Beef, mushrooms, and a rich sour cream sauce over egg noodles — everything goes in the crock pot, and about six hours later dinner knocks your socks off.
Three things that make it knock-your-socks-off good
It is mostly dump-and-go, but a few small moves are what take it from easy to a most-requested dinner.
- Brown the beef first: It is an extra step you can skip, but a few minutes of browning the chunks deepens the whole dish.
- Cut the meat small: One-inch or smaller stew cuts turn juicy and tender after a few hours in the slow cooker.
- Add the cream cheese at the end: After six hours, melt cream cheese into the beef, then the sour cream, for that signature creamy sauce.
This easy beef stroganoff slow cooker recipe is filled with flavor and is one ofmy personal favorites!
After you taste it for the first time you’ll see just how it can possibly be considered one of the best Crockpot recipes as it’s just one of those SUPER simple and easy crockpot recipes with stew meat, but it really is just a a simple crockpot beef stroganoff that will knock your socks off!
It’s no secret that our son loves eating beef stroganoff. It’s one of the meals he often requests by name.
And, I love that, as I feel like it’s (halfway) healthy and one that pairs well with a salad, so I don’t mind serving it to him. Of course, the rest of the family loves this easy-to-cook beef stroganoff in Crock Pot meal so it’s a win-win!
Why Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff?
Stroganoff is a popular dish that often refers to meat dishes involving the use of pasta and sour cream.
So, for this special recipe, I have used beef as my primary stroganoff ingredient, along with mushrooms, noodles, sour cream, onion, garlic and then slow cooked in a sauce that is out of this world (literally, so good!)
This crock pot beef stroganoff with onion soup mix is the perfect weeknight meal that’s so easy to make since most of the cooking process takes place in the crock pot while you are away.
With this easy slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe, every family member will be excited to hit the dinner table, because it’s a mixture full of delicious flavors of unsuspecting ingredients that also smells delicious. I’d say this is one of my most requested family meal dishes!
The crock pot beef stroganoff with cream of mushroom soup is a family recipe that never goes too far out of style.
This recipe is often served with pasta, but beef stroganoff is just as perfect with mashed potatoes or fried rice as this is something that comes close to classic noodles.
What to Serve It With
Other side dish options include:
- Steamed green beans
- Parmesan roasted broccoli
- Crisp vegetable salad
- Steamed or sautéed vegetables and sweet potatoes
- Garlic or honey oats bread
For me, I prefer egg noodles to accompany my beef stroganoff dish. Yummy!
The greatest thing about slow cooker recipes is that you can just toss all the ingredients straight to the cooker and let the crock pot do the rest.
My One Trick for the Best Flavor
But for this beef stroganoff recipe, my ultimate secret is to brown the beef (or steak) chunks and vegetables before putting them to my crock pot. This step will definitely enhance the flavor, but you can skip this if you just want to place the meat, onions, and mushrooms directly to the pot.
I use one-inch beef stew meat cuts, which will turn out juicy and tender after few hours in the slow cooker.
Enjoy!
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
The two mushroom soups
One can of golden mushroom and one can of cream of mushroom. Golden mushroom is the darker, beefier one, and it is what keeps this from tasting like a plain cream soup.
Onion soup mix and bouillon
Half a packet of onion soup mix and one beef bouillon cube season the sauce. Both carry salt, so there is no extra salt in the recipe.
Stew meat
A pound of beef stew meat, cut small. Half inch pieces are what the recipe card asks for, and the butcher will do it if you ask. Small pieces get tender in six hours.
Onion, mushrooms and garlic
A half cup of chopped onion and a can of sliced mushrooms are both optional, and I use both. One clove of garlic goes in with them.
Cream cheese and sour cream
Four ounces of cream cheese and two tablespoons of sour cream go in at the end. The cream cheese makes it thick and the sour cream gives it the stroganoff tang.
Egg noodles
Twenty four ounces of wide egg noodles, boiled separately. They are the right noodle for stroganoff. They hold the sauce and do not fall apart.
Step by Step, With the Details
Everything but the dairy and noodles
Put both soups, the onion soup mix, onion, mushrooms, bouillon cube, beef, garlic, and the half cup of water in the crock pot and stir until the soups are blended.
Six hours on low
Lid on, low, six hours. The beef should be fork tender and the sauce a shade darker than when it went in.
Boil the noodles
Cook the egg noodles according to the bag during the last fifteen minutes. Drain them and toss with a little butter so they do not stick.
Cream cheese, then sour cream
Stir the cream cheese into the beef until it melts completely, which takes a few minutes. Then stir in the sour cream and turn the crock pot off.
Serve over noodles
Noodles in the bowl, beef and sauce over the top, and a little chopped parsley if you have it.
Why the Sour Cream Goes In Last
Sour cream that cooks for hours curdles and turns grainy. Stirring it in at the very end, with the heat off, keeps the sauce smooth and gives it that tang stroganoff is known for.
The cream cheese goes in first because it needs a few minutes of heat to melt. The sour cream only needs a stir.
Easy Variations
Fresh mushrooms
Eight ounces of sliced fresh mushrooms in place of the can. They give off liquid, so skip the half cup of water.
Ground beef
A pound of ground beef, browned and drained, in place of the stew meat. Cook it four hours on low instead of six. It is faster and the kids like it better.
Worcestershire and Dijon
A tablespoon of Worcestershire and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard stirred in with the soups. It is closer to the classic recipe and a little sharper.
Peas
A cup of frozen peas stirred in with the cream cheese. They thaw in the hot sauce and add some color.
What to Serve It Over
Egg noodles are the classic, but this sauce is just as good over mashed potatoes or white rice. Both are faster than boiling noodles on a weeknight.
Leftovers, Reheating and Freezing
In the refrigerator
Store the beef and the noodles separately for up to four days. Noodles left in the sauce soak it up and go soft.
Reheating
Warm the beef over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring. Do not boil it, or the sour cream separates.
Freezing
Freeze the beef mixture before the cream cheese and sour cream go in, for up to three months. Thaw, reheat, then add the dairy fresh.
Questions I Get About This Recipe
Can I cook it on high?
Three to four hours on high works. The beef is a little more tender on low, so use low when you have the time.
Why is my beef tough?
The pieces were too big or it did not cook long enough. Cut the meat small and give it the full six hours.
Can I cook the noodles in the crock pot?
I would not. Egg noodles turn to mush in a slow cooker. Ten minutes on the stove is the right way.
What if I cannot find golden mushroom soup?
Use a second can of cream of mushroom and add a tablespoon of Worcestershire and a teaspoon of tomato paste. It gets you close.
Can I make more sauce?
Yes. Double both soups and the cream cheese and keep the beef the same. It is the version I make when the whole team is over.
More Crock Pot Beef Dinners
- Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Crock Pot Goulash
- Pulled Beef Slow Cooker Sandwiches
Beef Stroganoff Recipe for Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 can Golden Mushroom soup
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
- 1/2 packet onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup chopped onion optional
- 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained optional
- 1 Beef bouillon cube
- 1 pound stew meat I always have the butcher cut the pieces smaller, preferably 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 garlic clove
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 24 oz. egg noodles cooked
Instructions
- Put the mushroom soups, onion soup mix, chopped onions, canned mushroom, beef bouillon cube, beef chunks, garlic, and lastly water in the slow cooker.
- Stir the ingredients to spread out the flavors.
- Cook the beef stroganoff sauce in the Crock Pot for about six hours on low heat.
- Boil and drain egg noodles using directions on the bag.
- After six hours, stir cream cheese into the beef mixture until melted completely and then stir in sour cream
- Serve the beef mixture over egg noodles and enjoy!
Notes
- If choosing meat cuts, look for beef sirloin steak because it's tenderer than other beef stew varieties.
- If you have to cut your own stew meat cubes, it's best to cut the meat into smaller cubes while the meat is partially frozen.
- Cooking the beef in vegetable oil or butter until golden brown brings out the best flavor.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet, add the beef chunks, cook them over medium heat and remove excess oil.
- You may add the chopped onions to enhance beef flavor.
- This is an extra step that I don't always do, and the sauce still turns out perfect every time!