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!
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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!
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!
I consider myself a very good home cook, BUT I have never created a truly tasty beef stroganoff. I used this recipe tonight and WOW. It was fantastic. I did have to add two more tablespoons of flour to get the right consistency. I have to add that I love many of your recipes just reading through them. This is definitely not the case with many I read.
I absolutely loved this recipe. The taste was on point and the sauce was delicious !
Thanks so much for the great feedback Caron, I really appreciate it! N x
Another super tender cut is the top blade roast from which flatiron steaks are cut. It’s as tender as filet with a beefier flavor. It’s also cheaper than a ribeye or filet because in a whole top blade roast, the two beautiful flatirons are sandwiching a big gnarly piece of connective tissue that you have to trim out. Turns out that gristle will dissolve into a great full bodied stock over a couple hours at simmer. If you got an early start you could even use that stock in place of the canned…!
Geez, I used lean beef, tis all in the flavor!, added red pepper flakes as we like it Hot, whorchester, red pepper chunks-think yellow would work, and garlic powder, Awesome! Use what you got!
Great tip for the beef. It was very tender. I made it in a Teflon pan and it didn’t have all the bits for flavour. Therefore it lacked the flavour. I’ll try it my skillet next time
This recipe was incredible, and truly only took 30 mins to make. As decent cooks, my husband and I crave recipes with complex flavors that are also easy/quick (sounds like an oxymoron, I know) but this recipe nails that requirement. We like to layer in the salt and fresh pepper as we cook which makes a difference. A little dash of garlic powder at the end sealed the deal. Some Malbec and Dean Martin playlist don’t hurt either! Xx
I just threw everything into a crock pot after I seared the steak. I’m sure it will turn out fine.
I do have a slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe here Robert: https://discountspot.info/slow-cooker-beef-stroganoff/%3C/a%3E N x
I made this tonight and my family loved it, they all commented that they thought it was the best one they’ve had. I doubled the recipe and will make a Beef Strog pie for dinner in Monday. Will definitely be saving this recipe.
Which beef broth did y’all use?
Hi Veronika, Campbell’s stock is pretty good – it’s my go to if I don’t have homemade stock. N x
Lovely recipe and so simple! I like to double the beef stock and add my noodles in to simmer for 10 minutes before I add my sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. I have also been adding spinach right at the end to sneak in more veggies and it is so good!!!
Hi Tin its not Scotch beef..its Scottish beef..Scotch is whisky..hope this is useful..from a Scot x
Hi Christine – Absolutely correct! However in Australia, for some reason a ribeye without the bone is always sold as a “Scotch Fillet”! Don’t ask me why, I did not name the cut! 😂 – Nx
Best Beef stroganoff that I have tried. Used thin cut rib eye and beef consume instead of broth.
Hi Nagi, could I use your Chinese ‘velveting’ technique with some stir fry style beef strips (Woolies) in this recipe?
Hi Nagi
Can I sub cream for sour cream?
The traditional flavour comes from the sour cream, you could use greek yogurt in its place 🙂 N x
My recipe for this was always well received. No one was crazy about it but but beef stroganoff is one of those comfort foods that you just crave now and again. Well, I lost track of the old cookbook and had the craving so I ended up here. WOW Nagi’s recipe turned out awesome! It blew mine away and I think it may have been easier to make. I used sirloin tip steak but loved the idea of “velveting” a tougher cut. I use that technique for beef and broccoli but would never have thought of it for something like this.
This recipe is fantabulous. Searing the meat made all the difference! Will only make Beef Stroganoff this way!!!!
Used this recipe for the 1st time yesterday. Family devoured it, so its a keeper for me
Add gurkins and some of the pickled liquid
I’ve used this recipe several times. It’s an excellent basic stroganoff, open to experimentation and personal additions. Though, as is is quite good and the recipe is thorough and easy to follow through. Nagi plays it safe by using the words “season to taste”. So, if it’s served to guests or willing to forgo health issues for a special occasion, add some salt. Otherwise it’s fine anytime as is.
The comments are right on; I’ve made stroganoff before but it was never so good or so easy. BF and I kept commenting on it throughout the meal. Didn’t miss all the other ingredients from some other recipes.
Fantastic recipe! I have never liked beef stroganoff and now I love it! Made this tonight and it was beyond belief. It will not disappoint, whether it is your first time making it or you are a seasoned veteran. The beef and searing it in my opinion is the key.