Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This easy slow cooker beef stroganoff combines pull-apart beef chuck and whole mushrooms in a creamy sauce made without sour cream. With eight servings and minimal hands-on cooking, it is designed for meal prep but still works as a simple winter weeknight dinner.

Note - ingredients can be approximate

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5 30

Total Time 5 45

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Western

Servings

Calories 540 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb) pasta, see note 1
1 kg (2 lb) beef chuck, see note 2
2 onions
6 cloves garlic, fresh recommended
800 g (1 ¾ lb) button mushrooms
1 ½ cup stock, beef or chicken
1 ½ cups Greek yogurt, thick, subs note 3
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoon English mustard, see note 4
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preparing

Dice the 2 onions and finely chop the 6 cloves garlic. I leave the 800 g (1 ¾ lb) button mushrooms whole because they decrease in the slow cooker and fall apart. You can slice in half if you wish.
Cut the 1 kg (2 lb) beef chuck into evenly sized cubes and season with Salt and pepper (to taste, recommend at least 1 teaspoon of each at this stage).

Cooking

Using the searing function on your slow cooker (or in a large frying pan), sauté the 2 onions over medium heat for approximately 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the 6 cloves garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.
Brown the 1kg beef chuck in the slow cooker (approx. 3 minutes each side) or on a hot stove (approx. 1 minute each side).
Note - do this in batches if required so that the beef sears, not steams.
Add the 1 ½ cup stock, ¼ cup worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp English mustard and mushrooms. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook for approximately 5 ½ hours on HIGH or 7 ½ hours on LOW, until the beef chuck is very tender and separates easily when pressed with a fork.
Note - The mixture may look quite liquid during cooking. This is normal because the slow cooker traps steam and the mushrooms release additional moisture.

Option 1 (if serving immediately)

If serving the entire batch and you want to add the 500 g (1 lb) pasta into the slow cooker, do this in the last 30 minutes. Make sure to coat with the liquid. Then close the lid.
Once the pasta is al dente, stir through the 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt and leave the lid off for approx. 10 minutes to thicken and cool slightly.
Note - I've found that you don't need the cornflour slurry as the pasta thickens up the sauce, but add if needed).
Serve immediately with salt and pepper to taste.

Option 2 (if meal prepping)

With approximately 30 minutes remaining, spoon about 2 tablespoons of hot cooking liquid into a small bowl and whisk with the 1 tbsp cornstarch until completely smooth. Stir the slurry back into the slow cooker.
Place the 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt in a bowl and stir through a few spoonfuls of the hot stroganoff sauce to gradually warm it. Stir the yogurt mixture back into the slow cooker, then leave the lid off for the final 20–30 minutes so excess moisture can evaporate and the sauce can thicken.
During this time, cook the 500 g (1 lb) pasta separately according to the packet instructions, reducing the cooking time by approximately 2 minutes so it remains slightly firmer than al dente (if freezing, do it for half the time).
Drain the pasta well, rinse with cold water and portion beside the stroganoff rather than underneath it.

Notes

Note 1 - Pasta

Use a sturdy dried pasta such as fettuccine, spirals, penne or rigatoni for meal prep.

Note 2 - Beef chuck

Beef chuck is my preferred cut because its connective tissue softens during slow cooking and gives you tender, pull-apart beef. Gravy beef is the closest substitute, while brisket also works but has a more fibrous, shreddable texture; avoid lean quick-cooking steaks for this long cooking method.

Note 3 - Greek yogurt

Use a thick plain Greek yogurt, preferably full-fat or higher-fat, as very low-fat yogurt is more likely to split when heated. Sour cream can be substituted if preferred, while a thick unsweetened dairy-free yogurt can work but may change the flavour.

Note 4 - English mustard

I use English mustard because its stronger flavour holds up better after several hours in the slow cooker than Dijon. Dijon can be substituted for a milder mustard flavour, but you may need slightly more to taste.

Serve with

Recipe served with pasta. You can substitute for rice, mashed potato or even some roast potatoes.

Storing

Store the stroganoff and pasta in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4–5 days, keeping them on separate sides where possible; the sauce will thicken considerably once chilled.

Reheating

Microwave in 1-minute intervals or reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water, stock or milk if the sauce has thickened

Freezing

Freeze for up to 3 months for the best texture, ideally with the stroganoff and pasta stored separately; if freezing together, keep the pasta on top and expect the mushrooms and pasta to soften slightly after thawing.

Nutrition

Calories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 40gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 891mgPotassium: 1043mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 4mg

Keyword beef, comfort food, meal prep, slow cooker

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