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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.
Just made this tonight served over garlic red mashed potatoes with steamed brocolli. This was absolutely delicious!! I could not tell for a second that it was gluten and dairy free. This is definitely going on the menu rotation. Thank you!!
OOOMMMGGG,thus is so good. Thus is hands down my favorite dairy free/paleo/whole 30 beef stroganoff.!!!????????????????
Yay!! So happy to hear that!
We had this for dinner last night and it was amazing! We were so worried it would taste like coconut, but it doesn’t at all! KEEPER!
YAY!!! So glad you guys loved 🙂
I was worried about the coconut milk and arrowroot because in never cooked with either. I’m happy to report that this recipe is BETTER than the dairy version I usually make!!!! It has a hot sour soup sort of feel (probably because I used loads of garlic). It’s tangy and sweet and savory! I’m very pleased! Thank you!
I’m sorry to say that this dish disappointed me. I had such high hopes based on the reviews, but for my personal taste, it was just ok. Not bad, by any means. But I felt like it was missing something.
Will whole milk work? I’m not on Whole 30 or Paloeo.
Hi Danette, I would try sour cream if not on whole30! I make it that way sometimes too, so good!
For the instant pot you say high for 15 minutes is that on meat/stew for 15 high or on manual high 15. And do you know the difference?
Hi Anna, there are different versions of Instant Pot. But, when you select the manual button or the “pressure” button (depends on your model), they automatically cook on high pressure and you set the time. I don’t use the meat/stew function on this recipe. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s sooooo good (like another reader said, I didn’t quite expect that—I think the red wine vinegar made me suspicious :)! I happened upon your recipe while looking for a W30-compatible beef stroganoff recipe for dinner tonight and didn’t have the time to use the slow cooker, so I made it on the stovetop. It turned out fantastic, I’m happy to report! I got a little heavy-handed with the arrow root powder, so the sauce ended up a bit “snotty” in texture—sorry for the gross factor, but that’s exactly what it looked like! I just tried not to look at my fork as I took bites! 🙂 This is definitely a keeper, even when I’m through with the W30. Cheers and happy new year!
Thanks, Jennifer! And yes, that definitely happens with arrowroot. Haha! Happy New Year!
How long did it take on the stove top
My husband loves it and it turned out perfect. Thank you for Sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Definitely way too much liquid when made in the Instant Pot. I think the broth/other liquids need to be reduced, but I don’t know by how much.
Finding the same issue now 🙁 I am frantically searching comments to see what other people have done. Currently on saute in hopes it thickens. Any other ideas?
Add in more arrowroot starch to thicken it up!