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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.
I made this recipe for my dad and boyfriend last week and it was a huge hit! I cut up two amazing slabs of steak and it was delicious. My boyfriend even tried hiding the leftovers to make sure no one else ate them all! Will be making this one again for sure 🙂
If I don’t have coconut aminos or arrowroot can I still make this?
Without the arrowroot it won’t be as thick, but still okay. The coconut aminos is kind of necessary. I don’t think it would be very tasty without, but rather very vinegar-y. If not following a strict Paleo or Whole30 diet, you could use soy sauce or worcestershire sauce in it’s place.
I’ve made this so many times and it’s delicious!!!!! My family loves it and I have two picky eaters. My son is gluten, dairy egg free so this is great for him and it’s so simple! It’s one of my favorites . I am wondering if I could put all ingredients in a bag except the coconut milk and arrowroot that needs to be added later and put it in the freezer as a ready to go meal. I’m bout to have baby number 3 and have 2 toddlers.so trying to simplify life a little for newborn faze ????
Love this! Thanks Hannah!
I rarely review recipes (partly because usually I’m not brave enough to try recipes that don’t already have a ton of great reviews haha), but this was so good!
I was sure some coconut flavour would come through, but it was absolutely undetectable.
This recipe was rich, savoury, and flavourful. Even my hard-to-impress SO was over the mood about it. He doesn’t eat leftovers–and he called dibs on these ones haha!
Thanks so much 🙂
That makes me so happy!! Thank you, Kristy!
Hi Amy- Thanks for the great recipe. I made it last night in the Instant Pot and think I may have to adjust some thing and want to get your thoughts. I followed recipe for IP exactly but found that the meat was a bit chewy/tough and the sauce was too watery. Flavors were great, though, and the whole family has requested it again with more tender meat and thicker sauce. I’m thinking that maybe with the IP vs slow cooker, I should cook for less than 15 minutes and use a bit less broth? Also maybe only use thick/almost solid part of coconut milk rather than mixing it up evenly? Any suggestions?
Hi Vivian,
Great questions. I notice that each time I make it, the meat can taste differently depending on what type of meat and the size of my chunks. A high quality top sirloin steak is best, and it should be the same consistency in the IP or slow cooker. You may want to lower IP time if you have smaller beef chunks. And I would definitely advise on using just the thick part of the coconut milk. I use the Trader Joe’s coconut cream, but you can also find coconut cream at most grocery stores. This is only the thick part of coconut milk. Otherwise, just the use the thick part of coconut milk. I hope this helps!
Cooking this as I write, There are some really yummy aromas coming from the kitchen. Can’t wait till dinner tonight.
I know, it smells amazing! Hope you enjoyed it 🙂
What an awesome recipe!!! Rich and filling and oh so tasty. I used Amish wide noodles instead of rice and was delighted with the result. Thanks!!
Thanks Norma!
I don’t have any arrowroot but was wondering what else I could use? Coconut flour? Almond meal? ground Flaxseed thickened with water?
Hi Murs, I would try coconut flour, but you might not need any thickener. It will just be thinner, but still really tasty.
I am new to using arrowroot. I used it one other time in a creamy chicken soup, and it gave it a very un-appetizing, jelly-like consistency. Will it do the same to this dish?
Hi Kim, arrowroot is tricky, but it shouldn’t be jelly-like in this recipe. I use it often! I would mix it well with water before adding it, and try just 1-2 tbsp first, and see how thick your stroganoff is before adding more. You may find you don’t need much.
can this be made with chicken, most in my family will not eat red meat. If so what changes do you think would need to be made
Hello,
Could I sub the arrowroot with Xanthum gum? Just so I don’t need to buy another ingredient 🙂 If so, what would be the conversion?
Sure! No problem!