Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Cream cheese is the secret weapon for EXTRA creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff. Prep it the night before, let it cook in your crock pot all day, then serve the fall-apart tender beef with egg noodles.

My favorite place for amazing comfort food (outside of my own home) is a tiny little hole-in-the-wall Ukrainian restaurant in a nondescript strip mall near the railroad tracks, called Christine’s Cuisine.

The best thing on the menu, by far, is their beef stroganoff. It’s decadent and creamy, and the meat just falls apart in your mouth.

When Christine’s was temporarily closed in 2020, I was craving that stroganoff and decided to try to recreate it myself. After many tests, this Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is my best recreation of this classic.

It’s creamy and comforting, just like “the original,” and it slowly cooks in your crock pot all day long. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Psst – I also have the best chicken stroganoff recipe if you’re not a beef eater.

“I love this recipe! It is very easy to make but tastes like I worked for hours making it.”

—Shannon

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff Ingredients

• boneless beef chuckeye roast – remove any egregious chunks of fat, and cut the meat into 2-inch cubes. Doesn’t have to be perfect!
• beef broth – I usually buy the less-sodium kind, so I can control the salt level myself.
• salt and pepper – like I just said!
• vegetable oil – you’ll need a little oil for searing the beef.
• onion – I like to thinly slice one yellow onion. White onion works, too.
• button mushrooms – you’ll need 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms for slow cooker beef stroganoff.
• garlic – 4 cloves, all minced up!
• Dijon mustard – this adds a little kick to the sauce of this beef stroganoff slow cooker recipe.
• Worcestershire – this adds so much savoriness to just about any type of beef dish.
• cornstarch – for thickening the sauce.
• egg noodles – I use old fashioned, wide egg noodles for this crock pot beef stroganoff recipe.
• cream cheese – my secret weapon for extreme creaminess and deliciousness!
• sour cream – the other creamy element to finish the sauce.
• fresh parsley – a little bit of chopped parsley is a nice way to garnish the dish, but this is optional.

What is the most tender cut of beef for Beef Stroganoff?

While sirloin or tenderloin would likely be the most tender, they’re also premium cuts that are more expensive, and in my opinion, not necessary for this beef stroganoff slow cooker recipe.

I use boneless beef chuckeye roast. While not as tender as the premium cuts when grilled or pan seared, it DOES become beautifully tender when cooked slowly over a long time, which is what we’re doing here.

The slow cooking process breaks down the connective tissues in the meat, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a rich flavor profile.

“Thank you for the recipe. I’ve never actually had Beef Stroganoff, but my husband has tried to replicate the dish from his childhood memories. So far, none of the recipes he’s tried have been satisfactory. So when I saw that you had a Stroganoff recipe, I knew I had to try it. My husband absolutely loved it, and he said that it was even better than the version he remembered. Many thanks!”

—Erica

How to make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

1. RESERVE BROTH. Measure and set aside a bit of broth in the fridge, because you’re going to use it later on and you don’t want to forget to set it aside.
2. SEAR MEAT. Sprinkle all sides of the meat with salt and pepper and then sear it in batches in a large skillet. You’re looking for it to be browned on all sides, then you’re going to put the beef in the bowl of the slow cooker.
3. SAUTE VEGGIES. Saute the mushrooms and onions in the same skillet you used to sear the beef, then put those in the slow cooker, too.
4. SLOW COOK. Add the garlic, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, and the rest of the broth from the can you have open, to the slow cooker. Stir everything together and then cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.
5. BREAK UP BEEF. When the time’s up, remove the lid and use a wooden spoon to break up the beef. This shouldn’t be too hard – just stab it a bit until you have bite sized pieces.
6. THICKEN SAUCE. Get that broth you saved in the fridge, it’s time to use it! Whisk some cornstarch into it and then stir that whole mixture into the crockpot beef. Put the slow cooker on HIGH, then cover and cook for about 15 to 20 more minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
7. COOK EGG NOODLES. While you’re waiting for the thickening magic to happen, cook the egg noodles.
8. ADD THE CREAMY STUFF! Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the slow cooker and stir until all the cream cheese is melted.
9. SERVE. Serve the beef mixture over the noodles on plates, or you can just dump all the noodles into the slow cooker and stir everything together – however you like it best!

How to prep Crockpot Beef Stroganoff in advance

I’m not going to lie, this slow cooker beef stroganoff ISN’T one of those recipes where you can just dump everything into the crock pot.

I mean, you COULD, but in my opinion, crock pot beef stroganoff recipes that don’t call for searing the beef before slow cooking it are kind of disappointing.

Without searing the beef first, the meat will kind of just boil and steam in the slow cooker. It won’t get brown at all, and the overall flavor will be lacking.

So for best results, you really want to sear your beef in a skillet (or the insert of your slow cooker IF and only IF it is stovetop safe) before beginning the slow cooker time. You’ll also be quickly browning the mushrooms and onions.

Now, who really wants to do this first thing in the morning? I really don’t, to be honest.

The good news is that you can prep everything the night before and then just pop it in to slow cook in the morning.

Usually after dinner, or whenever I have a little bit of free time the day before, I will brown the beef, mushrooms and onions, and then put them in the slow cooker bowl with the garlic, mustard, Worcestershire and broth.

I keep the slow cooker bowl in the fridge, covered, overnight, and then in the morning just put it in the slow cooker and start the cooking time!

“This dish was amazing. I am adding it to my regular dishes.”

—Carol

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff substitutions and variations

While sour cream is really the classic choice for stroganoff, you can use Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream in stroganoff.

However, please note that you’ll need to use FULL FAT Greek yogurt for this crock pot beef stroganoff recipe.

Otherwise your sauce can and probably will break. Full fat, plain Greek yogurt is what you want to use for crock pot stroganoff. Not low fat, and definitely not nonfat.

How do you thicken Beef Stroganoff sauce?

To thicken the sauce, whisk 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of beef broth until smooth. Stir this mixture into the slow cooker bowl during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

What to serve with this Beef Stroganoff Crock Pot recipe

Just like with haluski, my favorite noodle for slow cooker beef stroganoff is a classic egg noodle. Medium, wide or extra wide, that’s up to you. Any of them will work!

If you don’t prefer egg noodles, you can serve this beef stroganoff crock pot recipe over traditional pasta instead. If you go this route, I recommend small or medium shells or fusilli.

I love a fresh green vegetable as a complement to this rich, meaty, creamy dish. Some of my favorite options are balsamic green beans and Parmesan roasted broccoli.

Storing Beef Stroganoff Crockpot leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to reheat Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Reheat this beef stroganoff crock pot recipe over medium-low heat in a saucepan, or in the microwave at 50% power, with a touch of water, stirring every 30 seconds, until heated through. Higher reheating temperatures will break the sauce, so keep it low and slow.

Can Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze slow cooker beef stroganoff for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Author: Lori Yates

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total: 8 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Cream cheese is the secret weapon for EXTRA creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff. Prep it the night before, let it cook in your crock pot all day, then serve the fall-apart tender beef with egg noodles.

4.6 from 26 ratings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 can less-sodium beef broth, divided 14.5 ounces
• ▢ 1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuckeye roast large pieces of fat removed and discarded, meat cut into 2-inch cubes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
• ▢ 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 8 ounces old fashioned wide egg noodles
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Measure 1/2 cup broth and reserve in covered container in the fridge. You will use this later, in Step 6.
• Season beef on all sides with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add half of beef and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until browned on all sides; turning occasionally. Transfer beef to bowl of slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef, transferring beef to slow cooker when browned.
• Add onion and mushrooms to skillet.  Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then transfer to bowl of slow cooker.
• Add garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and remaining broth from can, to bowl of slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
• When slow cooker timer is up, remove lid and use wooden spoon to coarsely break up beef. It’s ok if it’s still kind of chunky; you just want the pieces to be bite sized. 
• In small bowl, whisk cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup broth (from fridge) until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into beef mixture. Return the slow cooker to the HIGH setting, if necessary. Cover slow cooker and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package instructions and drain.
• Add cream cheese and sour cream to slow cooker and stir until cream cheese is melted. Serve beef mixture over noodles, or pour cooked noodles into slow cooker and stir until well combined. Serve garnished with parsley, if desired.

Notes

• Don’t rush the step of browning the beef on the stovetop. I know “dump meals” where you just dump everything in the crockpot and turn it on are easier, but they’re also not as flavorful. Searing the beef adds essential rich flavor to this beef stroganoff.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end. Depending on the brand of broth you use, you might need to add a little more salt and pepper, so don’t be afraid to adjust it.

Calories: 832kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 47g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 228mg, Sodium: 1926mg, Potassium: 1158mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 973IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 6mg

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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