How to Balance Sour Cream in Beef Stroganoff

This super creamy Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food made lighter thanks to sour cream – and it's freezer-friendly!

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How to Make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff (step-by-step)

Here's exactly how to make this slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe below:

Add all the ingredients except for sour cream and egg noodles to the crockpot, then cook on low for 8 hours.
In the last 5 minutes of cook time, cook the egg noodles for 4 minutes on the stove, then drain.
Stir in the sour cream and egg noodles, then let the mixture sit with the lid on for 5 minutes.
Add your garnishes then serve and enjoy!

Why make beef stroganoff in the slow cooker?

This crock pot beef stroganoff is the BEST way to use your slow cooker to its full potential. This is the type of recipe you can leave sitting cooking all day while you're at work, or you can meal prep it for the week while you run around and have a fun weekend. It's such a hands off way of cooking and you mostly will just be dumping all the ingredients and cooking.

It's going to take a long time to cook, but the final effort is going to be SO worth it! With tender chunks of beef that have been slow cooked to perfection, you'll only want to make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff and never any other version!

What is in stroganoff sauce?

Believe it or not you only need a tiny bit of beef broth to make the sauce since the mushrooms release a ton of liquid. This recipe doesn't call for any flour, cornstarch or thickening agents because you'll be undercooking the egg noodles a little bit in order for them to soak up and thicken the sauce.

Here's exactly what is in this easy stroganoff sauce. No more cans of cream of mushroom soup with this easy combo!

Red wine
Worcestershire sauce
Beef broth
Sour cream

What type of beef to use

Typically I buy regular stewing beef or beef chuck – the slow cooking process tenderizes it. You can feel free to use a higher quality cut like a sirloin steak or even use ground beef. If using ground beef, I just recommend that you brown it in a skillet first for a couple of minutes and drain the extra fat – either that, or skip the butter since the beef will contain enough fat on its own. The choice is yours!

How to tenderize stewing beef

You can tenderize the beef ahead of time, and the process is super simple. Just add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of cornstarch to the beef along with 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before adding to the crockpot.

The baking soda and cornstarch creates a layer that will prevent the meat from becoming dry. This is definitely an optional step but it results in much more tender beef and will definitely make the dish a lot richer!

Ingredient substitutions

butter – feel free to use any neutral cooking oil here instead but it will make the flavour less rich
stewing beef or beef chuck – I do recommend beef for this recipe but I believe you could probably use a cut of pork here instead, or wild game such as venison or bison
mushrooms – these are key to stroganoff, so I don't recommend that you substitute them
garlic – jarred garlic will work in a pinch
yellow onion – I love using shallots instead for a richer flavour, but any type of onion will work
red wine – this is optional but it gives a much richer flavour. White wine would work as well. Do NOT use red or white wine vinegar in place of the wine, just leave the wine out if you don't have it!
Worcestershire sauce – Dijon mustard would be a great substitute here
beef broth – any type of broth will work, but beef provides the best flavour
sour cream – you can use 1/3 cup heavy cream instead. You could also try Greek yogurt, but personally I don't like the flavour, it has a bit of an after taste. Not everyone feels this way though – if you regularly sub Greek yogurt for sour cream and are fine with the taste, then go for it!
egg noodles – you can serve with mashed potatoes or regular pasta instead. Check out more side dish ideas in this post!
parsley – chives would also be a great garnish

What other ingredients can you add?

I love adding more veggies to this dish in order to beef up the nutrition content and make it healthier. Here are some suggestions of what you can add to this recipe:

Finely chopped broccoli florets
Finely chopped cauliflower florets
Chopped leafy greens such as spinach
Grated carrots
Diced up bell peppers
Diced up zucchini

What to serve with crockpot beef stroganoff

I love to serve egg noodles alongside stroganoff, but that is just one option! You can serve regular cooked pasta with it, or mashed potatoes are another authentic option. I even like just a side of broccoli to add some green. Here are some side dish ideas for beef stroganoff:

Steamed broccoli
Roasted vegetables
Mashed potatoes
Mashed or steamed cauliflower
Side salad

Can you freeze beef stroganoff?

Yes you can! This recipe freezes beautifully – just pack up into individual portions in glass bowls or foil containers once cooled. Use glass bowls if you plan on microwaving, and foil containers if you plan on reheating in the oven. Here are the instructions for freezing and reheating:

Microwave: Sprinkle 1 tbsp water overtop and cook from frozen for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Oven: Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 F oven, stirring halfway through cook time.

Storing and reheating this recipe

This recipe is great for leftovers – if you don't decide to freeze it, you can pack it up and store it in the fridge in glass containers for up to 5 days. When ready to reheat, sprinkle 1 tbsp water overtop, add a little bit of extra salt & pepper, then reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Make sure to stir halfway through to get an even heat throughout.

More ways to cook beef stroganoff

I'm so in love with beef stroganoff that I've even made an Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff on my other website, Eating Instantly, and I've also made a one-pot Healthy Beef Stroganoff that is more reminiscent of Hamburger Helper with extra veggies. I could eat this stuff all the time once the weather gets cold!

More family-friendly dinner recipes

If you're looking for more hearty recipes for family dinner, look no further! Here are some of my other fave ideas:

Stovetop Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Homemade Hamburger Helper

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on refrigerating the leftovers
I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Grab some slow cooker liners to reduce clean up
Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months

▢ 2 tbsp butter
▢ 1 lb stewing beef or beef chuck, cut into cubes
▢ 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
▢ 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper you might want to add more salt to taste
▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
▢ 1 yellow onion, diced or 2 shallots for deeper flavour
▢ 1/4 cup red wine (optional but it gives a much richer flavour)
▢ 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
▢ 1/2 cup beef broth
▢ 3/4 cup sour cream
▢ 1 (340g/12oz) package egg noodles, fully cooked
▢ 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley optional

Add all ingredients except for sour cream and egg noodles to crock pot, stirring well. Cook on low for 8 hours.
In the last 5 minutes of the beef mixture cooking, boil egg noodles for 5 minutes on the stove, then drain and set aside.
Once cook time has finished, stir in sour cream and mix to combine well, then gently stir in hot egg noodles. Let the mixture sit with the lid on for 5 minutes (sauce will thicken up this way) then serve with parsley overtop (optional) and enjoy!

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Source: https://thegirlonbloor.com/crock-pot-beef-stroganoff/