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Beef stew meat, brown gravy, and a few other pantry favorites are all you need to make this delicious Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff. This hearty meal served with crispy garlic bread is the perfect meal for weeknights or weekends.
If you like hearty meals like this, you’ll enjoy my Slow Cooker Beef Noodle Casserole and Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole.
Table of Contents
Why this is the best beef stroganoff
This delicious meal always comes in handy when I am craving something with a creamy sauce, beef, and pasta. It’s a wonderful recipe with minimal ingredients, quick prep time, and yields tender chunks of beef packed with so much flavor.
If I’m having friends or family over, this is a recipe I’ll make that will wow them and leave them asking for the recipe. Take the guesswork out of what you’ll cook for dinner tonight and make this beef stroganoff.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef Stew Meat Cubes – or 2 pounds of beef roast into cubes.
- Brown Gravy Mix – I use McCormick Brown Gravy Mix
- Water – Use only 1.5 cups (note- this is less than what the packages of gravy call for, using less will produce a thicker sauce).
- Seasonings – Thyme, oregano, and black pepper
- Yellow Onion – Diced
- Mushrooms – Use fresh mushrooms, sliced.
- Egg noodles – Do not add to the slow cooker raw, cook on the stove-top according to package directions and drain well before adding, at the end of the cooking time
- Sour Cream – This is the key ingredient in the dish, makes the sauce mellow and creamy. Add this at the end of the cooking time as well.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Whisk together the two brown gravy mixes and the water until smooth.
- Add the beef to the slow cooker, no need to brown.
- Add the mushrooms, onions, and seasonings over the beef.
- Pour over the gravy mix and water.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook covered on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Cook the noodles on the stove-top as directed on the package.
- Add the sour cream into the sauce and stir until smooth.
- Add the drained noodles. Stir and serve
What do I serve with beef stroganoff?
- Serve alone with no sides if you are in a hurry or low on groceries.
- Green salad or green vegetables.
Meat Variations
- Meatballs – Use 1 pound of frozen meatballs, but cut the timing back to 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
- Ground beef – Be sure to brown and crumble the meat before adding to the slow cooker
- Chicken – You can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, and make chicken stroganoff. Change the brown gravy packets to chicken packets. Shred the chicken before adding the noodles and sour cream.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use 8 ounces of any pasta you would like, even whole grain. Cook according to package directions and drain well before adding to the slow cooker.
Yes! Just skip adding the pasta to the sauce and beef and spoon this beef stroganoff mixture over hot steamed rice.
Yes, you can, but the consistency of the sauce will be thinner.
Yes. You can play around with flavors by using mushroom soup, onion soup mix, fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder), and seasonings like fresh parsley or other fresh herbs.
More slow cooker recipes with beef stew meat:
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat, (raw cubed beef)
- 1.74 oz brown gravy packets, (two .87 oz. packets gravy packets)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ tsp. dried leaf thyme, (not ground)
- ½ tsp. dried leaf oregano, (not ground)
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Add these items after cooking time is up:
- 16 oz. sour cream
- 8 oz. egg noodles, cook according to package directions on the stove top
Instructions
- Add stew meat, onions and mushrooms to slow cooker.
- Sprinkle over the thyme, oregano and pepper.
- In a small bowl whisk together the water (only 1.5 cups, not what the packages say) and gravy mixes. Pour over the meat and veggies in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Add the sour cream, stir until smooth.
- Add the drained cooked noodles, stir and serve!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Meatballs – Use 1-2 pounds of frozen meatballs, cut the time down to 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- Ground beef – Be sure to brown and crumble the beef before adding to the slow cooker.
- Chicken – You can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Use chicken or turkey gravy instead of beef. Shred the chicken before adding the noodles and sour cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Need clarification regarding the gravy packets 1 or 2 packets
Two of them. Two .87 oz. packets.
I made your Beef Stroganoff recipe today and just finished eating dinner. It was easy and delicious! I used fresh Italian parsley for garnish. I will definitely make this again!
Great to hear Sharon! This is one of my favorites too!
This is delicious and so easy!
Can the onion be left out?
Yes 🙂
Can you freeze this in portions? I just need 4 servings and would love 2 for another time.
Yes, it should do fine!
I jumped to the recipe without looking at the top part, so I didn’t see the yellow onion part. Will white onion completely change the flavor?
You can use any onion! Will taste great.
How does this warm up if made s head of time.
It’s great the next day. One of the better dishes I’ve had.
In other recipes I’ve seen for slow cooker stroganoff they say to brown the meat first, but you don’t. Any pros or cons on this?
I’ve made this numerous times and I just toss the raw stew meat in and cook on low. Never an issue.
I would like to use leftover prime rib for the stroganoff. Do you recommend any adjustments to the recipe?
Hi! I think you can probably cook for a little less time. Otherwise I think it will be great.
Is it ok if I put the sour cream in already before cooking? I didn’t Read it thoroughly
Yeah should be fine. May look seperated while serving, but will taste fine.
Can this be made in the instant pot?
I have not tried, unsure if you would get the burn warning on this with the gravy packets.
I made this in my Ninja Foodi and followed the recipe exactly and cooked it for 25 mins. I have made it several times in my crock pot and it turned out exactly the same in the Foodi so I imagine it would work in the Instant Pot!
I’m going to try this! For some reason I was thinking the recipe called for cream cheese instead of sour cream… Can I substitute the sour cream for cream cheese? Do you think it would make much of a difference? I don’t want to screw it up the first time making it! Lol
I’ve done it before. Though I recommend taking some of gravy at the end and putting it the the blender with the cream cheese. Then pour into the beef and sauce left in the slow cooker. It will blend into the sauce better.
This was delicious! Just loaded the crockpot with it again!
Great to hear Lacey! We love it too.