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Best Beef and Noodles Recipe | Crockpot, Instant Pot

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This beef and noodles recipe is easy to make and the ultimate comfort food with simple, but delicious ingredients that will make your taste buds sing.

A plate full of the best beef and noodles recipe

Tender chunks of beef stew meat, mushrooms, beef gravy, red wine, and onions pair together to make this easy recipe.

Cooked low and slow on the stovetop, in the crockpot, or a quick meal put together in the instant pot leaves versatility while not compromising on the simplicity and flavor of this simple beef and noodles recipe.

This is definitely one of my favorite meals. I remember eating it when I was a child and being so happy when it graced the table. It’s such a delicious recipe, but so easy and something your whole family will love.

Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sundays, you’ll have this meal on the table in no time. You can find the exact measurements and full recipe for all of the methods in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Tips for Making Beef and Noodles

Plate full of steaming, tender beef on top of gray soaked noodles
  • Sear the meat. Regardless of which method you use to cook this beef and noodles recipe, make sure you sear the meat first. Take your time and sear it in batches to not overcrowd the skillet for the best results and flavor.
  • Use beef gravy as your base. A lot of folks use cream of mushroom soup, which is good, but closely resembles beef stroganoff, in my opinion. So, I save the cream of mushroom for venison stroganoff.
  • Different cuts of beef can be used in this recipe. Feel free to use stew meat, cut up your own chuck roast (removing the fat), slice up sirloin steak, or even use beef tips. They’re all good and with the cooking method they’ll all turn out tender and delicious.
  • Homemade noodles can be used, but aren’t necessary. We love this homemade egg noodle recipe, but let’s face it, it takes time. So, don’t feel bad if you use frozen noodles or even dried ones.
  • Don’t skip the wine. While you can skip it or substitute beef stock, you just won’t have the same flavor. Much like venison bolognese, it helps create some really rich flavors but doesn’t need to be even a $20 bottle.
  • Cook egg noodles in beef broth. While you can boil them in plain water, the best flavor will come from using beef broth. You don’t have to use only beef broth, either. Just add a quart and top off with water and you’ll still get that nice, beefy flavor. Alternatively, use a homemade bouillon cube.

Beef and Noodles on the Stovetop

Black plate on a counter topped with a heap of beef and noodles

Old-fashioned beef and noodles are, of course, made on the stovetop. While this method does take the longest of the three methods, it can be worthwhile if you have the time. The flavor, in my opinion, is a bit richer and the meat takes on a tenderness that it just doesn’t get, even in a slow cooker.

Season the beef and sear. Sprinkle garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper onto the cubed beef to taste. Sear the beef in a large dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil. Sear the beef in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Set the browned beef to the side until all of the beef has been seared.

Add ingredients and simmer. Add the beef back to the pot and top with beef gravy, and a quartered onion. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, continue a low simmer, covered, for 2 hours or until meat is tender. If the gravy is starting to cook down a little too much, you can add some additional broth to the mix to help thin it down.

Add mushrooms and wine. Once the meat is tender, add in sliced mushrooms and red wine. Continue a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

Boil noodles. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and boil egg noodles according to the recipe or package directions while the wine and mushrooms are simmering.

Serve hot. Serve hot beef mixture over noodles.

Crockpot Beef and Noodles

Closeup of beef and noodles on a plate

Slow cooker beef and noodles are probably my favorite variations of this recipe. It’s simple to put together and I don’t have to be in the kitchen. It results in amazing, tender beef without a ton of work or watching the stove all day.

Season and sear the beef. Sprinkle seasonings onto cubed beef to taste. In a large skillet heat up some olive oil. Sear the beef over medium-high heat in batches until all sides are nicely browned.

Add ingredients to slow cooker. Add the seared beef, browned bits from the skillet, beef gravy, and quartered onion to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until meat is tender.

Add remaining ingredients. Add sliced mushrooms and red wine to the beef, and gravy mixture in the crockpot and stir to combine. Recover the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes while you boil the noodles in a separate pot.

Instant Pot Beef and Noodles

Another time-saving strategy is the instant pot. This can put dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes for a busy weeknight when you feel like you don’t have time to cook.

Sear beef. Heat olive oil in an instant pot on the sauté setting. Add the seasoned beef in batches, being sure to brown it well on all sides, and remove to a plate until all the beef is browned.

Add ingredients & pressure cook. Add a quartered onion, beef gravy, mushrooms, and red wine to the instant pot. Secure lid and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release.

Boil noodles. Just like the other variations, you have to boil the noodles separately. So, bring a pot of water to boil and prepare noodles while the beef is cooking.

What to Serve with Beef and Noodles

This is definitely a meal on its own. However, I love serving it on top of mashed potatoes like my chicken and noodles. A side of smoked corn goes well. Some other ideas are:

How to Freeze Beef and Noodles

Beef and noodles can be frozen. Making this a great recipe to double, triple, or add to your batch cooking day. However, do not add the noodles to the beef mixture.

To freeze, follow the directions for whichever cooking method you prefer, omitting to prepare the noodles. Place it in an airtight, freezer-save dish and allow it to cool. Place it in the freezer where it can be kept for up to 4 months.

To reheat, remove it from the freezer, place it in a pot, add a half-cup or so of beef broth and warm it over low heat. Cook the noodles while you’re warming up the gravy and meat mixture.

More Comfort Food Recipes:

If you try this beef and noodles recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, I’d love if you could leave me a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ recipe review on the recipe card below and tag me on instagram @therusticelk!

A plate full of beef and noodles
Yield: Serves 8

Beef and Noodles

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Beef and noodles that can be made on the stovetop, in a crockpot, or even in the instant pot with only a few ingredients, a little time, and will quickly become a family favorite.

Ingredients

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

  1. Season cubed beef with salt, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
  2. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Add seasoned beef in batches, searing on all sides and removing to a a plate until all beef is browned.
  3. Add all beef back to the pot and pour over gravy and add quartered onion. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least 2 hours, or until beef is tender.
  5. Add sliced mushrooms and wine to the mixture. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, uncovered, while noodles are prepared according to package instructions in a separate pot.

Crockpot Instructions

  1. Season cubed beef with salt, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned beef to skillet in batches, searing on all sides and removing to a plate until all of the beef is browned.
  3. Mix together the beef, browned bits from the skillet, gravy, and quartered onion in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  4. Remove the lid, and add sliced mushrooms and red wine. Recover and cook for an additional 20 minutes while the egg noodles are prepared.

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Season cubed beef with seasonings.
  2. Heat olive oil in an instant pot on the sauté feature. Add the seasoned beef in batches, searing on all sides and removing browned beef to a plate until all of the meat is browned.
  3. Add all of the seared beef, the quartered onion, red wine, and sliced mushrooms to the instant pot.
  4. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
  5. Allow pressure to release naturally, cook noodles in a separate large pot while the beef and gravy mixture is cooking.

    Notes

    This dish reheats well the next day, but do not add the noodles to the mixture, cook them separately. To reheat, warm the beef mixture in a large pot over low heat and cook fresh egg noodles in a separate pot.

    This dish also freezes. Make extra of the beef mixture and allow it to cool before storing in a freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat, add the mixture to a large pot and warm over low heat. Cook egg noodles in a separate pot.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    8

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1307mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 39g

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