Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is a rich and comforting stew featuring tender stewing beef slowly cooked to perfection in a creamy mustard and sour cream sauce, enhanced with aromatic garlic butter mushrooms. Perfectly served over egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes, this dish delivers deep, hearty flavors with minimal effort thanks to the versatile slow cooking method.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Stroganoff:
- 1.75kg / 3.5lb beef chuck or other stewing beef, cut into 4cm / 1.5” cubes
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp oil
- 20g / 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, halved then sliced into 1cm / 2/5″ slices
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 7 tbsp plain / all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 litre / 1 quart reduced salt beef stock/broth
- 1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream
Garlic Butter Mushrooms:
- 3 tbsp / 45g unsalted butter
- 700g / 1.2 lb mushrooms, sliced into 0.5cm thick slices
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Serving:
- Pasta, wide egg noodles, or mashed potato
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
- Season Beef: Pat the beef cubes dry and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper to season thoroughly.
- Brown Beef: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based pot or skillet over high heat. Add beef in a single layer, avoiding crowding, and brown aggressively on all sides for about 4 minutes. Remove browned beef and repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil as needed.
- Sauté Aromatics: Allow the pot to cool slightly, then melt half the butter. Add garlic and sliced onions, cooking for about 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add Flour and Mustard: Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and stir well. Add the Dijon mustard and stir; the mixture will appear gluey which is expected and will dissolve later.
- Incorporate Beef Stock: Gradually pour in half the beef stock while stirring to dissolve the flour mixture. Use a whisk if needed to achieve a lump-free gravy. Add the remaining stock, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, and bring to a simmer.
- Cook Beef: Slow Cooker Method: Transfer all liquid to the slow cooker, add the browned beef, and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours until tender.
Stove Method: Add beef back into pot, cover, and simmer gently on low/medium-low heat for about 2 hours, checking at 1.5 hours for tenderness.
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Method: Skip flour for gluten-free; cook beef on high pressure for 40 minutes, then follow with thickening steps. - Prepare Garlic Butter Mushrooms: Melt half the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook until nearly golden (~3 minutes). Add half the garlic, salt, and pepper, cooking until mushrooms are golden. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining butter, mushrooms, and garlic.
- Finish the Stew: Mix sour cream with 1.5 cups of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker to prevent curdling. Gently stir this mixture into the stew, then fold in the sautéed mushrooms carefully to avoid breaking the beef.
- Serve: Ladle the beef stroganoff over cooked wide egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy warm.
Notes
- Use economical stewing cuts like chuck, boneless beef ribs, or gravy beef; beef cheeks are excellent if cooked whole.
- Mixing sour cream with cooking liquid before adding prevents curdling and maintains a smooth sauce.
- For Instant Pot or other pressure cookers, skip flour and use a cornflour slurry at the end to thicken for a gluten-free option.
- The stove method may require adding a little water to adjust sauce thickness depending on evaporation.
- Leftovers improve in flavor after a day and keep well for 4-5 days refrigerated or up to 3 months frozen.
- Leftover stew can be turned into a pie with puff pastry or used as a base for cottage or shepherd’s pie.
- Nutrition information applies to the stew portion only; serving suggestions will add additional calories and nutrients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (stew only)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
