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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.
Hi there! I saw that you said cornstarch could be used instead of arrowroot, so I was wondering if I would still use the same amount of cornstarch that the recipe says for arrowroot or if it would be different? Thanks!
Use the same amount!
Hello ! I would like to make it from one day to another in the slow cooker, do you recommendo me to make the five first hours and when I arrive put coconut milk and finish cooking, or have it completely finished and just heat it?
Thank you!
Yes, I would make without the coconut milk and add it later. Hope that helps!
Sounds delicious!
Any substitute for the red wine vinegar?
Hi Michelle! Can you use any other vinegar like apple cider or white wine? It gives the recipe that nice tang to pair with the salty.
So thankful for this recipe! I was missing mom’s stroganoff ????
How well does this reheat? Since it’s only 6 hours of cook time and i’m away from the house for about 11 hours on a work day, this isn’t really feasible for a weeknight meal. If I cook it on sunday, will I be able to store it and then gently reheat in a stock pot on the stove monday night?
It re-heats well! The instant pot instructions are also a much better option for a weeknight meal. If your slow cooker has a keep warm function, you could also have it cook, and then keep it on warm until you get home without over cooking it. Hope these ideas help!
Tasty stuff! Some additions I did– added frozen peas at the end + zoodles cut up just to increase the veggie content. Next time I would do cashew yogurt instead of the coconut creme b/c it did taste a little coconutty to me; although my husband didn’t think so. Also, I would add Dijon mustard to give it a little kick as it was a little bland. Overall, I’m bookmarking it to make again. Thanks!
Any suggestions for making this a freezer meal?
Yes, freeze before adding in the coconut milk. Then once you defrost and heat, add in the coconut milk before serving.
I just wanted to let you know thati made a batch of this stroganoff to take to work the other night to share with my crew and it was a HUGE hit!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, John!
I tried this tonight for the first time. I was in a hurry and decided to use ground beef (because that’s all I had). Since I used the ground beef I decided to just simmer it on the stove for a while to help the mushrooms cook down and let the flavors meld. It came out good except it was really sweet. I’m not sure where the sweet came from. I think it might have come from the red wine vinegar.
This was outstanding!
Love to hear that!