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!
I’m excited to try this! I am cooking it tonight using lentil noodles and gf flour for a dairy and gluten free dinner. Thank you 🙂
Awesome! I hope you love it!
K I have never used egg noodles before and it doesn’t specify if you are supposed to cook them separately and then add them or cook them with the beef and broth hamburger helper style. What do I do? Also, what if you use regular pasta? Will it work out fine?
Oh no. I’ll have to fix that. You should definitely cook them before adding. I will be updating the post this week sometime, so I’ll be sure to clarify! Thanks so much!
I am really confused with this recipe as written. Is milk OR sour cream? On or the other?
Also, beef bouillon in addition to beef broth?
Really wanted to make this tonight but the recipe doesn’t even match the video. I really hope you update this because it’s the type of recipe I like.
Thanks
how much nut milk do you add into the flour and cornstarch? You say 1 1/2 cup divided in the ingredient list and add it with the beef broth – so how much needs to be kept aside for the flour? thanks!
You can actually whisk the flour and cornstarch into the full amount of nut milk and just add it when you add the broth. Just be sure to whisk it right before you add it, otherwise the mixture can settle and you’ll end up with clumps.
Does anyone else notice the recipe calls got 1 1/2 cups nut milk divided but then says to add all 1 1/2 cups of milk all at once and then says use remaining milk but there isnt any left
Hi Megan! Thanks so much for pointing that out. I’m working on updating this recipe to make it a bit easier to make. As long as you whisk the nut milk with the thickener just before adding it, you don’t need to divide the dairy free milk.
How much nut milk is “remaining” in step 5? Because according to the amount listed in ingredients, it all goes in in step 4.
This was a hit! We just recently decided to try eliminating dairy for one of our kiddos and I have been overwhelmed figuring it out! I subbed unsweetened plant milk (Bolthouse brand) and just used knorr beef bouillon powder to make the broth and add the extra
My husband needs low sodium too so I didn’t use quite as much. After reading comments, I guess I need to check if it was dairy free. But my picky eaters loved it and it will definitely be a regular! Thank you!!
Yes, you definitely want to double check the ingredients of your bouillon – especially beef because companies seem to boost flavor in beef bouillon by adding whey! But I’m glad you liked the recipe!! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
I am confused on steps 4&5 – do I add the milk to the pan or do I whisk it with flour? It says in step 4 to add1.5 cups to the pan, but then there wouldn’t be anyway to use in step 5? Help!
You want to whisk the flour and liquids together separately and then whisk them into the pan. Mixing the flour with cold liquid helps prevent lumps when you add it to the pan. Does that help?
could you use chicken or beef strips instead. my grandaughter and her family are all alergic to dairy. please reply to my email as I am a senior and not great with computers . thank you
Anyone use or know of a good substitute for the Worcestershire sauce?? I have to avoid soy and dairy, but my family has always enjoyed stroganoff…
There is no soy in Worcestershire sauce
there are recipes online for soy free worchestershire. I have some in my fridge right now. It’s seasonings, coconut aminos, fish sauce and afew other things. I plan to make this for my soy and dairy free kids tonight!
1. Which beef broth do you use in this recipe?
2. Are there other brands of (beef cubes or (dairy free beef flavorings/seasonings) that can be used in place of the one that needs to be ordered from Amazon?
Thank you so much.