The Best Way To Cook Extra Tender Beef Stroganoff Isn't On The Stove

Beef stroganoff is a dish that gives you a rich bite every time, thanks to the velvety mushrooms, swoon-worthy creamy sauce, and of course, tender chunks of fall-apart beef — it's one of the old-fashioned dishes we wish would make a restaurant comeback. Sure, you can make it on the stove, which is the traditional cooking method, but Food Republic spoke with Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis, and he recommended a different way. "Slow-cooking beef stroganoff in a crockpot can yield even more tender meat," he said.

Think about it; you use your slow cooker when you want perfectly cooked pot roasts, or even crockpot-braised chicken with kimchi, so why not make the beef part of beef stroganoff as tender and juicy as possible? And the best part is that, besides boiling the noodles separately, it's pretty much a hands-off dish.

Littley had some further guidance regarding slow-cooking the meat. "Low and slow heat helps break down connective tissue without drying out the beef," he said, "but if you cook it too long, it can become mushy." He continued, "The key is to sear the beef first to lock in juices, then add it towards the middle of the cooking process rather than right at the start."

Because you're using a different appliance — slow cooker versus stove — you will have to make some adjustments. For example, most stroganoff recipes call for the delightful earthiness of mushrooms, but they often don't cook up so well in a crockpot (in contrast to meat, they might actually toughen up a bit as they release all their water). Instead, you can cook them up separately and add them before serving, or leave them out altogether.

Stroganoff recipes also tend to call for sour cream, as it gives the sauce a thicker texture and a rich tang. But you don't want it to sit in the slow cooker for hours with the beef. "[W]ait to stir in dairy-based ingredients like sour cream until the very end," suggested Dennis Littley. "Adding them too early can cause the sauce to separate or take on a grainy texture.” You can also help the sour cream hold up by only using a full-fat version or mixing it with fattier heavy cream before pouring it into the slow cooker.

As mentioned, you should also boil your noodles separately and ladle the stroganoff onto them, rather than mixing them in with the beef and sauce. While traditional egg noodles can hold up better to thicker sauces, they tend to turn to mush in slow cookers – in some cases breaking down before they've even left the cooker.