Beef and Noodles

This easy crockpot beef and noodles recipe is made with beef stew meat, onion, and garlic in a creamy brown gravy. Lastly, toss with egg noodles for a mouth-watering meal with minimal effort.

Why this recipe works

This beef and noodles recipe is similar to beef stew, minus the veggies and plus noodles! It’s hearty, comforting, and hits the spot. Making it in the crockpot eliminates a lot of prep work and leaves you with tender, juicy beef cooked low and slow with a super simple creamy gravy.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BEEF – Stewing beef, aka beef stew meat, is typically cubed chunks of chuck roast or round roast. This type of beef is ideal for cooking in the crockpot as it’s tough and tenderizes well when slowly cooked. You can also use round steak, round roast, or chuck roast and cut it into cubes yourself. Coating the cubed beef in flour and browning it in a skillet prior to adding it to the crockpot adds a light layer of crust.

NOODLES – Egg noodles are what we reach for first when it comes to serving beef with a noodle, however, you can substitute with your favorite pasta if desired!

GRAVY – The gravy is made from both beef broth and cream of mushroom soup.

VEGETABLES – As mentioned above, this is not a beef stew, so you won’t find loads of veggies in this dish aside from onion and garlic. Both of which add plenty of flavor along with the seasonings and the cream of mushroom soup used in the gravy. Either yellow or white onions will work for this recipe.

How to Make Beef and Noodles

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Place beef in a bowl or a bag with all-purpose flour and cover completely.
2. Working in batches, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and brown the meat, half at a time, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and complete the other half. Place browned meat into the crockpot when complete.
3. Pour the final tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and add in onions and garlic, cook until soft (you do not need to clean the pan in between).
4. Season the onions and garlic with the salt, dried thyme, and ground pepper, then transfer to the crockpot.
5. Add the beef broth and canned cream of mushroom soup to the crockpot and mix to incorporate.
6. Set on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8. Just before the beef is complete cook the egg noodles following the instructions on the bag. When ready to serve, mix them in the crockpot to incorporate with beef and plate with freshly chopped parsley.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Store cooled leftover beef and noodles in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave. The longer the mixture sits in the refrigerator, the more the noodles will soak up the surrounding gravy. Add a splash of beef broth before reheating to help add moisture back.

Sure, you can easily freeze the beef and gravy mixture if you wanted to by placing it in an air-tight container (without too much space at the top). Freeze for up to 2 months. I would recommend holding off on adding the noodles until you are ready to serve as they are best when fresh. Thaw the beef and gravy mixture in the refrigerator overnight and reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop.

The two are quite similar when you see them on the surface but there are a few differences to note. While beef stroganoff can certainly be made with stew meat, we typically like to use a higher quality cut in this dish. Beef stroganoff also incorporates fresh mushrooms and uses a rich homemade gravy made with sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Beef and noodles can technically be considered the simplified version of stroganoff using cream of mushroom soup and beef stew meat.

Serving Suggestions

Serve beef and noodles with chunks of crusty bread, garlic bread, dinner rolls, or any kind of bread really! It’s also great with roasted vegetables or a fresh salad on the side. Enjoy warm from the crockpot.

More Beef Crockpot Recipes

• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Crockpot Beef Burgundy
• Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
• Crockpot Roast Beef
• Crockpot Ground Beef Casserole

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