This Paleo and Whole30 spin on hearty Beef Stroganoff is just as creamy and delicious as the classic. The rich, tangy sauce is made with ground beef, mushrooms, onions, dill and dairy-free coconut cream and served over buttery potatoes and carrots.
A few weeks ago, Chris and I gave Martha Stewart's meal kit delivery service a whirl. It's called Marley Spoon, and the recipes are out of this world good. My favorite recipe was "Beef Stroganoff with Buttery Egg Noodles & Carrots." I've made Beef Stroganoff in the past, but Martha's method was by far the easiest and the most flavorful. I mean, it was a Martha Stewart recipe. I shouldn't have expected anything less.
This dish basically begged me to Paleo-fy it, so that's exactly what I did. By subbing the dairy and gluten containing ingredients with their dairy-free and gluten-free counterparts, I've made this recipe into a quick, easy and inexpensive Paleo and Whole30 meal the whole family will love.
Jump to:
So What is Beef Stroganoff?
Let's start with the basics. Beef Stroganoff originated from Russia in the mid 19th-century. It's essentially a tangy, rich sauce made with lean cuts of beef, sour cream, onions and mushrooms. There are hundreds of variations but typically the sauce is served over buttery egg noodles. It's simple, it's hearty and most importantly -IT'S DELICIOUS.
Ingredients for Dairy-Free Beef Stroganoff
In order to make this dish taste as authentic as possible while being dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30, sour cream is replaced with coconut cream to develop that classic stroganoff tanginess. Canned coconut cream is pretty easy to come by, but you can also chill a can of coconut milk and use the portion that solidifies at the top of the can. You'll also need:
- Mushrooms (White or Portobello)
- Onion
- Dill (Fresh or Dried)
- Garlic
- Ghee: Keep in mind that ghee isn't technically dairy-free because it's butterfat. However, it is lactose-free because the milk solids are filtered out. Use your favorite plant-based buttery spread if need be.
- Ground Beef
- Tapioca Starch (or Arrowroot Flour): You can use corn starch instead, but the dish will no longer be Paleo and Whole30 compliant.
- Beef Broth
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper
What to Serve with Ground Beef Stroganoff
For a filling Whole30 compliant meal, I recommend following the recipe as written and serving the Stroganoff over buttery boiled potatoes and carrots. Some other great options include:
- Egg Noodles
- Pasta
- Rice
- Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes
- Crispy Crushed Potatoes
How to Make Paleo & Whole30 Beef Stroganoff
If you're serving this dish with potatoes and carrots, you'll want to start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and prepping all of the ingredients.
Be sure to rinse and dry all produce thoroughly before prepping. To prep, chop the potatoes into ½" bite-size pieces, slice the carrots ¼" thick crosswise. thinly slice the mushrooms and medium dice the onion. If using fresh dill, finely chop the fronds and stems. Lastly, finely mince the garlic clove.
Go ahead and get the potatoes and carrots (or whatever you're serving this meal with) going before you start on the sauce. First, add the chopped potatoes to the pot of boiling salted water, and set a timer for 11 minutes. After 3 minutes, add the sliced carrots to the pot. Boil the potatoes and carrots together for the remaining 8 minutes (you can be working on the sauce while the potatoes and carrots are doing their thing).
When the potatoes and carrots are both fork-tender drain them and gently toss with 2 tablespoons ghee and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until the sauce is finished.
Now on to the main event! In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon ghee over medium-high heat. The ghee should be hot but not smoking. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper and brown, breaking into crumbles until cooked through (5 to 6 minutes).
Once the ground beef is evenly browned, add the mushrooms, onions, garlic and dill (reserving a quarter of the dill for garnish). Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms and onions begin to soften (5 to 6 minutes). Stir in tapioca starch to coat the ground beef and vegetables (the tapioca starch should no longer be visible).
Next, stir in beef broth and mustard, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces to about half (8 to 10 minutes). Finish the dish by adding the coconut cream, stirring until smooth and well-combined with beef and vegetables and continuing to simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Sauce will thicken more upon standing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the Beef Stroganoff over the boiled potatoes and carrots sprinkled with the remaining dill and dig in!
This dish is clean eating comfort food at it's very finest! If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear all about it! Leave you reviews in the comments below and tag me on social media @paleoishkrista! Feast on, foodies!
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Did this recipe suit your fancy? Awesome! Here's a few more you'll probably enjoy!
- Whole30 Thai Red Curry Beef Bowls
- Instant Pot Asian Beef Stew with Root Vegetables | Paleo & Whole30
- Whole30 Salisbury Steak with Gluten-free Mushroom Gravy
- Instant Pot Beef, Sausage and Butternut Squash Chili
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📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Stroganoff | Dairy-Free, Paleo & Whole30
Ingredients
- 1 pound red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes
- ½ pound carrots
- 8 ounces white mushrooms or baby bellas
- 1 large yellow onion
- ¼ cup fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dried
- 1 large garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons ghee divided
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or arrowroot flour
- 2 cups beef broth or beef bone broth
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ cup coconut cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Prep ingredients
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Meanwhile, begin prepping ingredients. Rinse and dry all produce before using. Chop potatoes into ½" bite-size pieces. Slice carrots ¼" thick crosswise. Thinly slice mushrooms. Medium dice onion. If using fresh dill, finely chop fronds and stems. Finely mince garlic clove.
Boil Potatoes & Carrots
- Add chopped potatoes to the pot of boiling salted water. Set a timer for 11 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add sliced carrots to the pot. Boil potatoes and carrots together for the remaining 8 minutes
- Drain well, return to pot, toss with 2 tablespoons ghee and season to taste with salt and pepper; cover and set aside.
Prepare Ground Beef Stroganoff Style Sauce while Potatoes & Carrots are Boiling
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon ghee over medium-high heat. Ghee should be hot but not smoking. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper and brown, breaking into crumbles until cooked through (5 to 6 minutes).
- Add mushrooms, onions, garlic and dill (reserve a quarter of the dill for garnish). Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms and onions begin to soften (5 to 6 minutes).
- Stir in tapioca starch until the beef and vegetables are coated (the tapioca starch should no longer be visible).
- Stir in beef broth and mustard, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half (8 to 10 minutes).
- Add coconut cream to skillet, gently toss until smooth and well-combined with beef and vegetables and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve Ground Beef Stroganoff over boiled potatoes and carrots and garnish with remaining dill. Enjoy!