Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is a hearty, comforting dish perfect for family dinners. Tender beef chunks are browned and slow-cooked to perfection in a savory mustard and beef stock gravy, finished off with creamy sour cream and garlic butter mushrooms. Served over egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh chives, this recipe offers rich flavors with an easy, set-it-and-forget-it cooking method.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 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
Sauce Base
- 20 g (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
Mushrooms and Garnish
- 1.5 cups full-fat sour cream
- 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter
- 700 g (1.2 lb) mushrooms, sliced into 0.5cm thick slices
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Chives for garnish
To Serve
- Wide egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Season the Beef: Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Evenly sprinkle both salt and pepper over all sides of the beef to ensure proper seasoning.
- Brown the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based pot or skillet on high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer, avoiding overcrowding, and brown aggressively on all sides for about 4 minutes. Remove browned beef to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces, adding more oil as needed.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Let the pot cool slightly. Melt half the butter in the pot, then add minced garlic and sliced onions. Cook for approximately 3 minutes until the onions soften and release their fragrance.
- Create the Roux: Evenly sprinkle the flour over the softened onions and garlic, stirring constantly to combine. Add the Dijon mustard and stir; the mixture will become gluey which is expected and will dissolve with liquid.
- Add Beef Stock: Gradually pour in half the beef stock while stirring continuously to avoid lumps, using a whisk if necessary. Add the remaining stock, stir well, scrape the bottom to incorporate all browned bits, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Slow Cook the Beef: Transfer the liquid mixture to a slow cooker. Add the browned beef cubes. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours, until the beef is tender and falls apart easily.
- Simmer Beef and Sauce: After slow cooking, add the beef back into the pot with the sauce. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low or medium-low. Maintain a gentle simmer for about 2 hours, checking at 1.5 hours to ensure the beef is tender.
- Gluten-Free Option: For a gluten-free version, omit the flour. Combine all ingredients as per the slow cooker method and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes instead.
- Prepare Garlic Butter Mushrooms: Melt half the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the sliced mushrooms and cook until nearly golden, about 3 minutes. Add half the minced garlic, salt, and pepper; continue cooking until mushrooms turn fully golden. Remove mushrooms and repeat with the remaining butter, mushrooms, and garlic.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix the full-fat sour cream with approximately 1.5 cups of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker or pot. Gently stir this creamy mixture back into the stew. Carefully fold in the garlic butter mushrooms.
- Serve: Spoon the beef stroganoff over cooked wide egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with freshly chopped chives for color and flavor enhancement.
Notes
- Ensure to brown the beef cubes in batches to avoid steaming and promote caramelization for better flavor.
- Use reduced salt beef stock to control sodium content, but adjust seasoning at the end as needed.
- For a lighter option, substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt but add it off the heat to prevent curdling.
- For gluten-free diet, omit flour and use cornstarch or other thickening agents if desired.
- Leftover stroganoff keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freezes beautifully for up to 2 months.
- Feel free to substitute mushrooms with cremini or button mushrooms based on availability.
- Cooking time in the slow cooker may vary slightly depending on model and beef cut thickness.
