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This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is a lightened-up, dairy-free version of the classic comfort dish! Tender beef simmers all day in a rich mushroom sauce, then gets served over cauliflower rice for a hearty, low-carb dinner the whole family will love. With just a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker does the rest of the work making this a perfect healthy weeknight meal.
Oh hey guys, just serving up an easier way to enjoy this classic favorite. As a nutritionist, transforming comfort food into a healthy, dairy-free version is something I love to do!! Especially when the recipe is so simple and requires very little prep. Healthy, easy, and delicious dinners are my specialty!
This recipe is simple and satisfying. Beef, onions, garlic, mushrooms, a splash of Tamari or coconut aminos, and a touch of coconut cream come together in the slow cooker to create a rich, creamy sauce without any dairy. This dairy-free version keeps all the flavor yet still is creamy and satisfying for everyone. Want to know the best part? No one noticed the change! The slow cooker makes the beef tender and flavorful every single time.
For more easy, flavor-packed beef dinners, check out all my delicious beef recipes. Perfect for weeknights or cozy meals!
What You’ll Love
- The slow cooker makes the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Coconut cream gives the dish a rich, creamy texture without dairy.
- Mushrooms add deep, savory flavor that balances perfectly with beef.
- This recipe works for both slow cooker and Instant Pot, so you can choose what fits your schedule.
- It’s a meal everyone can enjoy, even if they aren’t following a keto or dairy-free diet.
Instant Pot Option
Absolutely!! You can make this recipe in the Instant Pot for a fast, hands-off dinner. Start by sautéing onions and garlic in the pot. Then whisk together the broth, Tamari, and red wine vinegar and pour it over the beef and mushrooms. Secure the lid, cook until the beef is tender, and stir in the coconut cream at the end for that rich, creamy, dairy-free finish. Check out more of my favorite Instant Pot recipes that make dinnertime way easier.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over cauliflower rice for a complete meal! Not dairy-free? Regular rice or pasta works too. You can also serve this with Oven Roasted Potatoes or 10-Minute Rice for a heartier, balanced dinner. Add something green to complete the plate, like Easy House Salad or Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli.
Be sure to rate the recipe below and comment if you make it! Also, tag me on Instagram @wholesomelicious with your creations. I love to see them!
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (Paleo, Dairy-Free, Whole 30)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs sirloin steak tips or lean stew beef, cut into small pieces*
- 1/2 large white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/4 cup beef broth**
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or GF tamari soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk or coconut cream
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch***
- 2 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker
- Place beef inside your slow cooker, and top with onions, mushrooms, and garlic.
- In a separate bowl, mix together broth, soy sauce, vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour on top of beef and vegetables.
- Set your slow cooker to low and cook for 5 hours.
- At the five hour mark, add coconut cream.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together arrowroot starch and water. Add to slow cooker.
- Let simmer for another 30 mins – 1 hour or until sauce is thickened and beef is tender.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, or rice.
For the Instant Pot:
- Select the saute function on your instant pot. Once hot, add about 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil to coat the bottom of your pan. Saute onions for about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Select cancel.
- Season your beef with garlic & onion powder, and a bit of salt and pepper. Place on top of the onion/garlic mixture.
- In a small bowl, mix together broth, coconut aminos, and vinegar. Pour on top of the meat. Add mushrooms.
- Secure the lid to your Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Use a natural release. After opening the lid, add in coconut milk or cream and stir. If it needs more heat to dissolve, select the saute function.
- Stir in arrowroot starch and water to thicken.
- Serve over cauliflower rice or zoodles.
Notes
**My favorite Beef Broth is from Kettle and Fire (link above). The only shelf sustaining bone broth on the market!
***Arrowroot starch can be found in most grocery stores and is a thickening agent that acts similar to corn starch or flour.
Is there a substitute for red wine vinegar? I don’t cook with red wine.
Hi Angela, you can substitute with another vinegar such as regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (a bit more acidic, but fruity like the red wine). Hope that helps!
I am totally cracking up right now… I stumbled upon this recipe from Pinterest as I am currently on my third round for Whole 30 and needed a slow cooker meal. I thought you looked familiar and indeed, you are friends with my sister and BIL (Caroline & Richard). Small world! Can’t wait to try this tomorrow!
Haha!!! Love it!! Hope you enjoy Adrienne! And PS, I have lots of Whole30 recipes on here to include a few other slow cooker recipes ????
Ugh. Read 1/2 cup coconut aminos instead of 1/4 cup. Put in 2 lbs of meat and added the coconut cream at the beginning. Crossing my fingers this still works! No more cooking from recipes on my iPhone for me!
Let me know how it turns out!! The extra coconut aminos might be just fine and you won’t need to add salt ????
I decided to double the whole recipe…but I used double of the doubled red wine vinegar :'( I officially messed up the whole thing. I am so disappointed! It looks so good.
Google saves the day! I added baking soda and a little bit of palm sugar and its perfect!
So glad you were able to save it!! Now to write down all of it for next time 🙂
Would this be fine sitting on Low in the slow cooker for 8 hours. I want to make it, but I need to set it up before leaving for work!
Yes, it would be fine! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Holy crap, this was excellent, even better than I thought it was going to be! I served it with garlic cauliflower mash and could hardly believe I was eating something healthy. I live in Asia so found the coconut cream no problem, so good!!
Thanks Brandy!! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Do you use a powdered form of the arrowroot? If so, where do you purchase it? Does it have a taste…or you can’t taste it in sauce?
Thanks
Yes, Marlen, it’s powdered form. I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand and it can be find in the health section of most grocery stores. I actually order mine on Thrive Market for less than $5, and it will last me over a year. No taste whatsoever!!
Is there a sub for the coconut milk? Perhaps almond milk or cashew cream?
Either one, Randi. I think the cashew cream is a better option as the almond milk might be too watery. Either way, you may need a bit more arrowroot to thicken up!
Can you use corn starch instead of the arrowroot?
Absolutely Meredith! My personal choice is always arrowroot, but it serves the same purpose as cornstarch. Also, arrowroot is for those who follow a Paleo or Whole30 diet. If you don’t, then feel free to swap them out.
Could I add the coconut cream at the very end? I’m out all day so wouldn’t be home to put in at the 5 hour mark. Thanks 🙂
Absolutely Merryn! It works just fine at the last minute 🙂
It would be great if you list the nutritional content in your recipes
Thanks
Hi Lorraine, thanks your suggestion. I am working on it, I’ve had quite a few problems with my nutrition label maker that wants to over-inflate everything (like 300g of protein on this particular recipe). Hoping to fix the bugs soon. In the meantime, you can hit the orange yummly button at the top of the post, and yummly will give you nutrition facts.
I feel like when you’re on a whole foods “traditional” diet & you listen to your body’s cravings these nutrition info are silly. Pointless. Never have people analysed the content of their food so much& never have people been so fat & sick. Eat when & what you need your body will tell you. As long as you aren’t listening to food addictions like sugar cravings etc
The information is very important for diabetics. My son, a type 1 diabetic has to have a carb count for every thing that goes into his mouth in order to take the correct amount of insulin.
If you join My fitness pal, you can copy and paste this recipe into it and it will tell you all the nutritional info.
calories 370
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g 17 %
Saturated Fat 6 g 32 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 70 mg 23 %
Sodium 493 mg 21 %
Potassium 476 mg 14 %
Total Carbohydrate 35 g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 15 %
Sugars 4 g
Protein 30 g 61 %
Hi Amy,
sorry if I reply to this post but I could’t find a “leave a new message” section.
I am Sara and I live in Italy, the instant pot/slow cooker are not so common here so I don’t have one… Is there a way to cook this yummy recipe in a regular pot?
Thanks!!
Hi Sara, you could do this one on the stove top. Although, I do think it’s much better in the slow cooker or instant pot because of the texture of the meat. I would start by sautéing the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Then set aside and cook the beef for about 5 minutes. Add the veggies back to the pan, along with the sauce. Then cook for another 5-6 minutes. Finally adding in the coconut milk.