Beef Chunks in Sour Cream – A Slow Cooked Cubed Beef Recipe

Looking for a hearty meal that satisfies the meat and potato lovers in your life? This Beef Chunks in Sour Cream recipe makes its own gravy that is perfect served over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles.

This slow cooked cubed beef recipe creates tender pieces of meat that you can cut with a fork. If you need a beef stew meat recipe for those packages of meat in the freezer, this one is for you!

Beef Chunks in Sour Cream – A Slow Cooked Cubed Beef Recipe

I was on the hunt for a blueberry recipe in my Minnesota Centennial Cook Book, and suddenly it was like “Squirrel”, and I landed on this Sour Cream Cubed Beef Recipe.

You know what I mean, right. You are on one path, and it’s like when a dog sees a squirrel, and suddenly you are on a completely different path. This happens to me a lot.

Well I’m sure glad it did, because this beef chunks in sour cream recipe is awesome. I ended up making it for lunch the same day with some beef stew meat in the freezer.

I am always looking for new ways to use beef stew meat. This one is very much like a Beef Stroganoff without cream of mushroom soup. But, I would have to say it’s better! I made it on the stove-top but it would be perfect for the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker, too.

Beef Stroganoff Without Cream of Mushroom Soup

The simple ingredients in this slow cooked cubed beef recipe are probably already in your pantry and refrigerator.

The beef stroganoff gravy is flavored with a few dried herbs and spices including salt, dried oregano, dried basil and paprika. Want to know a little secret? If you have either dried oregano or dried basil but not both, just double the amount of the one you do have and run with it. I may or may not have done that a time or two myself.

Sour cream is the key ingredient in this beef stew meat with gravy. It’s actually a very important ingredient when using up that tough beef stew meat from the freezer.

What does sour cream do to meat? Sour cream acts as a tenderizer for the meat because it is a high acidic food. The acid in the sour cream helps break down the tough meat fibers for a more tender dish.

How do you make beef stew meat tender?

There’s two important steps to making tough beef stew meat fork tender.

1. The Cooking Method
2. Tenderizing Ingredients

First, beef stew meat should be cooked in a low and slow method. This could either be in the crock pot or slow cooker, or in the oven or on the stove-top on a low heat for a longer time. A good example would be to simmer the beef stew meat in a gravy on low while covered on the stove top.

Secondly, your recipe for beef stew meat should include some type of high acid food such as sour cream, vinegar, fruit juice, beer or wine, coffee or some type of cola. The natural acids in these food will help break down the tough meat fibers for a more chewable dish. Properly tenderized beef makes all the difference.

Beef Stew Meat with Gravy Ingredients

• Cubed Beef (also called Beef Stew Meat)
• Vegetable Oil
• Onions, thinly sliced
• Sour Cream
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Dried Basil
• Dried Oregano
• Salt
• Paprika

How to Make Slow Cooked Beef Cubes in Sour Cream

Step By Step Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
2. Coat beef tips in flour.
3. Brown floured beef stew meat in hot oil over medium-high heat. You may need to do this in batches, adding more oil between each batch.
4. Remove all browned beef stew meat to a plate.
5. Brown onion slices in same oil.
6. Add beef stew meat, sour cream, mushrooms, salt, dried oregano and basil, and paprika to the onions, and stir.
7. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring often until meat is tender and gravy is formed.
8. Serve the beef cubes and the stroganoff sauce over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered egg noodles. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley.

For the full ingredient amounts and instructions for sour cream beef stew meat, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• Try browning the cubed beef in batches to ensure they get a nice brown color. If you overcrowd the pan, the beef doesn’t brown as well. Just remove the beef to a plate once browned, and add a new batch.  You may need to add more oil to the pan too.
• If you have either dried oregano or dried basil, but not both, just double the amount of the one you have.
• When you have all of the ingredients in the pan, cover it and cook on low, letting it simmer slowly. Stir occasionally.
• When you first add the sour cream and other ingredients to the beef, it will be very thick. It will form its own gravy as it cooks.
• Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles.
• This recipe can be made in the Crock Pot too. After browning the cubed beef and mushrooms, add all ingredients to the slow cooker insert, cover and cook on low until the meat is tender.
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Recipe Variations

• Add your favorite vegetables to the dish while it is stewing. Carrots and celery are my favorite additions.
• Like a bit of spice, add a generous amount of black pepper.
• Garlic is a great addition to almost any meal.
• Looking to go dairy-free? Swap beef broth for sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt is another possible substitution for sour cream.
• Add a dash or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or Dijon mustard for more pizzazz.
• Make a red wine sauce by substituting red wine for sour cream.
• For a shortcut, substitute all the dried herbs for a packet or dry onion soup mix.
• Serve topped with fresh parsley or diced green onions.
• Use different types of mushrooms other than white button mushrooms such as cremini mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms.

What cut of beef makes best stew meat?

The best cuts of beef for a slow cooked beef stew tend to be cuts with large amounts of connective tissue. This collagen breaks down during the cooking process and turns into a gelatinous mixture, resulting in a moist and tender stew. Cuts of beef with higher amounts of collagen include chuck roast and round roast.

What are some good recipes to cook beef cubes for dinner?

• Easy Crockpot Beef Stew with Beer
• Beef Chunks in Sour Cream – A Slow Cooked Cubed Beef Recipe
• Mom’s Crock Pot Beef Stew – Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe
• Crock Pot Minestrone with Cubed Beef
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
• Instant Pot Hawaiian Beef

Recipes Using Beef Stew Meat

Beef stew meat can be intimidating to use as it’s often tough pieces of meat, but trust us when we say it’s worth finding some recipes featuring this cut of beef. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Mom’s Beef Stew (Crock Pot)
• Crock Pot Minestrone
• Sunday Church Beef Tips and Gravy
• Beef Stew with Beer (Slow Cooker)

Can you use cream cheese instead of sour cream?

Yes, you can use cream cheese instead of sour cream in this recipe as a substitution. However, the flavor and texture of the dish will be different, as cream cheese has a richer taste and is denser than sour cream.