Serve with mashed cauliflower and sour cream is the perfect mid-week family meal.

If you have a busy day and want some comfort food to come home to, this is the one. Walk in the door late at night, and the smell of low-carb beef stroganoff welcomes you.

Serve this keto beef stroganoff with a cauliflower mash and a dollop of sour cream. It’s the perfect end to a busy day.

This low-carb keto beef stroganoff is made using the slow cooker and ticks all the boxes. This dish comes together quickly then cooks all day for a tender, incredibly tasty dinner.

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How to cook stroganoff in the slow-cooker

Crock pot beef stroganoff is easy to make. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Many cookbooks instruct to saute or fry the onions, garlic, and meat before adding to the slow cooker.

I have found it makes very little difference to the taste or the texture of this dish.

The keto beef stroganoff recipe below will show you how to make stroganoff the cheats way. You simply place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, stir, and cook!

I have tried both methods, and there is little to gain, but you save at least half an hour of preparation and cleaning up dishes by following this easy method.

To make keto beef stroganoff in the crock pot all you need to do is:

  • Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
  • Mix.
  • Set on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with sour cream (optional).

If you have a busy day and won’t be in until late, you want the easiest meal possible. I’m also guessing on such a busy day, there are other things you would rather be doing than frying onions, garlic, and meat in the morning.

Ingredients you need

The ingredients for this savory comfort food are simple. All you need to have is:

  • Onion – yellow onion (brown onion) works best.
  • Garlic – crushed garlic is best but garlic powder will work too.
  • Bacon – fatty cuts work best. It’s called “streaky bacon” here because of the streaks of fat marbled through. It’s also called side bacon.
  • Beef stewing steak – you can try other cuts like sirloin steak but this is one of the most inexpensive and it works very well.
  • Smoked paprika – make sure to get the smoked variety as it adds rich flavour.
  • Tomato paste – you save carbs by using tomato paste rather than canned tomatoes. Tomato paste is higher in carbs but you only need a small amount.
  • Beef stock – or beef broth adds an extra salty punch of beef.
  • Mushrooms – adds the traditional flavour and are naturally low-carb.

How to make keto beef stroganoff

Making this low-carb beef stroganoff recipe couldn’t be more simple!

First, prep your veggies. The onions will need to be sliced and quartered, and the mushrooms will need to be quartered as well.

Then, cube up your stewing steak and dice up the bacon. Small pieces work better than large chunks.

Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot, then pour beef broth over the top.

Give everything a good stir.

Then, all you have to do is let the crock pot do its magic! This beef stroganoff recipe does best when you cook it on low for 8 hours, but if you are in a hurry you can set it to high heat for 4-6 hours.

How to serve

There are so many ways to serve this keto beef stroganoff recipe! A few of my favorites to enjoy with this dish include:

Add sour cream or cream cheese to the low-carb beef stroganoff before serving, and place the sour cream or cream cheese on the table for the vegetables. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley.

Variations

Want to change it up a bit?

  • ground beef stroganoff – why not try making this dish as ground beef stroganoff? To do this, you’ll need to cook the meat before you add ground beef to the slow cooker. Don’t put it in raw!
  • spicy – like it hot? Add some cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to this beef stroganoff.

Storage

This delicious meal is a good one to prep ahead of time. You can store beef stroganoff in a container in the fridge for about 3 days.

Or, you can freeze beef stroganoff too. Simply place it in a freezer-safe meal prep container, and place in the freezer. It will last about 3 months.

To reheat beef stroganoff, you can microwave or cook over the stovetop on medium-high heat.

What are the best keto side dishes?

Beef stroganoff is traditionally served with pasta, but rather than that stodgy filler that adds zero nutrition, you can serve this delicious beef dinner with low-carb vegetables instead. The easiest side dishes for a mid-week dinner are mashed cauliflower and steamed broccoli.

You can also make a “pasta” out of zucchini noodles or cabbage noodles. Or, choose to make cauliflower rice or mash instead.

You cut your carbohydrate intake and double (or even triple) your veggies by giving up pasta.

You can choose from 21+ low-carb and keto side dishes to serve with beef. They are all family-friendly recipes and all are gluten-free.

From gluten-free garlic bread, mashed cauliflower (4 flavours that even children love), or baked broccoli with cheese. The whole family will love these and not realize their usual bread, pasta, and rice are missing.

However you serve it, don’t forget the sour cream! It adds a rich creamy flavour to the dish. I like to stir it in with the broth and make a sour cream sauce. Yum!

Beef Stroganoff FAQs

Is beef stroganoff keto?

Traditional beef stroganoff is served with high-carb mashed potatoes and thickened with wheat flour, this low-carb version is served with mashed cauliflower and naturally thickened.

How can I thicken beef stroganoff without flour?

The longer the stroganoff cooks, the more it will thicken. But, if you want to speed the process up you can make a keto roux by adding some xanthan gum.

Can I cook this on the stove?

You can convert this crockpot recipe into a stove top one. Place all the ingredients in a dutch oven or large stewpot, then cook over medium low for 6 hours.

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

Yes, once you learn how to cook beef in the Instant Pot, you will realise how quick and easy dinner can be. It makes any tough cut of beef into a tender casserole in under 30 minutes.

How many carbs and calories are in beef stroganoff?

The nutritional information per serving is 6.5 g net carbs, 33.3 g protein, 11 g fat, and 267 calories.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes, simply don’t garnish with sour cream but add crispy bacon pieces and herbs instead.

Which cut of meat is best for the slow-cooker?

Any type of casserole beef will work, such as chuck steak, rump steak, sirloin steak, flank steak, stewing steak, or even ground beef if you’re in a hurry.

Can you make the recipe ahead of time?

Yes, you can place all your raw ingredients inside the slow cooker and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days before you need to cook. Alternatively, once cooked and completely cooled, store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze beef stroganoff?

Yes, it can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How to reheat slow-cooker dinners?

Place the bowl f the slow-cooker in your slow-cooker and turn on high for 2 hours or reheat in a saucepan or in the oven until thoroughly hot. Reheat time will vary on how much you are heating. Add the sour cream to garnish.
You can use the microwave, however, it does have a tendency to make the gravy and sauce separate.

More slow-cooker recipes

When the weather gets colder, or you want a quick and easy healthy mid-week family dinner, these recipes are perfect.

Keto Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Instant Pot)

The perfect quick and easy healthy family meal – Keto Beef Stroganoff In The Instant Pot. Only takes 30 minutes to cook. Serve with zoodles or mashed cauliflower.
4 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain free, Keto, LCHF, Low Carb, No Sugars, Paleo, Wheat Free
Keyword: Keto Beef Stroganoff In The Instant Pot
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 317kcal
Author: Thinlicious.com
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Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 onion sliced and quartered
  • 2 garlic minced crushed
  • 2 slices streaky bacon diced
  • 500 g beef, stewing steak cubed
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 250 g mushrooms quartered
  • 250 ml beef stock
  • sour cream to garnish

Instructions

  • Pour some oil in the Instant Pot dish, and using the saute function gently fry the onion, garlic and bacon until cooked but not browned.
  • Add the diced beef and saute until the beef is browned on all sides.
  • Add the paprika, tomato paste, mushrooms and beef broth. Stir together then pop the lid on and turn until it clicks indicating it is fully sealed.
  • Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. 
  • Use the quick release valve to release the pressure. 
  • Serve with zoodles or mashed cauliflower, and garnish with sour cream

Video

Notes

To make the recipe dairy-free and Paleo, simply omit the sour cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serveCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 29gFat: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 445IUVitamin C: 6.4mgIron: 3.6mg

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Recipe Rating




77 Comments

  1. Sounds delicious and perfect for these cooler months. I’ll be giving it a go soon!

  2. What does the “c” denote in “1/4 c tomato paste?

  3. I made this last night and the whole family thought it was yummy, even my nine year-old who doesn’t like stews! I think it was the cream cheese that swung it for him, and the sour cream that swung it for us – that definitely gave it an extra something and we loved it. Looking forward to the leftovers today and making it again soon!

  4. Linda Aulick Whyte says:

    What could I use instead of tomato paste? No tomatoes for me

  5. What is the general serving size.

  6. Would love to make this but don’t have a slow cooker. Is it do-able somehow in a regular oven?

    1. Absolutely. Jus pop it in the oven at 180c/350F for an hour. Or you could use better steak (not stewing steak) and cook on the stove top for 45 minutes simmering away.

      1. You can put all the ingredients in a pot in a slow oven (225-250F) for 5-8 hours. If you have a timer on the oven, freeze all the ingredients and put them in the pot frozen and set the timer to start so that your dinner will be finished when you get home. This works for pot roast, too.

  7. I totally cheat and use ground beef for my stroganoff. Not sure it would hold up to the crock pot. This has made our line up for next week.

  8. Is the bacon just actual Bacon?

    1. ? What we call bacon in the US is called streaky bacon in the UK. What they call bacon, we call Canadian bacon. I read an article about this, they have even more types of “bacon”, but you get the idea.

  9. Does any liquid go into this.

  10. What is a brown onion

      1. No, the yellow onion has a brown skin. The white onion has white skin. You prob meant yellow.

  11. Yvonne van der Westhuizen says:

    Hi Libby
    Love your recipe’s
    I want to make the strogonoff but dont have smoked paprika?
    Please help!!
    Regards

  12. Sue Turner says:

    how does this hold up when frozen after preparing? i want to make a large batch then freeze individual servings for quick dinners. thanks!

    1. Freeze individual portions, defrost as you require them and reheat thoroughly. I would reserve adding the sour cream until after it has been reheated. It might make the sauce split if reheating with the sour cream already mixed in.

  13. Donna DeFazio says:

    Hi!! I’m new to your website (I found you through your instagram page) and I am beyond excited to try these recipes!! I’ve always been ‘carb sensitive” and have tried many low carb recipes that just don’t work. I’m especially excited to try the Fathead recipe for pizza and nacho chips. What a wonderful base for other recipes as well! Thanks for all the wonderful content and I’ll be sure to come back and let you know how my experiments turn out!!!

  14. Does the calorie/fat count include the sour cream /cream cheese?

    1. No as I have seen the huge variation of how much sour cream some people add to their stroganoff. From a homeopathic dose, to almost entirely topped in sour cream.

  15. Works great in an electric pressure cooker as a last minute meal, too! Use the brown function, start with the bacon, add onions and garlic. Add in the rest of your ingredients, except sour cream, then cook at regular pressure for 30 minutes.

  16. Adam Stephenson says:

    Made this tonight and it’s superb.

  17. This recipe is sensational! Have just made it for a cold Winter’s day in Victoria, and it is absolutely delish!! Thank you for posting this. Keen now to try some of your other recipes!!

      1. Thanks! I made it today…I used some beef stock and then added a few spoonfuls of chicken bone broth. Just finished eating it and it was delightful, and packed with flavour, thanks for the recipe! (I’m about to upload a photo of my version to my Insta account: spicer_grub ??)

  18. Martin Shepherd says:

    I wasn’t expecting much from this recipe because of the simple ingredients, but I’ve made it today and it was absolutely amazing.

    I added a couple of chopped carrots because I’m OK with slightly more carbs. There was a bit to much liquid once cooked so I strained it off and reduced it in a separate pan before adding back.

    You were also right about putting the ingredients straight in without browning first. It didn’t make any difference whatsoever and was bursting with flavour.

    For anyone reading this, I definitely recommend topping it with sour cream as suggested in the recipe. It takes it to another level.

    Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for sharing. This recipe is going to be one of my regular dishes from now on.

    1. Thanks Martin, I love your low expectations for my recipe 😉 but I’m glad you loved it. And yes, the sour cream takes it to another level, otherwise it’s a beef and mushroom goulash!

  19. I know this recipe serves 6, but what is the size of each serving?

    1. The recipe served into 6 bowls. I don’t measure how many cups each recipe makes, it would drive my family bonkers while they wait for their dinner 😉

    2. Doesn’t it say serves 4? I just want to make sure my macros are correct.

  20. browning onions and garlic absolutely make a difference. Otherwise you’re trapping the juices in there and not allowing them to draw out their natural sugars and you’re losing that in their flavour. What nonsense to claim there’s no difference. This isn’t a bad start but it’s not nearly complex enough for a 4 or 8 hour cook. good for basics but needs some work imo

  21. Mary wood says:

    I made this today … it was delicious!!! … thanks so much.

  22. Im just curious where the sugar comes from?

    It says sugar free? Would that be from the sour cream

  23. Roxanne Korte Ruckmar says:

    While this recipe is very good, it s not a stroganoff. Stroganoff has a white, creamy sauce. No tomatoes.

    1. 5 stars
      I agree – with the paprika it is really a goulash

      1. 5 stars
        Larousse Gastronomique lists Stroganoff as a cream, paprika, veal stock and white wine recipe. The Brazilian variant includes diced beef or strips of beef (usually filet mignon) with tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms and heavy cream. Brazilians also prepare Stroganoff with chicken or even shrimp instead of beef. It is commonly served with a side of shoe-string potatoes and white rice. In Brazilian Portuguese it is called Strogonoff or Estrogonofe. We are a global website and everyone makes stroganoff (and every recipe) slightly differently. No one can say theirs is right or wrong, just beautifully different and multicultural 🙂

  24. 5 stars
    Yum! So easy too. Popular with whole family, will become a regular addition, thank you!!

  25. 5 stars
    did just as outlined and threw everything in the crockpot raw and unbrowned. Made a double batch and served over steamed cauliflower then mixed in a heaping spoon of sour cream in the bowl- YUM and paased the husband test. Will be making again 😀

  26. Sharon Edelson Eubanks says:

    What cut of beef is “stewing steak”? I am in the US and have never seen this cut of beef.

    1. You can use any variety of beef that is applicable for stews and casseroles. If I gave a particular cut of meat, I am always inundated with questions if they can replace cut A with cut B, C, D etc. Allow what is available and on special at your grocery store or butchers. Enjoy 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      If you go to Walmart.com and search “stew meat” it will come up. They have it in all the grocery stores I’ve been to. It’s just precut cheap fatty pieces. Perfect for soups and stews!

    3. Mary Petnel says:

      5 stars
      Stewing Beef is usually chuck. Chuck is a tough cut that gets tender through slow cooking or braising.

      1. 5 stars
        Chuck steak is only one variety of casserole meat, there are so many more delicious cuts too.

  27. I’ve just printed this recipe off, I have just started on Keto and will be trying this lovely recipe out very soon, thank you.

  28. 5 stars
    Added some extra cream cheese & sour cream near the end, now I can hardly walk away form the slow cooker to call the family for dinner. The sauce tastes soooo good. Serving mine with beans & cauliflower

  29. Lisa A Epsteen says:

    Does this recipe call for cream cheese? I see it mentioned several times in the comments but not in the recipe. Am I missing something?

    1. It calls for sour cream or you may use cream cheese too. In the post, I explain “Add sour cream or cream cheese to the low carb beef stroganoff before serving, and place the sour cream/cream cheese on the table for the vegetables too. Sprinkle with parsley.”