Keto beef stroganoff is the low-carb version of the classic Russian dish — thinly sliced beef braised in beef stock with mushrooms, finished with sour cream for a rich, creamy sauce. Where most keto versions use quick-sear sirloin, this one uses brisket braised low and slow, which gives you a deeper, more complex sauce and beef that pulls apart rather than chewy strips. Two hours on the stovetop, 2g net carbs per serving, 12 servings from one batch.
I’ve been cooking this on keto for years and the brisket version beats the quick-sear approach for one specific reason: the braising liquid reduces into the sauce. You get a proper beef flavor in the sour cream, not just cream with beef sitting in it. I’ve made this in a cast iron pot over a camp stove plenty of times — it holds heat well and the longer braise actually gives you more flexibility with timing than a fast recipe does.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of which cut of beef works best and why, what to serve it with on keto, slow cooker adaptation notes, and a full FAQ section built from the most common questions. The recipe card is further down.
At a Glance
Recipe Basics
✓ 2g net carbs per serving
✓ 12 servings per batch
✓ Prep: 15 minutes — Cook: 2 hours
✓ 482 calories per serving
✓ Gluten free
Beef
✓ Beef brisket, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch)
✓ 3 pounds — feeds 12 as a main
Sauce
✓ Sour cream — full fat only
✓ Beef stock (bone broth for richer flavor)
✓ Tomato paste and red wine vinegar — depth and acidity
✓ No flour or starch thickener needed — sauce reduces naturally
Storage
✓ Refrigerator: up to 5 days
✓ Freezer: up to 3 months
This dish is part of my keto beef recipes collection, where you’ll find other delicious meals such as our keto beef and broccoli.
Which Beef to Use for Keto Stroganoff
The cut of beef changes how the dish works. Here’s what each option gives you.
Beef brisket is what this recipe uses. It has a higher fat content than sirloin or flank, and when sliced thin and braised for two hours the fat renders into the sauce. The result is a richer braising liquid that integrates with the sour cream at the end. Slice it no thicker than a quarter inch — it should be thin enough that a two-hour braise gets it fork-tender without needing a slow cooker.
Chuck roast is the next best option if brisket isn’t available. Same fat marbling, similar braise behavior. Cut it into thin strips across the grain. Chuck is often cheaper and easier to find pre-cut as stew meat, though pre-cut stew pieces are usually too thick — trim them down or ask the butcher to slice it for you.
Sirloin or flank steak will work but these are leaner cuts better suited to a quick-sear method (10–15 minutes total), not the two-hour braise in this recipe. If you use sirloin, reduce cook time significantly — sear in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, then add the stock and simmer for just 15–20 minutes. The sauce will be thinner and milder without the rendered fat from brisket.
Ground beef is the fastest option at around 20 minutes total. The sauce texture changes — with ground beef it becomes more of a meat sauce than a traditional stroganoff — but it’s a solid weeknight shortcut.
What to Serve with Keto Beef Stroganoff
Traditionally stroganoff is served over egg noodles. On keto, the straightforward substitutes are:
Cauliflower mash is the best pairing for this braise — the sauce soaks into the mash rather than sitting on top of it, which is what you want with a braise this rich. The recipe on this site makes a buttery mash that absorbs the stroganoff sauce well.
Cauliflower rice works for a lighter plate. Steam it, pat it dry, and spoon the stroganoff over the top. The cauliflower rice texture won’t hold up to the sauce the same way mash does, but it’s lower effort.
Zucchini noodles are the closest to the traditional egg noodle experience if you want something that looks the part. Spiralize the zucchini raw and serve immediately after adding the hot stroganoff — the heat from the sauce will soften them without needing to cook them separately. Don’t pre-cook them or they’ll waterlog.
Cabbage noodles — shred a quarter head of cabbage into thin strips and sauté in butter for 3–4 minutes until soft. Earthy flavor, holds up well under a heavy sauce, and one of the cheapest options.
How to Make It in the Slow Cooker
The brisket braise in this recipe adapts easily to a slow cooker. Brown the beef and aromatics in a skillet first to build flavor, then transfer everything except the sour cream to the slow cooker. Add the stock, tomato paste, and vinegar, and cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours. Add the mushrooms in the last 2 hours so they don’t turn to mush. Stir in the sour cream off the heat just before serving — if you add it while the pot is still on the heat it will split.
The main difference from the stovetop method: the sauce won’t reduce as much in a slow cooker, so it will be a thinner consistency. To thicken it, stir in a small amount of xanthan gum (start with 1/4 teaspoon, it goes a long way) during the last 30 minutes with the lid off.
Keto Beef Stroganoff
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 small Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 3 pounds Beef Brisket thinly sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper ground
- 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 cups Beef Stock
- 1 pound Mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Place a large saucepan over high heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic and thyme.1/4 cup olive oil, 1 small Onion, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
- Saute until the onion is starting to turn translucent. Add the beef, salt and pepper and saute until browned.3 pounds Beef Brisket, 1-2 teaspoons Salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Add the tomato paste and cook out for 5 minutes.1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- Add the red wine vinegar and stir well. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.2 cups Beef Stock
- Add the mushrooms and continue to simmer for another hour.1 pound Mushrooms
- Remove from the heat and stir through the sour cream.1 cup Sour Cream
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately with a side of Buttery Cauliflower Mash.
Notes
Nutrition
Pro Tips
Slice the brisket cold — straight from the refrigerator. Room-temperature brisket is harder to cut thin and will tear rather than slice. A sharp knife and cold meat are the two things that separate a clean quarter-inch slice from a ragged chunk.
The sour cream goes in off the heat. This is the step most people get wrong. Pull the pan completely off the burner, let it stop simmering, then stir the sour cream through. Adding it to boiling liquid splits the fat and you end up with a grainy sauce.
Let the tomato paste cook out properly. The recipe calls for cooking the tomato paste for 5 minutes before adding the vinegar. Don’t skip or rush this — raw tomato paste has an acidic, metallic edge. Five minutes in hot oil caramelizes it and pushes the flavor toward something rounder.
Bone broth instead of beef stock raises the flavor ceiling. If you have it, use it. The gelatin in bone broth helps the sauce coat the beef more thickly, and the flavor is noticeably deeper.
Reader Tips
“I used leftover rare cooked flank steak. I cooked down the broth before adding the steak at the end so I didn’t overcook the meat. Added it a couple of minutes before taking it off the heat and adding sour cream. A good and easy recipe.”
★★★★★ Molly J Madden
“Best strog I’ve ever tasted.”
★★★★★ Emma
Frequently Asked Questions
Thinly sliced brisket or chuck roast are the best cuts for a long braise because their fat content renders into the sauce over time, producing a richer result. For a quick 20-minute stovetop version, use sirloin or flank steak cut against the grain into thin strips. Ground beef also works for a weeknight shortcut, though the texture and sauce character are different.
Yes. Brown the beef and onions in a skillet first, then transfer everything except the sour cream to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours, adding mushrooms in the last 2 hours. Stir the sour cream in off the heat just before serving. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, add a small amount of xanthan gum during the last 30 minutes with the lid off.
Sour cream splits when added to a boiling or very hot liquid. The fat separates from the proteins and you get a grainy-looking sauce. Fix: pull the pan completely off the heat, let it stop simmering, then stir in the sour cream. If you want extra insurance, temper the sour cream first — mix a few tablespoons of the hot braising liquid into the sour cream in a small bowl before adding it to the pan.
This recipe has 2g net carbs per serving (3g total carbs minus 1g fiber) based on the nutritional panel in the recipe card. The carbs come primarily from the onion, tomato paste, and mushrooms. The sour cream, beef, and stock contribute negligible carbs.
Yes. Use 2 pounds of ground beef in place of the brisket. Brown it in the oil with the onions and garlic, then add the tomato paste, vinegar, and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes rather than two hours — ground beef doesn’t need a long braise. The sauce won’t develop the same depth as the brisket version, but it’s a solid 30-minute weeknight option.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To freeze, cool completely first, then store for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally — avoid high heat or the sour cream sauce may split on reheating. Add a splash of beef stock if needed to loosen the consistency.
Button mushrooms and cremini (baby bella) mushrooms are the most common choices. Cremini have a slightly earthier flavor. Either works — the key point is to add them late in the cook (last hour for the stovetop version, last 2 hours for slow cooker) so they retain some texture and don’t dissolve into the sauce.
Traditional beef stroganoff is not keto — it typically uses flour as a thickener and is served over egg noodles, adding significant carbs. This version eliminates the flour entirely (the sauce thickens through reduction and the fat from the brisket) and uses cauliflower mash or zucchini noodles as the base. The result is 2g net carbs per serving versus 25–40g in a traditional serving.
More Recipes
- Carnivore Chuck Roast
- Low Carb Beef Chili
- Keto Chicken Soup
- Keto Bacon Mushroom Omelette
- Keto Indian Chicken Curry
How thinly sliced does the brisket need to be? Deli thin? Quarter inch?
This looks really good!
Hi Jennifer, a quarter inch should be perfect. Thanks for your kind words also : )
This was quite tasty. The addition of tomato paste and red wine vinegar gave it a great zing. Reminded me of a Spanish dish I had once.
Is a Different flavor profile than traditional Russian stroganoff that feature beef and mushroom flavors.
I would make this again though. The zing was bright and balanced the oil and butter nicely.
I used leftover rare cooked flank steak. I cooked down the broth before adding steak at the end so didn’t overcook meat. Added a couple minutes before taking of heat and adding sour cream. A good and easy recipe.
Hey Molly, thank you so much for your review we really appreciate it. It’s nice to get good feedback and some handy adaptations as well.
Excellent!
Thanks, Kelli.
Best strog I’ve ever tasted
Thank you for your kind words, Emma!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Yum! Used beef tips and it came out great!
Yummmm I followed steps 1-3 and than just chucked everything in the slow cooker for 4 hours on high as I used really chunky diced beef. Turned out awesome I ate it with cauliflower mash and hubby had it with potato mash. He loved it even though he’s told me for the past 10 years he doesn’t like mushroom haha! Thanks, great recipe.
Loved it think I’m going to try with chicken instead of beef next keep you posted x
Wow!
Worth the time to make this!
I had some beef tips and used that instead. I am so impressed with the flavor.
I did cut the cooking time down as my reduced quicker.
I added some cream and served over zeronoodles and I am in heaven.
Will 100% make again
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Molly! Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Forgot to add I served this to hubby with noodles and he never knew it was low carb. Mine was served with cauliflower rice. This stroganoff was so flavorful that I didn’t taste the cauliflower so didn’t feel like I was eating just another cauliflower dish. Yum!
This is such a great recipe! I didn’t have a brisket so used thinly sliced round steak and reduced the cooking time. I also added a large beef bouillon cube to the stock since I was concerned that reducing cooking time wouldn’t allow for fully developed beef taste. It turned out beautifully and was one of the best stroganoffs I’ve ever eaten! I can only imagine how it would taste with the brisket; will be trying that next. What a great comfort food. Thanks so much for posting!
Thank you for your kind words, Judy! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! Just few simple instructions and it’s done…Great! I am really not good while estimating the ingredients amount to be used but the recipe card worked for me!
Thanks for your kind words Celine