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 lived in sacramento CA for 14 years and my wife at the time used to make this and I loved it. Now been living in Wales for 4 years and miss the taste. Your recipe is about as close as i can remember how she made it so i tried it minus the mustard. MIne all went in a slow cooker for 4 hours and the meat melted in your mouth. Many thanks to you. Ive just done a batch of 10 x 300gram dishes and put them in the freezer
Yum Yum Yum
I’m so glad you loved it Jan ❤️
Made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! This will definitely be my new go-to for beef stroganoff. So fast and so easy! The beef trick was perfect!
Wahoo! Great news ❤️
Best beef stroganoff recipe – hands down. Everyone loved it! Tastes exactly like my mom made. Incredible how food is tied to great memories of family and friends. Love your work Nagi – thank you!
Oh I love this Jan!!
This beef stroganoff is by far the absolute best recipe ever! I have tried so many over the years recipes. I now have a new favourite. Thank you
Thanks so much Maree!
Two Nagi recipes in two days, and two wonderful successes (the other was the Vietnamese Caramel Pork)! It was amazing how fast this dish was from start to finish. I’m glad I had everything prepped and ready to go. I used more mushrooms and added a dash of Worcestershire Sauce, but that was gilding the lily, as this recipe is SO GOOD! Another winner. Thank you, Nagi!
Woot! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Casey!
love your blog, i was planning on making beeef stroganof but my husband is going away, can i freeze this? also bought the ingredients for the beef short ribs & the irish guiness stew. you are killing my diet
Hi Gina, I’m so happy you’re loving my recipes and yes you can freeze the stroganoff! – N x
Wow! The best beef stroganoff recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing.
Everyone was impressed.
Thanks so much Susan, I’m so glad you loved it!
Is tri tip beef an appropriate cut for this recipe?
Hi Marjorie, yes you could use tri tip – I hope you love it!
This was fabulous. My girlfriend said this was probably the best dish we had ever made, and we have made a lot of excellent meals together. I made one simple addition; I added a couple of ounces of the red wine we were drinking. I did one other thing that I wouldn’t recommend for most folks because it takes a lot of time. After I trimmed the steaks of the excess fat, I rendered the fat in the pan to be used for browning the steak strips for about 45 minutes. I then scooped out the crispy bits, and poured the fat into a bowl. I then used a Tbsp of the fat with each batch of steak strips instead of the vegetable oil. I figured it would add a bit more flavor, and the fat could be heated to a higher temperature. Thanks for a great recipe, Nagi.
Sounds like you nailed it Bill!!
Hi Nagi-This looks delicious. I am making for company dinner on Sunday and I am nervous about having it ready at the time we are going to eat. Can it be kept warm for up to an hour before eating? Or any suggestion of a place to stop before serving. I can do the noodles at the last minute but I want to enjoy our guests. Thanks for any suggestions!!
I made this for my hubby last night for Valentine’s Day. It was a tremendous hit. He said he hoped he did not have to wait until next year to have it again. “Delicious” does not even begin to describe. 10 Star recipe for sure!!!
Great Maqhi – I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day ❤️
My husband doesn’t like mushrooms so I’m always wary about trying a ‘mushroom’ recipe. I wanted to try this and told him to suck it up, buttercup! We’re eating mushrooms tonight! **He went back for seconds!!** Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Haha! He can eat it or next time he can be the one to cook dinner – I’m happy it was a hit though ❤️
What is the best cut of steak for this recipe
Hi Claire, I talk about this in the recipe notes ❤️
Simply the best I have ever made. My husband said the best he’d ever ate. Thanks
Woah what a great compliment!!
I love your recipe style, its simply easy to follow and well laid out. I had to tweak a few ingredients but it was simple, flavorful and came out great.
Terrific Valerie – N x
Made this tonight. It was delicious.
Very good general stroganoff recipe.
I make a lot of variations and this was delicious.
Thanks so much Garrick ❤️
OMG…great recipe all the way from South African!Looks so elegant and complicated yet so easy to make.I will be impressing my very-African mother in law as she’s crazy about pasta☺
Could I possible substitute SC for something? Don’t have any and 60km to get some. I have cream?
I usually use greek yogurt in place of sour cream, it’s very hard to tell the difference in recipes!