Rich and Creamy Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This slow-cooker version of beef stroganoff delivers tender beef in a luscious sauce. Drape it over egg noodles for a complete meal.

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published January 26, 2026
A fork lifting a portion of beef stroganoff served over egg noodles garnished with parsley

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

Why It Works

  • Searing the beef produces a rich flavor and results in a more complex-tasting stew.
  • Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and sherry vinegar brighten the sauce, ensuring the sauce doesn't fall flat.

Slow-cooker beef stroganoff is a great way to transform a cheap, tough cut of beef, like chuck, into something special. There are many iterations of beef stroganoff; the best versions, writes former Serious Eats editor Kenji in his recipe for the dish, taste like "it was cooked all day," with "tender meat and rich, deep, rib-sticking flavors." Though the dish is easy to make on the stovetop, it's also a good candidate for the slow cooker, where the meat braises until it's fall-apart tender.

Technically, you could just toss the meat into the slow cooker without browning it. Here, however, I take the time to brown the beef, allowing the Maillard reaction to occur and enhance the meat's flavor, resulting in a richer, more complex stew. Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and vinegar brighten the sauce, ensuring the dish doesn't fall flat.

While most stroganoff recipes include mushrooms, I've found that they turn rubbery when slow-cooked, so I've left them out. If you prefer to include mushrooms here, roast or sauté the mushrooms separately before stirring them into the thickened finished sauce. Ladled over egg noodles, this slow cooker stroganoff is a comforting meal well worth the wait—and perfect for a cold, snowy day in.

A dish of beef stroganoff served over noodles garnished with parsley and displayed in a bowl

Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

January 2014

Recipe Details

Rich and Creamy Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Cook 8 hrs 30 mins
Total 8 hrs 30 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
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Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds (1.6 kg) beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion (8 ounces; 226 g), finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 3 medium cloves garlic (15 g), minced

  • 1 cup (240 ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1/2 ounce (15 g) dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) prepared whole grain mustard

  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) dry sherry

  • 2 dried bay leaves

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces; 113 g)

  • 12 ounce (340 g) dried egg noodles

  • Roasted or sautéed mushrooms, for serving, optional

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced parsley, for serving

Directions

  1. Using paper towels, blot beef dry and season generously season with salt and pepper.

  2. In a large carbon steel, cast iron, or stainless steel skillet, heat oil over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat and cook until browned all over, flipping occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.

    Chunks of browned beef cooking in a skillet

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

  3. Transfer seared meat and remaining raw meat to a slow cooker. Using a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, stir in onion, garlic, stock, porcini mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, sherry, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt, use half as much by volume) and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook on low until meat is fall-apart tender, 8 to 10 hours.

    Steps in cooking beef stroganoff in a pot showing browned beef and ingredients being added

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

  4. Once meat is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl. Using your hands or 2 forks, pull meat into chunks, removing and discarding any fatty parts. Season to taste with salt and pepper; cover to keep warm.

    A bowl of beef stroganoff served in a green container

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

  5. In a small bowl, make a slurry by whisking together flour with 3 tablespoons of the remaining liquid from the slow cooker. Pour remaining liquid from slow cooker into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk in slurry and simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in sour cream until smooth, and stir in mushrooms, if using.

    Steps in making a sauce mixture in a pot showing stirring and combining ingredients

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

  6. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Using a colander, drain pasta and divide into individual serving bowls. Top with meat and spoon finished sauce on sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.

    A bowl of cooked egg noodles on a countertop

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja
    A bowl of beef stroganoff served over noodles with a wooden spoon

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

Special Equipment

Large carbon steel, cast iron, or stainless steel skillet, slow cooker

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Once cooled, the stew can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
488 Calories
19g Fat
12g Carbs
67g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 488
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 212mg 71%
Sodium 652mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 67g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 64mg 5%
Iron 7mg 37%
Potassium 794mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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