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:
using the right cut; and
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:
Boneless rib eye – also called scotch fillet (pictured above)
Boneless sirloin
Sirloin steak tips
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 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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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!
Quesadillas (Beef, Chicken or Veg)
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!
Great recipe. The first time I made it came out great. I’m glad I found this recipe to add to our home menu.
Watched your video and followed exactly what you did visually. It turned out amazing! I love beef stroganoff, but where I’m from there aren’t any restaurants that have this dish. You’re a life-saver! But for the beef broth i used half a cube of beef stock with 2 cups of hot water instead.
Thanks so much for this recipe Nagi. I made it tonight and just loved it. The Dijon mustard gave it a delightful taste. Even my daughter loved it and she dislikes mushrooms. 🙂
This the best! My whole family loved it. So delicious – I think it will be a regular meal for us.
I’ve loved every recipe of yours except this one, there was at least a cup too much liquid making the sauce too thin. I’d use paprika rather than Dijon. Sorry – thanks for all the other winners
I’ve only just discovered you. I’m very glad I did. I made your fantastic massaman lamb shanks – they were beautiful. Couldn’t get the maesri massaman curry paste; I used the ayam instead. It was brilliant.
Sad to say, this was a rare fail! Do not understand what I did wrong as I followed the tecipe carefully, but it was very bland and tasteless. Added garlic, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard to give it a bit of life before serving.
My FIL is allergic to onions, but I’m going to make this for dinner… any idea on the best substitute for them??
Hi Cherisse, is it just onions, or will leek/eschallots be ok? N x
Nagi this is probably a dumb question, but is it ok to remove the fat from the steak when cooking – for a slightly healthier version?
There’s never a dumb question Lorraine! Fat is flavour and marbling results in a more tender, juicy steak. You can use lean steak if you like – I would use the Chinese velveting technique to ensure it stays tender once cooked though. N x
I made this for dinner tonight and it is delicious! I will add a touch of pickel to give it a kick!
Could I use minced beef for a version my fussy kids will eat? Would it be the same quantities for the sauce?
Made this for dinner tonight.
Must admit I wasnt prepared to make storganoff, I made this using skirt steak (seared it in quarters then cut into strips prior to putting into the gravy) and Yukon potatoes since we didn’t have egg noodles. It was still amazing, my husband was impressed. Best stroganoff recipe I have made.
Made this tonight, using Aldi’s $5 porterhouse steaks, and it was tender, and very yummy. Only change was I used a red onion as that was what I had. The Dijon gave a lovely subtle flavour. Thanks Nagi!
Best meal ever! Always cook this during the week. Easy and fast and you can freeze it!
Great recipe! The only additional tweek I do is to trim the fat from the steaks and toss the minced fat into the skillet and fry until it is almost burned. Remove the big chunks, then do the 30 second sear in the rendered fat. Deglaze during the rest of the process.
This is the best stroganoff recipe I have made. Generous amount of gravy and tons of mushrooms. I was today years old when I learned about velvetizing beef. I religiously use chuck roast bc I’m thrifty. No leftovers for this dish!
I added garlic and a bit of Worcestershire sauce to add extra flavour
Also fresh lemon thyme from my garden
Perfect.. Thankyou clever girl
I added a 1/4 cup of red wine to rum steak and cooked on a skillet then added all the ingredients to a casserole dish with lid and cooked slowly on 150c for about 4 hours.
This tasted amazing with Pappardelle pasta.
Yummy!!!!
Perfect recipe, we used scotch fillet and pounded it down. My partner thought I was wasting quality steak – he’s on board now, beef was so tender. I think it tastes even better the next day too. Winter comfort food. Thanks Nagi 💕