This lightened- up Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is super simple to make. Let your slow cooker do the work for you and dinner will be done in 6 hours!
Lightened Up Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
This is one of those super easy no-brainer slow cooker recipes. All of the ingredients just get dumped into the slow cooker and it’s set to simmer for several hours. This recipe has been a family friendly, favorite recipe for many years at my house. It’s pure comfort food!
About Stroganoff:
Stroganoff has Russian roots. A stroganoff is typically characterized as a meat dish with a sour cream based sauce. Its origins date back to mid 19th century Russia. Stroganoffs are now popular all over the world, and recipes vary greatly. Be sure to check out my lightened-up Chicken Stroganoff recipe, which is also worth trying.
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Chunks of beef, mushrooms and a handful of other ingredients are placed into your slow cooker. You’ll set the timer for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. I feel like cooking it on low will give you a more tender meat. Trying to rush things by using the high setting on a slow cooker doesn’t always work out quite as well.
When you’re just about ready for dinner, you’re going to mix up the stuff that’s going to make it a “stroganoff.” In this case, that will be reduced-fat sour cream, cornstarch, soy sauce and salt/pepper. You’ll stir it into the hot, cooked beef mixture and let the slow cooker thicken up the sauce for about 30 minutes while you make the base for your stroganoff: egg noodles, whole wheat pasta, rice, cauliflower rice, or whatever you prefer.
And then you’ll have this! I love that this cooks while I’m getting on with a busy day of work and errands. When I get home, I have time to finish the sauce and cook the noodles while my boys clean up for dinner. It’s good, hearty comfort food.
A typical beef stroganoff has a pretty creamy, heavy sauce. This one is lightened up by using reduced fat sour cream. The sauce is thinner than a classic stroganoff sour cream sauce. To me, it’s perfect. I don’t need all of that extra fat for dinner! If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post.
What’s the best kind of beef to use for the slow cooker?
Any kind of chuck roast or chuck steak will work well for this recipe. Just cut it into pretty evenly cut chunks, and it will all cook nice and even and turn out a tender meat for you.
Can you freeze Beef Stroganoff?
Yes! Freeze leftovers in a large freezer zip baggie or plastic tub for up to 3 months. Defrost and re-heat when ready to eat. It should work out just fine.
Here are a few more slow cooker recipes you might enjoy:
- Slow Cooker Cider Ham
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
- Super Garlic Chicken Legs for the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Kalua Pig
- Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Sticky Chicken
- Slow Cooker Korean Beef
Lightened Up Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds beef chuck steak, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 16 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
- 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- cooked egg noodles, pasta or rice, for serving
- chopped Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the beef, mushrooms, onions, tomato paste, broth, wine and 3 tablespoons soy sauce in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours, or until beef is tender.
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, cornstarch and black pepper; whisk into the hot meat mixture and cook an additional 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve over pasta or rice and garnish with parsley, if using.
Notes
- For WW, count rice or pasta separately.
- Nutritional information is for the meat mixture only, not the pasta or rice that it's served over.
- To prepare this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, be sure to use GF beef broth and soy sauce, and serve over GF pasta or rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this tonight and this is the best tasting thing I have ever made in a crock pot besides chili. (I find that a lot of crock pot recipes tend to be a little “blah”.) I bought the “stew meat” beef cubes that are really cheap and already cut up and used pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms. Of course, I always have white wine around 😉 …my two-year-old twins even gobbled it up! Thank you!!!
Is the tomato paste necessary? I’m all out.
You can always leave it out- it just won’t have as rich of a broth flavor.
What can I substitute for the white wine?
@Rachel, Beef broth or water should be an ok sub for the wine.
yumm! Love a chance to pull out the slow cooker!
Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorite comfort food. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this would be perfect for a cold Boston night! I’ll put this on my menu plan for next week. Love how you label your mise en place photo!
Looks wonderful.
this looks delicious! il def be making it!
Slow Cooker Stroganoff, what a fantastic smell when you open that door after a hard days work and what great way to warm the belly in these cold months. Thanks for the recipe!
Slow-cooked meals save me! I made one yesterday: http://homesandbabies.blogspot.com/2011/01/slow-cooked-pork-and-apricots.html
How about Pork Tacos??? http://homesandbabies.blogspot.com/2010/10/melt-in-your-mouth-pork-tacos.html