Ultimate Beef Stroganoff {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
If you are looking for the best slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe ever, look no further! So flavorful, so easy, this recipe is a keeper! Bonus: instant pot directions included as well.
If you’ve been waiting your whole life for the best beef stroganoff recipe on the planet, I’m feeling very, very excited for you today.
Very.

This amazing slow cooker beef stroganoff has been a family favorite for over a decade. It’s one of our oft-made Sunday night meals, and it never fails to be a slam dunk hit with every single person in my family every time it appears.
If it looks familiar, you might already be a fan!
I posted this recipe way back in 2008, and it has solidly stood the test of time as one of the most popular recipes on my website.
Today, I wanted to refresh this beloved slow cooker beef stroganoff for several reasons.
I couldn’t imagine a world where some of my faithful readers hadn’t made it yet because it was buried in the archives!
And it also deserved a repost because more often than not, we make it in the Instant Pot and it only seemed fair to share those simple directions as well. Not to mention the really horrific pictures on the original post. Yeah, update needed.
Equally delicious in either the slow cooker or Instant Pot, this flavorful, easy beef stroganoff recipe is one of my go-tos when serving company or needing a meal to take in to someone.
It is the epitome of comfort food. I grew up eating all sorts of variations on stroganoff, so loving the gravy-based meal is in my genes, but I tell you, this really is the best stroganoff ever.
We very often serve the tender, delicious slow cooker beef stroganoff over rice. But it’s also really tasty over baked or mashed potatoes.
And of course noodles make a great bed for the glorious meat and gravy. Egg noodles are a great choice, but any noodle would probably work just fine.
If I’m feeling super ambitious, I’ll make a batch of homemade spaetzle (those are the noodles pictured in this post). But because my ambition doesn’t always run high, that doesn’t happen as frequently as my family would like.
Any way you serve it, this ultimate beef stroganoff really is pretty darn amazing!
What to Serve With This
- Cooked rice, noodles or potatoes
- Steamed peas or skillet green beans
- French bread rolls
Ultimate Beef Stroganoff {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds stew meat, or a 3-pound beef roast, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef broth or stock, I use low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ cup beef broth, water or apple juice
- 4 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, optional
- ½ cup light or regular sour cream
Instructions
- Slow Cooker Directions: Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder (or fresh garlic), Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
- About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and broth/water/apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well (a blender works great as well). The roux should be thick but still pourable. Add additional broth or water, if needed. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to avoid lumps, and continue mixing until evenly and well combined. Add the mushrooms, if using, and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for another 30 minutes to thicken. Stir in the sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.
- Instant Pot Directions: Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the insert of the Instant Pot. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder (or fresh garlic), Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat.
- Secure the lid and valve and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes (press "pressure cook" or "manual" and dial up or down to 35 minutes; the pressure cooker will start on its own). Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Stir the meat mixture with a wooden spoon to break up any large clumps of meat.
- Combine the flour and broth/water/apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well (a blender works great as well). The roux should be thick but still pourable. Add additional broth or water, if needed.
- Select the saute function on the Instant Pot. Pour the roux mixture into the Instant Pot, whisking quickly to avoid lumps, and continue mixing until evenly and well combined. Add the mushrooms, if using, and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking on the saute setting, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the stroganoff is thickened. Set the Instant Pot to warm and stir in the sour cream. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from my cousin-in-law, Tami W.
Recipe originally posted April 2008; updated with new commentary, pictures and recipe notes.
I will be trying this one tomorrow! Sounds easy and yummy!
Your website is truly fab – i love your humour and whilst i have only recently found you, you are now my bestestestestest bookmark.
I have assembled the strog tonight for slow cooking tomorrow morning……i have put the raw meat in with the stock etc. Am i going to poison everyone?? I have just done a quick search and some people say okay but others say No Way. Have you ever tried it?
Hi Sarah – I assume you are refrigerating the meat/stock mixture until tomorrow morning, right? If so and as long as you are cooking it for the full amount of time, I don’t see it being a problem at all.
This recipe is fantastic! It is one of my family’s favorites! Ever since i made it the first time, they insist on having it a couple of times a month. Thanks so much!
I’m having 12 people for dinner and this looks good. Is it enough for 12 and can I use wine instead of apple juice?
Hi Melody – no, I don’t think this would serve 12 unless you doubled it. As for the wine, I’ve never subbed it so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
I just made this yesterday. My family calls it a “keeper”. 🙂 The only thing different I did was boil the noodles early and put them in when I put the flour mixture in (they soaked up all the yummy flavors). I love that this can be made into a gluten free recipe also by using GF flour! 🙂
Hey Mel,
For some reason, I kept reading this as saying acv vs apple juice, so I didn’t pick up apple juice! Now I’m ready to throw everything in and I live 25 miles outta town, so running to the store isn’t an option! What should I do? Doh!! 🙂
Thanks,
Kelly
Hi Kelly – you’ve probably already figured it out but you could use broth or water in place of the apple juice.
I’m a little confused. When do I tear the meat apart and I do I pour out the juice?
Hi Madison – you don’t shred the meat or pour out the juice. The meat cooks in the liquid the whole time and the roux (the flour/apple juice) is stirred in at the end to thicken. Hope that helps!
I just found this on Pinterest and we made it for dinner. It was wonderful. My husband loved it. I am looking forward to trying some more of our recipes.
Hands down, the best crockpot meal I’ve EVER had! Tastes great even in the middle of summer. I know this will be a go-to when it starts getting chilly. Thanks for another staple meal, Mel!
Jan – I always use fresh mushrooms and for this I use regular white button mushrooms. It makes a lot – but serving 8 adults might be a stretch. Personally I’d 1 1/2 of double it for that many adults.
I just made this for the first time, and it is definitely a keeper!! I shared on Pinterest and will share on my blog, too! I was amazed at how easy it was, and how perfect the sauce was- it was smooth, creamy, and flavorful! Yum!
Do you suggest using canned mushrooms or fresh mushrooms. If fresh, what kind?
So this recipe should serve 8 easily?
Many thanks – can’t wait to try it. Looks wonderful!
I just wanted to take a minute and tell you how much we love this meal. I am getting ready to make it for probably the third time now. I have made it over rice and roasted potatoes. Both are really good. It’s so nice to be able to have a nice hearty meal on days like today when our evening is going to be crazy but we are still craving something comforting on a crisp fall day. Thanks!
Carol – I don’t use the packaged lipton onion soup mix so I’m afraid I can’t tell you how to sub for the beef stock. Sorry!
I would really like to try your recipe but I dont have any beef stock, but I do have lipton onion soup mix, can I use that instead. And if so how much water should I add too it.
This was a great dinner! We aren’t fans of mushrooms in this house, so I upped the amount of onions and then to make up for the lost flavor from no mushrooms I added another TB of Worcestershire, some garlic powder, a little more salt and pepper and some dill. DANG YUMMY! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight. 🙂
Sylvia – I’ve never made it for that large of a crowd, but yes, I think if you six-times the recipe, that should be plenty. Good luck!
I’m so excited to try this recipe at a family function on Monday. I’m serving about 60 people, how many times should I “double” this recipe… When you say it serves a crowd, are you talking 10 people per recipe?? Do I need to 6 times this for 60?? Thanks for your help— hopefully you’ll see this today! 😀
so i just finished cooking this and all i can say is wow! Loooooooved it! The meat was sooo yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Chelsea – I think keeping it at low would be fine. It really depends on the temperature of your crockpot. If all else fails, you could transfer the mixture to a pot on the stove and let it simmer to thicken there.
Hi,
Similar to what the other person asked, would simply keeping it on low for the last 30 mins be OK. My annoying crock pot does not have the high setting, but I have not mentally justified the cost of getting a new one yet.
This was delicious – thank you!
Hey Mel! Just wanted to thank you SO much for this recipe. It was so simple and delicious and we will be eating it again and again and again!
I blogged about it here: http://athomewithalley.com/2012/02/25/ultimate-beef-stroganoff-crockpotslow-cooker/
Awesome! I made this recipe for dinner tonight and my family could not stop raving about it. I will certainly be making this recipe again very soon! Thank you!
This meal was so dang good! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow! I just loved all of the mushrooms. I always know I can come to your blog for delicious food. My husband and I also ate a ton of turkey wraps last week for lunch. Thanks for the simple, yet very delicious idea!
Susannah – no silly questions, so don’t worry! Yes, low versus high does matter for most crockpots. If you were to cook this on high for the allotted time it could burn around the edges…I’d try to stick as closely as you can to the recommended hours for low or high. Hope that helps!
I’m making this tonight and can’t wait to try it! I have a quick question regarding the crock pot times. Does it taste any different using low or high? I always have really silly questions it seems.
I have this in the crockpot right now. I just put the mushrooms in and I am so sad that I have to take it to some friends instead of getting to eat it myself! They are sure to enjoy it and the Lion House rolls that I made for them. Those rolls turned out so good! My husband was begging for more after I let him sample a few. Thanks Mel! I LOVE your blog!
I made this the other night and served it over egg noodles. Holy amazingness!
Wow! This was amazing I followed it to a tee with the exception of the sour cream. I used plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. The meat melted in my mouth as well as my husbands. Will be making this again soon, thanks for sharing!!!
The name of this recipe is truly accurate! It is super simple to make with ingredients already in the cupboard, and tastes incredible. I have served this multiple times to company always to rave reviews. I send them directly to you for the recipe!
This is in the crockpot for dinner tonight. I love that it isn’t “canned”.
Holy goodness, this was absolutely AMAZING. I never thought I’d find a better stroganoff than my mother’s, but this blew hers out of the water (Sorry, Mom!). Just incredible. And so easy!
This is a great recipe! easy to make….. love love love crock pot meals. Your blog is FANTASTIC! I have made other meals from here….. DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes.
Jenny – you shouldn’t need to make any modifications to double. Good luck!
Quick question! I am looking to double this meal tomorrow as a make and take and also meal for my family. Are there any modifications for doubling this in the crockpot? This meal is so delicious!! It has made our regular rotation. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Scarred from the ground-beef decade of the 80’s, I had to bury my stroganoff memories of years gone by to find the courage to make this. Mel, you delivered. Classy, homey, hearty, devoured. The six of us thank you.
I made this tonight and it did not really turn out good. I think I might of gotten the wrong meat. It was tough and did not fall apart like your picture looked. And it was runny. I am not giving up on it though. I will try it again
Unbelievable! The weather turned chillly this weekend and this was at the top of my list to try – Mel, fabulous!!! Used cider instead of apple juice only because that’s what I had on hand….loved that I didn’t have to brown anything beforehand, too. Served over mashed potatoes for me and one kiddo, then over rice for hubby and other kiddos – this was plate-lickable!!
I have this cooking in the crock right now. I can’t wait to try it as the house is starting to smell fantastic! Crock pot cooking can be so cruel sometimes…lol.
just made this and it was WONDERFUL! my 7yo loved it (and that rarely happens) in addition to the rest of the family. the hubs has to work tonight so he’s taking some to work to eat again in a few hours. thanks mel for your yummies!
We will be having this tonight! I also wanted to say that you have no idea how much I LOVE your site! I have gotten SO MANY great receipes from here.
Your “style” of food is very much what my family (and I) like!
Thanks to you, suppers around these parts are easier and tastier!
Hi there! We love this recipe so much. I made it a few days ago and added some fresh sage and thyme, great companions for this recipe, it took it up a notch (not that it needed it, but I grow it, so what the heck). After we ate I realized this was way too much left overs, we loved it way too much to just eat for lunch. So the next day I made some pie shells, added the normal characters that go in a potpie, and WHALA…we had this amazing second meal that my kids LOVED! Hide the leftovers, do whatever you have to do, or just throw it in a pie to begin with, it is SOSOO GOOD.
made this with moose stew meat and was such a nice change from adding cream of mushroom soup. will be making this again!
Hello! I ran across your website last night and stumbled upon this recipe. I decided to give it a shot.. and OH MY GAWD! It was delish! It actually came out looking like yours in the photo and tasted fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!
I made this today and we really liked it. Maybe I was just making more work for myself, but I browned the meat first because I’ve seen that called for in some of your more recent recipes. I can’t compare it to how it would taste without browning the meat first, but it was good tonight. Thanks!
YUM-O!! Seriously…this was delicious. My husband made the comment that he wasn’t really hungry for dinner, but after taking one bite he ate an entire plate full! Thanks for the yummy recipe!!
We just had this for dinner and everyone loved it! I used 3 Tbl water and 3 Tbs apple juice bc of a previous comment, but I think next time I’ll use 6 Tbl juice. After numerous Stroganoff recipes, I think I’ve found “the one”! Thank you!
This is my favorite company meal. I have served it to company many times and it always gets rave reviews with requests for the recipe (I am delighted to send them to your website). I love it because it is so easy, doesn’t keep me in the kitchen all day, and tastes so good! I have company coming again tonight–it will be hit again, I’m sure.
I am sorry to say this was not very good at all. I followed the recipe exactly. I don’t know what happened. I wish that I has used water rather than apple juice. I felt like I could still taste the apple juice in the finished dish. I usually really like your recipes. This was just a miss for me. I think maybe I don’t like Worcestershire sauce. ???