Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
112 CommentsUpdated Feb 13, 2026
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My Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is a cozy mix of beef, veggies, gravy, and cream. This recipe tastes better than a restaurant and you will want to make over and over.
Featured Comment
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!
– sharon
This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is my go-to when I’m in the mood for comfort food. The beef turns out so flavorful, tender, and the sauce is thick and decadent. This recipe is my mom’s stove-top recipe that I adapted for the slow cooker.
If I’m having friends or family over, this is the dish that always gets a ton of compliments—and everyone wants the recipe! Skip the stress of figuring out dinner and make this easy beef stroganoff.
Key Ingredients
Beef Stew Meat Cubes – Find this pre-packaged or cut up your own chuck roast or bottom round roast.
Brown Gravy Mix – This adds all the beefy flavor
Seasonings – Thyme, oregano, and black pepper
Yellow Onion – Diced, adds texture and flavor.
Mushrooms – Use fresh button mushrooms, sliced. To save time, buy these presliced.
Egg noodles – These are cooked on the stove top, as the slow cooker does not cook pasta properly.
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.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
- Let the beef and mushrooms cook low and slow in a savory sauce until tender.
- Stir in sour cream at the end, then mix with cooked noodles and serve.
Tips & Variations
More Decadent: Use a block of cream cheese instead of sour cream for a richer sauce – just warm in the microwave before adding to the hot gravy so it melts smoothly.
Pasta Type: You can use 8 ounces of any pasta you like, even whole-grain.
Lower fat content: Trim the beef well, and use low-fat sour cream instead of full-fat.
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 ground 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.
How to Serve Beef Stroganoff
Pile in a Bowl: Enjoy on its own if you’re short on time or low on groceries.
Toppings: We love an extra dollop of sour cream, chives and freshly ground black pepper.
Pasta Alternatives: Skip the pasta and serve the creamy beef mixture over hot steamed rice or mashed potatoes for a change.
Other Sides: Pair with a green salad or steamed vegetables for a light side. Also, dinner rolls are a great touch to finish off the meal.
Should the meat be browned first?
For this beef stroganoff recipe in the crockpot, the meat does not need to be browned first! Let the slow cooker do all the work. Though if you feel the need to, it won’t hurt a thing.
How to thicken
After you stir in the noodles, if the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like, you have two options: leave the lid off for a bit to let it thicken naturally, or stir in a cornstarch slurry (2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water).
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat, (raw cubed beef)
- 1.74 oz brown gravy packets, (two .87 oz. 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! Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
How to Store Leftovers
This beef dinner will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three days. You can freeze for up to three months, but the sauce may separate; it’s best to eat within a few days.
More recipes with beef stew meat
Slow Cooker Steak Burritos and Beef Noodle Casserole make weeknights feel effortless yet comforting.
Easy Teriyaki Beef brings sweet‑savory flair, while Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles delivers classic homestyle goodness.
Beef Tips and Gravy alongside hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew round out the lineup for stick‑to‑your‑ribs type meal.
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.