This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
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.
Family approved! I had to do an adjustment so that I could get them to eat it since the man won’t touch onions and the boy won’t touch mushrooms. I sauteed both of those together with the garlic, and then tossed that into the blender along with the vinegar, coconut aminos, seasonings and broth. Viola! No harm, no foul! Only thing I would adjust is perhaps 1-2 tbsp less of vinegar. That’s a tough call though since it gives it tasty “oomph”. The little one turned up his nose at the smell, but the rice I served it over for him balanced it out. Also, some congealing with the arrowroot even though I used scant tablespoons. I seem to always have some issue when I use complaint thickeners. I mix them well with the water beforehand, but it just goes that way for some reason. Still not enough of an issue to prevent me from making this recipe in the future again and again! 4.95 stars (although it won’t let me select any for some reason…)
I just made this tonight, and it was excellent. I rarely comment on blog posts (I’m shy even online 😉 ), but I wanted to tell you thank you. When you said in your post that your family couldn’t tell any difference from this recipe and the regular non-paleo version, I had to try it. And your words came true. My whole family (even my comfort-food loving Dad who hates all my “healthy” food) loved it! Thanks again!
Thank you so much Ronda!! I am so happy your family loved this!! It’s one of our staples ????
Can I cook this high? Would I just cut the time in half?
Thanks so much,
Amy.
I mean ‘ON high’! lol
Yes, I am sure it will be ready after about two hours. I hesitate a little bit with high heat because the meat might not be as tender. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you. I cooked it on low, like you suggested. The beef is great, but I screwed up, and put everything in at the same time. So, it’s a bit runny.
Looks yummy! What brand of coconut milk do you recommend?
Hi Lisa,
I use the coconut cream from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have one nearby, try the brand Thai Kitchen.
This was sooooo good! My kids and hubby loved it! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Do you just use the thickened part of the coconut milk or do you shake up the can to mix it up?
I use the full fat (thickened part) of the coconut milk, or I use coconut cream.
I screwed this up real bad lol
1. put in a whole can of coconut milk
2. mixed it and the arrowroot in to the soysauce and vinegar
3. figured i could double the vinegar and soy sauce and spices and it’ll “even out”
4. dumped it all in on top of the meat from the start
Well… I’ll let you know how it comes out lol. I am hopeful it’ll still taste good… going to serve it with mashed sweet potatos and string beans…
Sounds like it still might be fine! Let me know how it tastes 🙂
We had this last week over Miracle Noodles and OMG delicious. Everyone loved it and after several platefuls, my two-ear old was attempting to drink the last of the sauce. Thanks!!
Love this Wendy! So glad your family enjoyed it, my kiddos gobble it up too 🙂
Does the dish have any coconut taste from the cream?
No, you cannot tell it’s coconut milk! I promise my husband had no idea 🙂
Can I sub chicken broth for beef broth? I can find any compliant beef broth..
Sure! My favorite brand of Beef Broth is Kettle and Fire.