Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

This Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is made gluten-free and dairy-free, yet tastes just like traditional beef stroganoff. Tender beef with delicious pasta in a hearty mushroom cream sauce yields the absolute best comfort food!

Comfort food lovers, you’re going to go absolutely bonkers over this insanely rich Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff recipe.

One of my most popular dinner recipes is my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ground Beef Stroganoff, which is made on the stove top.

While this crock pot version is very similar, we’re using a different cut of meat and slow cooking everything in a slow cooker to allow all of the flavors to develop over several hours. 

Traditional beef stroganoff is made with heavy cream and sour cream or cream cheese for a delicious rich, tangy, creamy sauce. 

In order to maintain that rich creaminess with that tangy undertone, we use a combination of full-fat canned coconut milk and apple cider vinegar.

Listen, I know that sounds strange. Especially if you’ve never made a savory sauce using canned coconut milk before.

You may wonder if a lot of coconut flavor shines through and if the sauce ends up tasting sweet.

I can confidently reassure you that most people can’t detect the coconut flavor, and if you can, it’s very subtle. If you absolutely abhor the flavor of coconut, this may not be the optimal recipe for you; however, I personally find the flavor sub perceptible. 

What Kind of Beef to Use for Beef Stroganoff:

Here’s where the fun starts. I’ve used everything from chuck roast to sliced steak to ground beef to stew meat for beef stroganoff. So far, I haven’t found a beef I didn’t like in stroganoff.

In this particular slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe, I use beef stew meat because it is an inexpensive cut that is ideal for slow cooking. 

The beauty of slow cooking is you can turn an otherwise tougher cut of meat into a tender delight, as the long cook time helps to soften up those tough muscle fibers. 

This to say, you can pick your favorite cut of beef for slow cooking. My recommendation is beef stew meat because it comes pre-chopped and brings such a heartiness to this rich pasta recipe.

Let’s discuss all of the ingredients in detail so that you know why each one was selected.

Ingredients for Dairy-Free Beef Stroganoff:

Beef Stew Meat: Pick up 1.5 to 2 pounds of beef stew meat for the easiest option. You can also use chuck roast, sirloin steak, or any type of steak and simply cut it into thin slices.

The slow cooking tenderizes the steak so that it’s nice and soft and so sensational.

Onion, Garlic, and Mushrooms: The combination of onions, garlic and fresh mushrooms gives the sauce a rustic flavor that we all love so much in creamy sauces. If you’re a cream of mushroom soup fan, you’ll get a kick out of this recipe.

I like using baby bella mushrooms, but button mushrooms or white mushrooms are great too. If you don’t have fresh garlic, use 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.

Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil): Used to sauté the vegetables and sear the beef, avocado oil is a great high-temperature cooking oil. If you use olive oil for cooking, feel free to make the replacement. 

Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk, Beef Broth, and Apple Cider Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, and Dijon Mustard: The stroganoff sauce ingredients that result in a silky smooth rich and creamy sauce that has a slight tang and savory umami flavor. 

Because the coconut milk is responsible for the thickness and richness of the sauce, I highly recommend you don’t replace it with any other type of non-dairy milk. 

You can use chicken broth, chicken stock, beef stock, or any type of bone broth to replace the beef broth. Replace the apple cider vinegar with rice vinegar or lemon juice if you’d like.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: To thicken the sauce, we add a couple tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which includes starches and emulsifiers like xanthan gum to help make the sauce nice and thick.

Any gluten-free blend should work as long as it is designed to be used as a 1:1 replacement for regular all-purpose flour.

Gluten-Free Pasta Noodles: To keep the recipe gluten-free, use your favorite kind of gluten-free noodles. My top three favorites are pasta noodles made with brown rice, chickpeas, or cassava flour. If you aren’t gluten-free, use regular pasta noodles.

Any shape of pasta noodle will work here! I love spirals, but rigatoni noodles, egg noodles, or even spaghetti noodles or bowties are great options.

Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Add sea salt and pepper to your personal taste. If you taste the stroganoff and the flavor tastes bland to you, continue adding small amounts of salt until the sauce tastes remarkably rich and flavorful. 

Recipe Adaptations:

• If you follow a grain-free diet, use grain-free pasta noodles and tapioca flour or arrowroot flour instead of gluten-free flour.
• Because we’re using two cans of coconut milk, the sauce has a great deal of fat (just like a traditional beef stroganoff). If you’re watching your fat intake, you can reduce the amount to one can of coconut milk and add another 1 ½ cups of beef broth. If you go this route, I recommend adding another tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce. For a low fat option, use one can of light coconut milk and 3.5 cups of broth. I will say, the best beef stroganoff is the fatty option.
• If you aren’t dairy-free, replace the canned coconut milk with 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of sour cream. You can also do a combination of milk and cream. If you use dairy, be careful not to bring the sauce mixture to an out of control boil when it’s on the stove top.
• If you enjoy cooking with wine, add ⅓ cup of a dry white wine or red wine to the crock pot.
• I’ve tested this recipe without Worcestershire sauce and mustard and it still tastes great. If you aren’t a fan of either one, feel free to skip them.
• Replace the beef with two large chicken breasts to make chicken stroganoff.

Now that we’re experts on stroganoff ingredients, let’s make this hearty meal!

How to Make Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff: 

Heat one tablespoon of avocado oil (or olive oil) in a large skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet) or a large thick bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to leach water. 

Add in the gluten-free flour and stir until it appears as though it has mostly dissolved.

Pour the full fat coconut milk, broth, and cider vinegar into the skillet (or pot) and bring the mixture to a full boil.

Transfer this creamy mushroom mixture to your crock pot. Pour in the beef broth and stir well.

Wipe out the skillet (or pot) and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat over high heat and allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes.

Once hot, carefully place the beef stew meat onto the skillet in a single layer. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on two sides.

Transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker with the sauce mixture. Give everything a big stir. Secure the lid on the crock pot and slow cook on High heat for 3.5 hours or Low heat for 7.5 hours.

After the initial cooking time is up, open the lid, give everything a stir, then stir in the pasta noodles.

Replace the cover and continue cooking on high heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pasta noodles have cooked through but are still slightly al dente.

Serve beef stroganoff in big bowls with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.

Store leftover beef stroganoff in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Because this recipe is very saucy, it freezes well. You can freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Beef stroganoff tastes even better the next day, so feel free to make this meal ahead of time for the absolute best results.

And that’s it! The most delicious creamy pasta recipe! Make it for meal prep or serve it up to friends or family for a special occasion. It’s a great recipe for pasta lovers, beef lovers, mushroom lovers, and cream sauce lovers.

If you love slow cooker recipes like this, also try my Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Potatoes and my Creamy Crock Pot Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Potatoes.

Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Also try out some of my personal favorites.

More Pasta Recipes:

• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta 
• 30-Minute Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Creamy Chicken Pasta 
• Pumpkin Feta Penne Pasta 
• Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta 
• Rigatoni Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
• Easy Cheesy Amazing Gluten-Free Lasagna 

Enjoy this decadent adventure! Classic comfort food coming right up!

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