Craving comfort food without the hassle? Try our Easy Beef Stroganoff recipe! Ready in 30 minutes, it’s rich, creamy & divine.
Serve with Garlic Roasted Green Beans for a complete meal everyone will love.
Looking for a quick and easy dinner idea that’s both comforting and delicious? Look no further than this Beef Stroganoff recipe! Tender beef strips are seared to perfection and smothered in a delectable, creamy mushroom sauce that will please even the pickiest eaters. This classic comfort food is easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekends at home. Your family and friends will love this hearty and flavorful meal!
Why This Recipe Works
- Quickly searing the meat gives it a deep taste without overcooking.
- Sautéed mushrooms, onions, and garlic add depth and complexity.
- Dry mustard powder and white wine or vermouth contribute a tangy flavor to the sauce.
- Sour cream adds creaminess to the dish as well as a flavorful tang.
What Is Stroganoff Sauce Made Of?
Stroganoff sauce is typically made of a combination of sautéed onions, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth or stock, and sour cream. Other common ingredients include flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce, butter, olive oil, and white wine or dry vermouth for flavor. Some recipes may also call for adding Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or other herbs and spices to enhance the taste. The sauce is often served over tender beef strips and paired with egg noodles or rice for a comforting and satisfying meal.
What cut of beef is best?
The best cut of beef for beef stroganoff is tender and flavorful, with a fine texture that doesn’t become tough or stringy when cooked. A popular choice is beef sirloin steak, which is both tender and flavorful, making it perfect for this dish. Other good options include flank steak, tenderloin, or rib-eye steak. It’s important to slice the beef against the grain into thin strips before cooking to ensure it stays tender. If you’re on a budget, you can also use ground beef.
Ingredient Notes
Steak: For Beef Stroganoff, it’s best to slice the steak thinly, about a quarter-inch thick, so that it cooks quickly and stays tender. If the steak is too thick, it may become tough and difficult to chew. So, it’s important to slice the steak against the grain into thin strips before cooking.
Olive oil: Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, or grapeseed oil. If you don’t have these oils on hand, you can also use avocado or peanut oil.
Butter: Salted or unsalted butter can be used. You can use coconut oil or vegan butter if you prefer a dairy-free option.
Onion: Yellow or white onions are best, but red can be used too. If you don’t have a large onion, use two medium-sized onions or 3 small shallots instead.
Mushrooms: Brown mushrooms work best in this recipe, but you can also use white mushrooms or a combination.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is best. You can use garlic powder or minced garlic from a jar if you don’t have fresh garlic.
Flour: Use all-purpose/plain flour. You can also use a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch instead if you’re gluten-free.
Beef stock: Two cups of beef stock or beef broth. Homemade is best, but you can use store-bought. You can also use vegetable stock if you don’t have beef.
Worcestershire sauce: You can use soy sauce if you need a substitution.
Dry mustard: Also known as mustard powder, dry mustard is found with spices in most grocery stores. You can use Dijon or yellow mustard if you don’t have it.
Paprika: Use sweet paprika, not smoked.
Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream is best as low fat becomes too liquidy when heated. You can use crème fraîche instead, but be sure to taste to see if extra vinegar is needed.
Vinegar: Use white wine, cider, or any other mild vinegar, which adds brightness and enhances the other flavors in the sauce.
Parsley: Fresh parsley is best. If you don’t have any, you can use chives instead.
Mushrooms: For this recipe, I use cremini mushrooms (aka chestnut mushrooms), which have a nice, meaty flavor that pairs well with the beef. Baby Bella’s work well too, but white mushrooms are good if that’s what you prefer.
Step By Step Instructions
Begin by preparing the steak. Take 1.5 lbs of steak, pat it dry with paper towels, and season it with salt. Then slice it thinly against the grain, about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick large skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef strips in a single layer. Quickly sear the beef strips on both sides for about until browned.
Steak overcooks really fast, so it’s important not to leave it on the heat for too long.
Searing the beef at this thickness cooked in a preheated pan over high heat should only take 30 seconds to a minute.
Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Once it has melted, add 1 large chopped onion and 1 lb of sliced brown mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked.
Be sure to cook the mushrooms until cook until the they are browned and any liquid that they release has evaporated.
Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the mushroom mixture and stir well to combine.
Cook for another minute or two to cook the flour. Then slowly stir in 2 cups of beef stock.
Add 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Stir to combine and let the mixture simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened.
Lower the heat to the lowest setting and stir in 1/3 cup of sour cream,1 teaspoon of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsely, the cooked steak, and any accumulated juices.
Be sure to keep the heat low as boiling sour cream can cause the sauce to curdle.
Cook until the steak is warmed through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, black pepper, or Worcestershire sauce as needed .
Serve and enjoy over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare Stroganoff sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, cook the steak strips and reheat the sauce over medium-low heat. Add in the cooked steak before serving.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
To store leftovers: Store leftover stroganoff in an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours. Reheat on the stove or microwave, adding broth/milk to thin if needed. Do not refreeze leftovers that have already been thawed.
Freezing Instructions: Beef Stroganoff can be frozen, but it’s best to freeze the sauce and steak separately to prevent the dish from becoming too watery upon reheating. Allow the sauce and steak to cool completely before transferring them to separate airtight containers or freezer-safe bags.
They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the sauce and steak in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the sauce over medium-low heat and add in the cooked steak until warmed through. Cook fresh egg noodles or rice to serve with the stroganoff.
Erren’s Top Tips
- When searing meat, it’s important to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, or grapeseed oil, to prevent it from burning and smoking during cooking.
- For extra flavor, marinate the steak strips in two tablespoons of soy sauce for 15 minutes before cooking. If you do this, be sure to dry well before searing and skip the seasoning.
- Don’t be afraid of a hot pan. To quickly sear the steak, you want a really hot pan. A quick sear will ensure the steak isn’t overcooked.
- Be sure to cook the flour for a minute or two after adding it to the pan to eliminate its starchy flavor.
- Use full-fat sour cream. Low-fat and fat-free sour cream will liquefy when heated and thin out the sauce.
- Add sour cream at a low heat. Boiling sour cream can cause the sauce to curdle.
FAQs
You can use Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or heavy cream instead of sour cream.
Serve and enjoy over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Easy Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil with a high smoke point such as grapeseed, canola, or sunflower
- 1.5 lbs steak such as sirloin, rib-eye, or flank steak, cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp butter salted or unsalted
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 lb brown mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 splash Worcestershire sauce plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tsp dry mustard or 2 tsp jarred Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vinegar white wine, or cider vinegar
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil large skillet over high heat. Add beef strips in a single layer. Quickly sear the beef strips on both sides (steak overcooks really fast, so a minute or two is all you need). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Once it has melted, add 1 large chopped onion and 1 lb of sliced brown mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked.
- Add garlic, and cook another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir well to combine. Cook for another minute or two to cook the flour.
- Slowly pour in the beef stock, mixing constantly to prevent lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce, parsley, dry mustard, and paprika, and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes until it has thickened.
- Stir in the sour cream and vinegar until well combined. Add the reserved steak to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until the steak is heated through.
- Taste the stroganoff and adjust the seasoning with salt, black pepper, and additional Worcestershire sauce as needed.
- Serve hot over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Tips + Notes
- When searing meat, it’s important to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, or grapeseed oil, to prevent it from burning and smoking during cooking.
- For extra flavor, marinate the steak strips in two tablespoons of soy sauce for 15 minutes before cooking. If you do this, be sure to dry well before searing and skip the seasoning.
- Don’t be afraid of a hot pan. To quickly sear the steak, you want a really hot pan. A quick sear will ensure the steak isn’t overcooked.
- Be sure to cook the flour for a minute or two after adding it to the pan to eliminate its starchy flavor.
- Use full-fat sour cream. Low-fat and fat-free sour cream will liquefy when heated and will thin out the sauce.
- Add sour cream off the heat. Boiling sour cream can cause the sauce to curdle.
Haddie says
This has to be the best meal I’ve ever made. The whole family went crazy for it!!
Erren Hart says
Your comment put a smile on my face. I’m happy that the recipe was a hit for you.