The most amazing Beef Stroganoff you will ever have! Golden seared juicy beef strips smothered in an incredible sour cream mushroom gravy, this Beef Stroganoff recipe is an easy 30 minute recipe.
Never suffer through dry chewy beef or bland Stroganoff sauce again – this recipe delivers!!
Beef Stroganoff
If you’ve ever chewed your way through dry, overcooked beef, you’re going to LOVE this Beef Stroganoff recipe! Just two simple rules for juicy, tender beef:
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using the right cut; and
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the 30 Second Sear ( <– PS I totally made up this name)
The first rule is fairly self explanatory – for a quick cooking recipe like Beef Stroganoff, you can’t get away with using a better value tough cut like chuck beef.
Sure, you could do a slow cooker stroganoff.
But if you want to make this retro classic the way it’s intended and to experience all that Beef Stroganoff is when the beef is tender, juicy perfection, then there’s no getting around the fact that you will need a good quality steak that’s nicely marbled with fat.
I know, I know, you see juicy steaks like the rib eyes above and your instinct is to throw them on the barbie.
I hear you. I have to fight the urge myself. But then I remember that sour cream mushroom gravy, and I remind myself that the only way to experience a truly great stroganoff is to use a good steak, and it’s all good. We proceed with no regrets.
What cut of beef is best for stroganoff?
The best cuts of beef for stroganoff are tender, juicy cuts such as:
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boneless rib eye – also called scotch fillet (pictured above)
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boneless sirloin
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sirloin steak tips
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beef tenderloin
Some recipes recommend beef round steak (aka topside) which I do not recommend. The beef flavour is ok but but it’s not a good cut for fast cooking like in stroganoff, it’s dry with an unpleasant texture. It’s best slow cooked.
Want to use stewing beef?
Make this Slow Cooked Stroganoff with tender fall apart chunks of beef!
And now, the 2nd secret to never suffer through dry beef in stroganoff again……
The 30 second sear
Thin strips of beef overcook in a flash. But forgoing the sear would be a blasphemy (in my books). Sear = flavour on both the beef AND in the gravy.
Therefore, there is only one way around this. A super quick sear in a smoking hot skillet. And when I say super quick, I truly mean it. 30 seconds on each side, if you miss some pink bits too bad! GET IT OUT OF THE SKILLET!!!
The beef will still be raw at this stage but don’t worry! It finishes cooking in the gravy at the end.
What is stroganoff sauce made of?
Stroganoff sauce is a sour cream gravy made with beef broth that’s thickened with flour. It’s flavoured with mustard and has mushrooms in it.
I love the pale brown creamy colour against the deep golden brown seared beef!
If you happen to have leftovers or are meal prepping, beef stroganoff will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. But be very careful when reheating not to overcook the beef!
Wondering you if you can freeze beef stroganoff?
Yes you can! The sour cream won’t separate or congeal. Thaw, then reheat – be very careful not to overcook the beef when reheating.
What to serve with beef stroganoff
Serve it over noodles, pasta or mash – anything that’s a suitable vehicle to slop up all that gorgeous mushroom gravy. Try cauliflower mash for a low carb alternative!
If using noodles or pasta, I recommend using a short pasta. It just makes it easier to eat, ensuring you get a bit of everything with plenty of that sauce in every bite!
Dinner – on the table in 30 minutes. EVERYONE WILL LOVE THIS!!! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual – so watch me make this Beef Stroganoff recipe!
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Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 600 g / 1.2 lb scotch fillet steak / boneless rib eye (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil , divided
- 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), sliced
- 300 g / 10 oz mushrooms , sliced (not too thin)
- 40 g / 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour (Note 2)
- 2 cups / 500 ml beef broth , preferably salt reduced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 150 ml / 2/3 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper
Serving:
- 250 - 300 g / 8 - 10 oz pasta or egg noodles of choice (Note 3)
- Chopped chives , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Use your fist (or rolling pin or mallet) to flatten the steaks to about 3/4cm / 1/3" thick. Slice into 5mm / 1/5" strips (cut long ones in half), discarding excess fat.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Scatter half the beef in the skillet, QUICKLY spread it with tongs. Leave untouched for 30 seconds until browned. Turn beef quickly (as best you can!). Leave untouched for 30 seconds to brown. Immediately remove onto a plate. Don't worry about pink bits and that it will be raw inside.
- Add remaining 1 tbsp oil and repeat with remaining beef.
- Turn heat down to medium high. Add butter, melt. Then add onions, cook for 1 minute, then add mushrooms.
- Cook mushrooms until golden. Scrape bottom of fry pan to get all the golden bits off (this is flavour!).
- Add flour, cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add half the broth while stirring. Once incorporated, add remaining broth.
- Stir, then add sour cream and mustard. Stir until incorporated (don't worry if it looks split, sour cream will "melt" as it heats).
- Bring to simmer ,then reduce heat to medium low. Once it thickens to the consistency of pouring cream (3 - 5 minutes), adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Add beef back in (including plate juices). Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from stove immediately. (Note 4)
- Serve over pasta or egg noodles, sprinkled with chives if desired.
Recipe Notes:
- boneless rib eye (aka scotch fillet)
- boneless sirloin, sirloin steak tips
- beef tenderloin
Nutrition Information:
Beef Stroganoff recipe originally published January 2018, updated March 2019 for housekeeping matters, no change to recipe (because readers love it as it is!).
More quick dinner ideas you’ll love!
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Quesadillas (Beef, Chicken or Veg)
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A Mushroom Sauce for Steak, Chicken or anything!
-
Beef and Rice with Veggies (One Pot)
LIFE OF DOZER
” Dozer! Catch the water!”
And so he obliged. Well, attempted to. Oh so enthusiastically!
Chris Mathers says
Followed your recipe to the letter, Nagi, and loved it! I have two more serves… enjoyed it with steamed Jasmine Rice. I used top quality Scotch Fillet. Yum! Thanks.
Zoe says
Hi Nagi, I’m a big fan! Can you use greek yoghurt instead of sour cream?
Morgan says
Nagi, I simply CANNOT stop making this. I’m a vegetarian and my partner is a meat eater, I make it in two pots (one with beef and one with just mushrooms). It is one of our favourites. It’s totally foolproof and comes out delicious everytimeeeee. So good!
Julzy says
We make this as a mushroom stroganoff as well. It’s delicious.
Mali says
The velveting method for the beef worked great on my stew meat! And the instructions & video were so nice. I made stroganoff to use up a jar of mushrooms I bought a long time ago (for who knows what). Let me just tell you, that was not it, people! The flavor and texture was awful. I’m going to try dried mushroom powder in the next go around because I do not like the texture of mushrooms.
Lisa says
Nagi, Silly question, most of the family does not like the texture of mushrooms but we all love the taste of beef stroganoff. What do you recommend? Should I cook it with the mushrooms for the flavor and then remove them when serving? Thank you! We love your recipes!
Jacquelyn Hunt says
Lisa, my a couple of my kids don’t like mushrooms either so I took the extra step to put the sauce in a blender before adding the meat back in. Hope this helps.
Elaine Socher says
You might want to consider adding a touch of dried mushroom powder for flavor and save yourself the expense of discarding all those beautiful mushrooms. You can buy it powdered or make your own with dried mushrooms in your coffee grinder.
Mali says
Perhaps dried mushrooms blended to a powder. I use it in stews sometimes for flavor & thickening. I don’t like the texture of mushrooms either!
jonathan kuhl says
Absolutely banger of a recipe, one of my favorites that my dad would make (don’t know his recipe though). Forgot to buy beef broth, used Marsala wine instead, was still an excellent substitution.
Egg noodles are great, but I made spaetzle to go with it (as my dad would do) but nothing wrong with egg noodles either (and easier to cook)
Charles Amartey says
More recipes for different dishes.In any occasion
Specially oriental continental dishes.
Tara says
Great recipe! I don’t usually review, well…. Anything. I had stew meat because I was going to make STEW but my daughter was begging me to make beef stroganoff. I had most of the items except mushrooms and face it not the greatest meat! I followed your recipe and sliced the cubes real thin and velveting the meat. I was amazed how tender it came out. I have to say my family loved it more than the stroganoff I usually make and they had loved that. Thank you!!!!! I’m keeping this!
Jen says
This was amazing. We used gravy beef and the velveteen method and it worked beautifully. Kids loved it and went back for more. Made as per recipe after velveting except added some garlic with onion.
greterushby says
What is velveteen method.?
Dianna says
Nagi mentions it and places a link in the recipe card. The link is https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-tenderise-beef-velveting-beef/
Velveting the beef works great for tough cuts of meat. The Chinese have been doing it for a very long time.
Dallas says
Velveting is a method commonly used in Asian cooking to tenderize thin cuts of meat by tossing them with baking soda or a mixture of egg whites, wine and cornstarch before searing them in oil
Gwen Anderson says
Excellent recipe I added dill pickle juice and dill weed so good
Dave Wood says
You are a recipe whiz Nagi,
This is such a firm favourite, it holds 1st place on the meal rotation and is the only dish to feature weekly, else my wife goes on strike LOL. Thnx
S Harris says
Thank for the very specific and detailed instructions! I went back to the store and swapped the sirloin for a big rib eye for the win. Followed everything step by step, and it was outstanding! Can’t wait to make it again. Next level stroganoff!
Matthew says
I’ve made this a few times now with Thick Skirt. I like the skirt as it is quick to cook and has an almost ‘open weave’ structure.
I also use Yoghurt instead of sour cream as I can make my own yoghurt but sour cream isn’t available where I live.
Rachel says
Hi Nagi! Just made this recipe, and the flavor was amazing!! For some reason though, I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken. The only change I made was using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Could that have been the issue?
Monica says
This was delicious. Beef was so tender
T.R. says
Beef stroganoff has always been a favourite of mine growing up, so when I say this recipe blew me away, you know it’s going to be great! Who knew velveting the beef would make such a huge difference to the dish, making every bite juicy and tender. The delicious gravy sauce is bursting with flavour, even with limited ingredients. I am currently trying not to eat the whole pan while waiting for my rice to cook, it’s that good 🤤
John Wojtasinski says
This is one of favorite childhood recipes. I haven’t cooked this yet it is the same as my moms recipe. I don’t measure anything anymore I just make it but I highly recommend this recipe. A light sprinkle of chili powder. Not enough to taste it but to help boost the umami. Some time I add a bit of brandy, heavy cream and green peppercorns for a Steak au poivre twist. But don’t over do it. And I always use garlic, usually powder and just a dash of ginger powder. Do the above recipe first. Play with it later.
John Wojtasinski says
Oh yeah I forgot wine. Red or white. Your choice. Depends on your mood.
Sue says
Yum, yum, yum. Second time I have made this. The family loved it. 2nd time I added some garlic and wine, just lifted the flavour. You are my go to Nagi, never had one of your recipes fail.
Deborah says
How would this go freezing? If not good, is there anything I could do to make it OK for freezing?
Anette says
This was excellent and I only changed sour cream to heavy cream and added a splash of white wine. Then garnished with parsley – delicious and simple!! Thank you!
Kim says
But, for real, this IS the best beef stroganoff recipe! I’ll confess I do a little tweaking here and there (a shallot instead of an onion and I hate mustard so I omit it) but this is the best and yummiest dinner on my rotation!