pretty much made just like traditional Beef Stew – entirely hands off for most of the cook time!

How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

  1. Brown beef aggressively. The better the browning, the better the flavour in the sauce and on the beef!
  2. Sauté the onion and garlic, mix in the flour;
  3. Add everything into the slow cooker (or pot);
  4. Slow cook 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high (see recipe for stove and IP/pressure cooker);
  5. Sauté mushrooms in garlic and butter;
  6. Whisk the sour cream with some of the liquid in the slow cooker – this will ensure you don’t end up with sour cream specks in the sauce (can’t mix vigorously otherwise the beef crumbles!);
  7. Stir mushrooms and sour cream into sauce;
  8. Serve over mash, pasta, egg noodles or even rice!

Here’s what it looks like straight out of the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff in a slow cooker, ready to be served

And the beef…..fall apart….. juicy…..sucked up all the flavour of that Stroganoff Sauce…

Close up showing fall apart slow cooked beef smothered din Beef Stroganoff sauce

I’ve made this as a stew but it could just as easily be transformed into a chunky soup with potatoes and vegetables. That way, it would also be a meal in one, rather than preparing noodles or mash to serve it over.

I’ve popped notes in the recipe for how to make it into a soup – you just add extra liquid to make the sauce slightly thinner which also increases volume so you can add more “stuff” into it. 😇

Otherwise, if you’re sticking with the Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff Stew as written, serve it over one of these:

  • pasta or wide egg noodles (traditional);
  • mashed potato (also common for Stroganoff);
  • rice; or
  • low carb alternatives: Creamy Cauliflower Mash or Cauliflower Rice

Enjoy! – Nagi x

PS Also, for chicken lovers – > CHICKEN Stroganoff. Because I sauce this good can smother many things.


Watch how to make it

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Close up of ladle scooping up Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 hrs 30 mins
Mains
Russian(ish), Western
4.88 from 50 votes
Servings6 - 8 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. The slow cooked version of Beef Stroganoff! Fall apart beef smothered in a creamy Stroganoff sauce with buttery garlic mushrooms, it's made with economical stewing beef yet tastes like a million dollars!
3 cook methods provided: stove, slow cooker or pressure cooker/instant pot

Ingredients

  • 1.75kg/ 3.5lb beef chuck or other stewing beef , cut in 4cm / 1.5” cube (Note 1)
  • 1.5 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 20g/ 1 tbsp butter , unsalted
  • 1 large onion , halved then sliced into 1 cm / 2/5" slices
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 4 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 7 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
  • 1 litre / 1 quart beef stock/broth , reduced salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream , full fat best

Garlic Butter Mushrooms:

  • 3tbsp/ 45g butter , unsalted
  • 700g / 1.2lb mushrooms , sliced into 0.5cm thick slices
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Serving:

  • Pasta, wide egg noodles, mashed potato
  • Chives for garnish

Instructions

  • Pat beef dry then sprinkle with all the salt and pepper.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot or skillet* over high heat.
  • Add beef in a single layer (not squished) and brown aggressively all over - 4 minutes or so. Remove and repeat with rest of beef, adding more oil as needed.
  • Let the pot cool down a bit then return to stove. Melt half the butter, then cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until softened.
  • Sprinkle the flour across the surface, then stir. Add the mustard, and stir - it will look gluey, that's ok, it will dissolve.
  • Add the beef stock and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot, and bring to simmer. Cook using chosen method below.

SLOW COOKING - choose method:

  • Slow cooker: Transfer all liquid into slow cooker. Add beef, then slow cook 8 hours on LOW or 5 hours on HIGH.
  • Stove: Add beef into pot. Cover with lid and adjust heat to low/medium low so the it's simmering gently. Simmer 2 hrs (check at 1.5 hrs) until beef beef falls apart easily.
  • Instant pot: SKIP FLOUR, follow Note 5 Gluten Free option. 40 minutes on high, same method as slow cooker.
  • Other pressure cookers: 40 minutes on high, same method as slow cooker.

GARLIC BUTTER MUSHROOMS:

  • Melt half the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook until almost golden (~3 minutes). Add half the garlic, salt and pepper, cook until golden. Remove, repeat with remaining butter, mushrooms and garlic.

FINISHING STEW:

  • Mix sour cream with 1.5 cups of liquid from slow cooker (Note 2), then gently stir into stew - careful, the beef is delicate!
  • Gently stir in mushrooms.
  • Serve over noodles, pasta or mashed potato, sprinkled with chives!

Recipe Notes:

* Only if you're planning to transfer to slow cooker! If cooking on stove, must use pot.
1. Beef - use economical stewing cuts that need to be cooked for a long time to become tender such as:
  • Chuck
  • Boneless beef ribs*
  • Gravy beef or other beef labelled as "stewing beef"
  • Beef cheeks**
* Use ribs if you want to show off. It is the most well marbled all throughout, not a speck of dry anywhere (unlike chuck where there are some spots that are less juicy than others)
** If 200g/7oz or less, cook whole so it looks like this beef cheeks recipe but with Stroganoff Sauce. Chopped cheeks twist and skew once slow cooked - looks better to serve whole (or at most, halved).
Other beef cuts ok to use - great for slow cooking but not as juicy all the way through as there are more lean patches:
  • Brisket
  • Blade roast
Best to buy big piece and cut your own. Try not to buy the tiny little pre cut stewing beef - they will cook too quickly.
2. Sour Cream - mixing with sauce from stew prior to adding into pot/slow cooker ensures you don't end up with sour cream specks in the sauce. You can't mix stew vigorously because the beef will fall apart!
3. Instant Pot  - Some readers have experienced the "Burn" notice using the IP because the sauce is borderline too thick for the IP. To eliminate this chance completely, SKIP THE FLOUR and use the Gluten Free option in Note 5 instead (cornflour slurry added at end to thicken).
All pressure Cookers (including IP and Australian Breville Fast-Slow Cooker) - you can do the sautéing in the same pot. Note that it will take longer though because it doesn't get as hot as using stove and you can't use as large a pot/pan!
4. Sauce thickness - stove method might need a touch of extra water to thin sauce, depends how heavy your pot lid is (heavier = less evaporation). 
5. Gluten free option (and for Instant Pot) - skip the flour. Hold back 1/4 cup beef broth, mix with 3 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch. After whisking sour cream with stew liquid, add the cornflour mix into the sour cream, then pour all that into the stew. Simmer 5 minutes to thicken (slow cooker 10 minutes, IP saute function 5 min).
6. Storage - as with all stews, it's even better the next day… and the next! Leftovers will keep 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and freeze for 3 months (thaw gently and stir gently, remember beef is fall apart tender!
If you have lots of leftovers, transform into a pie with puff pastry (so it will look like this) OR mashed potato (see method used for Cottage Pie or Shepherd's Pie).
7. Nutrition per serving, stew only (ie not noodles or mash).

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 666cal (33%)Carbohydrates: 12g (4%)Protein: 59g (118%)Fat: 44g (68%)Saturated Fat: 19g (119%)Cholesterol: 204mg (68%)Sodium: 1474mg (64%)Potassium: 1626mg (46%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 281IU (6%)Vitamin C: 5mg (6%)Calcium: 64mg (6%)Iron: 7mg (39%)
Keywords: Beef Stew, slow cooked beef, slow cooker beef stroganoff, stroganoff stew
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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205 Comments

  1. Natalie says

    February 18, 2021 at 12:30 am

    When cooking in a slow cooker on step 5 i skipped the flour but still put the mustard in the beef broth, is that ok?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 18, 2021 at 5:26 pm

      Hi Natalie, the flour will help it thicken, I would add a little water to it then add to the beef 🙂 N x

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    February 15, 2021 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, this is my 2nd, comment.
    Defrosted leftover beef strog’ today, wanted to make a pie(I’m in NZ & we love meatpies)
    Its pouring rain so wanted to have a nice meal ready for my Mr when he got home.
    Sadly I had no butter, lard or shortning, looked at some pastry recipies using olive oil but most had negative comments.
    Searched thru deepfreezer and found 2 broken frozen puff pastry sheets.
    Then searched on pinterest for a recipie… Nothing really suited what i needed.
    So put defrosted strog’ into pot on stove, mixed a little cornflour in a few tbsp water and skimmed a big spoon of strog’ gravy into water/cornflour before gently stirring into strog’
    Once thickened took off stove.
    Rolled, pulled and stretched defrosted puff pastry on floured tray, Then brushed with egg wash on both sidess, I
    had to patch some pieces together so did not look pretty.
    Then shaped pastry to the bottom and sides, had to use broken bits to fill in the corners (really making do with limited supplies and dont want to go shopping in bad weather)
    Spooned in the stog’ which defrosted wonderfully, meat is now totally shredded so perfect for a pie.
    Used last little bits of puff pastry to cover, egg wash helped patch the gaps as i stretched and pinched the edges together.
    Backed at yr temp 300f ( just over 200c in nz)
    And turned it off after 30mins as its still at least 3 hours before dinnertime.
    So thanks again for a great recipie.
    Thought this idea might be interesting for you all as i didnt find much else like it.

    Reply
  3. Sonia says

    February 3, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    I made this to exactly as per recipe. Delicious! The tenderness of the meat was commented on by family. I served over pasta with steamed green beans. Once the prep was done, very easy set and forget meal, that has everyone drooling with the cooking aroma before dinner. Served on top of pasta with steamed beans on the side. Yummy! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  4. Susana Pinto says

    February 3, 2021 at 5:06 am

    I, what if I don’t have beef stock? What can I use?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 3, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Hi Susana, beef stock or broth is fine here – you could even make it up using beef stock powder 🙂 N x

      Reply
  5. Jazmin says

    February 1, 2021 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    Very nice. I added some extra beef powdered stock at the end as it needed more salt. I also added some chopped zucchini in the last 10 or so minutes of cooking for additional veggies. Lovely flavours. Thanks so much

    Reply
  6. Lynn S Graham says

    January 28, 2021 at 4:24 am

    5 stars
    This was fantastic and the leftovers were even better the nex day. Made it in the oven as didn’t have time for slow cooker. For my family I cut mustard to 2 tbs. A family keeper

    Reply
  7. Emma says

    January 25, 2021 at 10:38 pm

    5 stars
    Second time making this as we loved it also had issue with flour but it’s in the slow cooker so I am hoping some lumps dissolve 🤤 can’t wait to eat it

    Reply
    • Tonisha A says

      February 17, 2021 at 11:28 am

      I also had problems with lumpy flour. Did they end up dissolving during the slow cook?

      Reply
  8. Jenny says

    January 21, 2021 at 4:47 am

    5 stars
    Whoops thought I rated!

    Reply
  9. Jenny says

    January 21, 2021 at 4:45 am

    Currently in progress in my slow cooker- i haven’t even added in the garlic mushrooms or sour cream yet and the flavour is delish! Your wonderful recipes never let me down Nagi. Just wanted to say thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Jenny says

      January 22, 2021 at 5:47 am

      Just wanted to add, what’s the best way to reheat to avoid the sauce splitting from the sour cream? I don’t have a food thermometer, so would stove top be best and to do it gently until hot but not reaching a boil?

      Reply
  10. Kirsty Magro says

    January 20, 2021 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for your recipes Nagi! I just love them! If I will be using the slow cooker, when do I add the sour cream with the liquid please?

    Reply
  11. Margie says

    January 19, 2021 at 1:35 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night and had it with a wild rice blend and it was SO delicious. My husband who before dinner claimed he was “not very hungry” went back for seconds. 🙂 The kids who don’t like mushrooms ate the mushrooms. I made it in the slow cooker and the house smelled so good at the end of the day. This one is definitely a keeper!

    Reply
  12. Anna k says

    January 5, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for a great recipie, it was easy to follow and results were liked by the familu, one of which hates mushrooms so after adding the sour cream i put a portion aside before adding the mushrooms.
    Served with a dollop of sourcream and a sprinkle of home grown spring onions and parsly.
    So excited to eat it i forgot to take a picture.
    I normally read the recipie and take notes of quantites of ingredients in the order of steps and advice so steps ( like sprinkling the flour )to refer to as i cook

    Reply
  13. Janneke Stam says

    January 4, 2021 at 4:56 am

    5 stars
    Wow…..this is, again, heavenly. Together with green beans and pommes duchesse it became another favorite of out family.

    Reply
  14. Matt says

    December 23, 2020 at 10:27 pm

    I just had a go at this as it looks great. I did have an issue however when adding the flour to onions and mustard. It formed a big ball and when adding the stock the flour didn’t dissolve. I have big chunks of flour floating around in the mixture. I think next time I will dissolve the flour in some of the stock before adding to the pan. Hopefully it will taste ok! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Gaz says

      January 3, 2021 at 11:55 am

      I had the same problem Matt, i ended up using a whisk and working the lumps out but was time consuming

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 4, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Hi Matt – I’m sorry you had a problem with the flour! I have added a specific direction to sprinkle the flour across the surface, rather than in one pile. If you do that, it will then coat things more easily and therefore dissolve more easily. Flour first, then mustard. Also, during the slow cooking phase any flour lumps will dissolve 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  15. Jacqueline Manaigre says

    December 23, 2020 at 12:57 am

    5 stars
    Made this for my family and everyone loved it. My son and his girlfriend are moving back to South Korea to spend time with her family for a few years. She loves food, so I have all your recipes laid out for the next month to try while they are living with us. Want to make the most of our time together… and food is always key! Grateful to have found your recipes! thank you! 😊

    Reply
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