Why you’ll love this dairy free stroganoff
I absolutely love beef stroganoff. It’s creamy, savory and loaded with carbs, so what’s not to love? It’s the ultimate comfort food. By swapping the traditional steak for ground beef, and the sour cream for dairy free, you get a milk-free stroganoff that’s budget friendly and comes together in about 30 minutes.
Since there is a protein and a carb already built in to this dish, I always try to serve my ground beef stroganoff with a green vegetable or salad. Lately, we’ve been choosing frozen peas because they’re my daughter’s favorite, but oven roasted broccoli or a nice green salad with easy Dijon vinaigrette are my other go-to options.
More stroganoff recipes to try: Brazilian stroganoff / turkey stroganoff / halloumi stroganoff – some of these aren’t dairy free, but they are worth trying if you can!
Ingredient notes:
- Dairy free sour cream – I used vegan sour cream in this recipe to make it dairy free, but you can easily use regular sour cream if you prefer. If you want to make this dairy free but are unable to find a vegan or dairy free sour cream, you can make this recipe with a dairy free milk + cornstarch slurry, see notes in the recipe card for instructions.
- Beef bouillon – Many bouillon cubes contain some sort of dairy (in the form of whey or added proteins), so make sure you check your labels. I usually use this beef base because it’s allergy friendly. Use what’s best for you and always double check labels because manufacturer’s can change ingredients!
- Ground beef – I like to use leaner ground beef for the best flavor (typically 90/10), but any ground beef will work as long as you drain any excess grease. You can also swap in ground turkey if you prefer.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Want to add mushrooms? Slice 8 ounces of cremini or baby bella mushrooms and sauté them with the onions until they’re soft and browned before moving on to the roux step. They add a ton of flavor and some extra protein and fiber.
- Low heat for sour cream. High heat can cause dairy free sour cream to break, making the sauce thin and grainy. Make sure you reduce the heat when adding it to the pan and keep the heat at a simmer.
- Make it ahead. The sauce stores great in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to 6 months. But, cook the noodles fresh when you’re ready to serve so they don’t absorb too much liquid.
Frequently asked questions
I love using ground beef to make stroganoff, but if I can’t use that, I recommend using a decent quality steak, such as a sirloin steak. Just make sure you slice it against the grain before cooking.
Stroganoff sauce is a gravy-type sauce, usually made from thickened beef stock. It’s generally flavored with other ingredients such as sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard. In this recipe, I’ve used plant-based sour cream to make the recipe dairy free.
You can use vegan sour cream, cashew cream or even milk (plant or dairy). If you using milk, you’ll want to use a little less than the amount of sour cream the recipe calls for and add additional thickeners and a bit of acid from lemon juice or vinegar (about 1 teaspoon).
This stroganoff sauce is thickened with all-purpose flour, but you could also substitute cornstarch (use half the amount of flour listed)
Definitely not. You can serve this over potatoes, rice or any carb you prefer. We just like egg noodles the best.
More beef recipes you’ll love: Cincinnati chili recipe / beef barley soup / grilled meatloaf / chipotle pineapple beef
Ground Beef Stroganoff (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce package egg noodles
- 1 – 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/2 cup dairy free sour cream, see notes for alternatives
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon beef base, 2 bouillon cubes*
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Salt & pepper, to taste
To make this with dairy free milk: replace sour cream with 1.5 cups dairy free milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the egg noodles according to package directions for al dente. When they are cooked, drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks.Add the onions to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, until translucent and soft – about 5 minutes.
- Thicken and simmer. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and onion, stirring to evenly coat and allow the flour to absorb oil.Add the beef stock, sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire, and beef bouillon to the pan. Stir until combined, and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened.
- Toss the noodles. Transfer the cooked noodles into the pot with the sauce and stir until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper and garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Looks really good ♥
summerdaisy.net
interesting, Strogonoff with pasta… here in Brazil we eat it with white rice.
Did you use coconut milk in the cold section, from a can, or a box?
I used refrigerated coconut milk – I think it was Silk brand, but I can’t be sure. It’s a little thinner than the canned stuff. But you could use a can and you’ll get an even creamier texture.
Could I use lactose free milk instead of the coconut milk??
Yes. I have definitely done this before. I try to make my recipes dairy free to make them accessible to people with allergies, but we normally do lactose free. It works either way!
You said add beef broth 1 1/2 cups nut milk Dijon bouillon Worcestershire. But in the next step you said wisk together nut milk flour cornstarch. How. I would have used the nut milk all up
I am going to add mushrooms!
Oh awesome! I’m not the hugest fan of mushrooms so I never add them, but I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Good recipe, however beef bouillon cubes are not dairy free. They contain dried whey. Made it without the cubes and added a few extra ingredients to make it fully dairy free.
You’re right! Sometimes I can’t believe how much stuff they actually put it in. I actually use bouillon granules that have no dairy/whey listed. I just listed the cubes as an alternative, but I should probably note that they’re not dairy free. Thanks for pointing that out 🙂
What ingredients did you add?
This has become a new family favorite!
Thank you so much for the receipe! I my husband and I cannot do dairy or guam, which has a lactose effect in us also; but this was a great receipie. I did not have any cubes so I used Lipton beefy onion mix insteed…. and wow … amazing.. thank you so much for the new receipe!!! God Bless
That’s a great idea! I will have to keep that in mind if I’m ever in a pinch. I also wouldn’t have guessed that the onion mix would be dairy free! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Heads up my lipton beefy onion mix says may contain milk
I made this with gluten free noodles since I’m also gluten sensitive. I used onion dip powder and soy milk instead of coconut. I have a lot of broth, but otherwise I think it’s delicious
Are the egg noodles the hard kind you’d get off the shelf, or the soft kind you have to get from the freezer section?
I used the ones off the shelf. I think it was Creamette brand. 🙂
My husband is really picky when it comes to food so I was nervous about this recipe. However, it is the best beef stroganoff I have made! Amazing recipe!!! I used coconut cream instead of milk since that is all I had. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Thanks for sharing! I bet the coconut cream was so nice and creamy! I will have to try it out next time. 🙂