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!
That’s my kind of food, love it. Would love to join Dozer to cool of.
This is how my mother made this (over 50 yrs ago)…always used sirloin steak & served over noodles…delicious then & now…this is how I make it too…
Great techniques in making the Stroganoff. I really like the way you do the steak, brilliant. Oh, and yes, only the top shelf beef steak for this. However, I’ve never tried it with scotch fillets (Entrecote here in Sweden). We always used sirloin. Will try it with the scotch fillets next time we make.
You know, that is an incredible image of the “Doz”.
I have never made it with beef before, so was a little wary. My butcher sold me fillet ‘ends’ (half the price of regular fillet) as if you are slicing it there is no difference. Whilst I didn’t get much caramelisation (used a non-stick pan) it was great. I did stir a teaspoon of smoked paprika through it, and it was great. Definitely on the recipes rather than recipes to try board now!
Looks amazing but alas, I cannot eat mushrooms
This looks amazing but alas, I cannot eat Mushrooms :'(
This is another stunning recipe, the stroganoff looks amazing, and that 30 second sear sounds like the perfect tip
Beef Stroganoff is one of my absolute favourites so I can’t help but give this a 5/5 rating especially with it being such a great version, ready in just 30 minutes. Brilliant!
This recipe looks amazing, I am making it tonight! Could I add some brandy?
Thank you!
Yes!! When onions and mushrooms are brown, add a splash and cook it down, then add flour and proceed with recipe! N x
Oh, my husband would love this! I’m not much of a meaty-stewy eater, but the flavors sound wonderful. Good to know about the meat!
This surely is one of the most classic and simple meat dishes of the world emanating from upper class late 19th century czarist Russia – in this case supposedly of military origin. No doubt the then French influence on what I call the St Petersburg ‘fusion’ cooking bestows a sanctity of cooking it the correct way. For the first 40 years or so the very, very best steak was super quickly cooked and finished. always with the best stock and Dijon mustard [the tomato came later] to be napped with proper sour cream. Cook the dish in whatever way you like: please do not call it Boef Stroganov unless it has been classically made . . .. oh, initially it was served with crispy potato straws . . the flat noodles came later . . .
I love beef stroganoff ~ perfect winter recipe, Nagi, thank you. Any ideas for lactose-free substitutions would be appreciated. Usually, I can rely on thick, Greek yogurt with fairly good results. But Chef Steve ix-nay’s that idea, so maybe there’s another way?
Wow, This looks absolutely fantastic!
Hi Nagi
This is similar to the stroganoff I always made, except I did not use mustard. Then one night a Russian friend made some for me. I was a bit horrified to watch her add dijon AND tomato paste after sauteeing the mushrooms and onions and before adding the flour; I thought she had ruined the whole dish for me! Just 2-3 teaspoons of each and cook a bit before adding flour and what a difference!! Makes the color a nice brown, too. And I know how you love brown food 🙂 give it a try sometime, bet you’ll like it.
Karen
Thanks very much Steve
I will have to try dijon mustard next time I make Stroganoff. I will also have to try searing the meat as the recipe I originally learned called for sauteing the meat in butter and onions. Thanks for the tips!
Instead of scraping the pan for the brown bits, I like to deglaze with a bit of cooking sherry, It really improves the flavour and texture of the mushrooms (and the meat for that matter).
I also skip the beef broth and flour and use more sour cream instead.
Hey Nagi!
We love Beef Stroganoff at our house, so I was very curious to see your recipe. I’ve never tried it with Dijon mustard and am looking forward to it. Your idea for using polenta is fantastic — I have a friend who has diabetes and avoids wheat-based foods, so pasta is out of the question for him, but polenta would be a great alternative! I love stroganoff served over narrow curly egg noodles.
As soon as I use your recipe, I’ll be back with five stars!
Thanks for your great ideas and recipes and please give Dozer a hug for us!
If there are ever recipes that you’d really prefer to serve with pasta, they do make RICE-based versions. I’ve bought ones shaped like macaroni, and another like shells. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other shapes available (corkscrew, bowtie, spaghetti, fettucini, etc.).
I believe mine were from either a Chinese or Vietnamese market, though if you don’t have any Asian markets near you, you can always buy it online…if you were ever so inclined. 🙂
Hi Mo,
How thoughtful of you to reply and suggest the rice-based version of of pasta. That is a great idea for certain things, but rice is not favorablefor diabetics either, because it becomes sugar when metabolized, so unless it is unrefined and only in very small quantities, rice is better avoided by diabetics. Corn, on the other hand, works better for them and polenta is made from corn.
Thanks for thinking of us, though! Nagi’s blog brings the nicest people together!
There are popular pastas made from chickpeas/garbanzo beans now, too.
Wow — I didn’t know that! Thanks for the idea!!
Lovely recipe, just one question, I can’t get sour cream so would the
best substitute be yogurt or creme fraiche ?
Great to see Dozer having such fun and I hope you are feeling better.
I always use Creme Fraiche. I think it tastes better and you can reduce it to thicken the sauce and not worry about it separating. I make mine with Chuck Roast sliced into strips instead as well. That way you can really sear the meat, and then simmer in the sauce before adding creme fraiche for about an hour until the meat is tender. Then I add the creme fraiche and reduce to the consistency I like. I will have to try it this way with a ribeye steak instead.
One of my favourites. I like to toss the beef in a tablespoon of smoked Paprika before the flash fry.
Thank you for making this look so easy! My mouth is watering right now. I’m definitely going to make this this week. I love your site, and love your mom, too! Thanks again!