Creamy Beef Stroganoff Recipe

My kids have grown up with beef stroganoff, and it never gets old. Beef stroganoff is a classic. Who can resist wide noodles and a silky sauce with mushrooms? Stroganoff is the perfect dish to bring a family together. In my house when we are eating and talking, family meals are really important to us, so if we are quiet, it means we really enjoy the meal! This recipe is simple. You most likely have the ingredients in your kitchen and it takes less than an hour to cook.

Why These Flavors Work Together

• High heat for browning, low heat for finishing. Getting a good sear on the beef is what builds the deep, savory base of the sauce. Rushing this step is the number one reason stroganoff tastes flat.
• Paprika is not optional. It might look like a small amount, but paprika is what gives the sauce its warmth and earthy depth — skip it and the dish tastes like gray beef in cream.
• Mushrooms add real body. A full pound of mushrooms sounds like a lot until you realize they cook down to almost nothing while releasing liquid that thickens and flavors the entire sauce. Don’t skimp.
• Sour cream goes in last, off the boil. Boiling sour cream causes it to break and turn grainy. Stir it in at the very end, heat gently, and you get that smooth, tangy finish that makes stroganoff what it is.
• Wide noodles are built for this sauce. Their broad surface area catches every drop of the mushroom gravy. Thinner pasta just lets it slide right off.

What to Know Before You Start

The most essential preparation action for this recipe is allowing the seasoned meat to rest. Once you have cubed the beef and applied some salt and pepber, let sit for at least 2 hours, and if possible, overnight in the fridge. This is not engineering a marinade and in fact, the opposite is true. Salt actively pulls moisture to the surface and then pulls that moisture back into the meat, seasoning it throughout. There is a distinct flavor difference between meat that has been allowed to rest and meat that has not.

When making this recipe, the type of pan you use is more important than most people think. If you use heavy stainless steel skillets or Dutch ovens, you will get a better sear compared to using non-stick pans because you need direct contact with the hot metal to develop a browned crust which adds flavor. Since non-stick pans are made to prevent food from sticking, they will also prevent the food from browning. If you only have non-stick pans, try to use them at the highest heat safe for the pan and cook in smaller batches to prevent the food from steaming.

Chop mushrooms small and the picky eaters won’t notice them. Once I made a batch of mushroom and lentil Bolognese sauce, an hour long process. I add the mushrooms first, along with the onions and carrots, before the lentils, garlic, tomatoes, and spices. When the kids eat the meal, I mention the Bolognese and they say “ew, I don’t like that,” so I say “It’s mushroom free!” and they eat it… I say “It’s mushroom free!” to the kids and they eat it. Years later one of my kids said, “This has lentils. I don’t like lentils.” And I said, “This has no lentils. It has a mushroom soup.” He said, “I like mushroom soup.” Finally, he was correctly complaining about a meal he often said he liked. That meal always was and always will be a mushroom soup. It was also lentils and carrots and all the things he always claimed to hate. So congrats, you have a soup of the day. You have four mushrooms and all the food. Enjoy your soup. I eat out to avoid making unappreciated meals like that one, but I find out the idea

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds stew meat or round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or chopped
• 2 cups beef bouillon (or beef broth — see tip below)
• 2 cups sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Wide egg noodles for serving — I use wide egg noodles because the wider the noodle, the more sauce clings to each bite

Bouillon note: To deepen the flavor of your broth without changing the recipe too much, stir a teaspoon of Beef Better than Bouillon into hot water and use that instead of traditional bouillon cubes. Better than Bouillon has a much richer and more roasted beef flavor and will make your sauce taste like it has been simmering for hours. This is one of those small changes that makes a big difference.

On the Pain: A heavy stainless skillet gives a better sear on the beef than nonstick; you want that brown crust for flavor. A 12-inch pan also gives enough room to brown the beef in a single layer without crowding, which is key to getting color instead of steam.

How to Make It

Step 1. Season and rest the meat. If your beef isn’t already cubed into 1-inch pieces, do this first. Salt and pepper the beef on all sides, then let the meat rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The best results are the result of advanced planning. If you can season the beef the night before, it will rest better uncovered in the fridge. The surface dries out, in turn allowing it to brown rather than steaming.

Step 2: Brown the beef. First, heat the pan on high until it’s hot enough to smoke. You can test it out with some water as it should sizzle when it’s hot enough. Then, add the butter and wait until it melts and foams. Place the beef strips in a single layer and don’t touch them for 2 minutes. Try to listen for the sizzle. After 2 min, flip the pan and handle with some meat tongs. At this time, the beef should not be fully cooked as it needs a deep brown crust on it’s outer surface. If the pan is a little crowded, continue to do this, and then set the beef to the side.

Step 3: Cooking the mushrooms. Using the same pan that has the left over beef drippings and butter from the earlier steps, add the mushrooms. They will absorb the remaining butter and will look dry, therefore do not add more butter yet. Allow mushrooms to remain untouched for 3 to 4 minutes over medium to high heat. You will notice the aggressive sizzle turn to a soft sizzle as the mushrooms begin to release their moisture. Stir and continue cooking until most of the moisture has disappeared and the mushrooms are a nice golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Remove from the pan and add with the beef.

Step 4: Prepare the sauce. Still over medium heat, add the flour and stir into the remaining fat. Stir for about 30 seconds; it should smell a little nutty, and turn into a light paste. Pour the beef bouillon in slowly while stirring constantly. You will notice the liquid thickening as it combines with the flour. Add and stir in the paprika. The sauce will be a little thin at this point — this is correct. Allow it to simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has slightly reduces and coats the back of a spoon.

Step 5: Beef and mushrooms, back in the pan. Return the beef and mushrooms to the pan. Combine everything so it is all covered in the sauce. Decrease the temperature to low. Allow it to simmer — not boil. Do this for at least 30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. The longer it cooks, the more tender the beef gets. After 30 minutes, the sauce will be deeper in both color and flavor. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper.

Step 6: Mixing in sour cream. This is the moment of truth. Reduce the heat to the lowest level. Add the sour cream one big spoonful at a time, and stir gently after each one. You should aim to have it fully mixed in before adding the next spoon, and for the love of God, don’t let it boil. Once it boils after the sour cream is added, it will break the sauce and you’ll have a mess with grainy brown sauce separated from the other ingredients. Once all the sour cream is mixed in, gently heat the mixture for a few minutes until everything is warmed. The sauce should be silky and smooth at this point. Finally, take one last taste test for seasoning before serving.

Step 7: Prepare the noodles and dish out your meal. As the stroganoff is done simmering, you should begin to prepare your egg noodles. Ensure you do this as the instructions on the packaging advised, and do so over water that has been salted appropriately. After the noodles are done cooking, drain the water and place the stroganoff on top of the noodles. One thing about the sauce is that it is thick, so it will sit on top of the noodles and not form a puddle on the bowl, which means that every single mouthful will have a mixture of everything.

Helpful Tips

• Ask your butcher to cube the meat. Most grocery store meat counters will cut beef to order at no charge. Tell them you want stew-cut cubes, roughly an inch, and they’ll do it in two minutes. It saves a lot of time and you get more consistent pieces than cutting it yourself at home.
• Don’t skip the resting step. Seasoning the meat and letting it sit before cooking isn’t fussy — it’s the difference between beef that tastes seasoned all the way through and beef that tastes like the outside got salted and the inside didn’t.
• Brown in batches. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and the meat steams instead of sears. Two batches in a properly hot pan beats one crowded batch every time.
• Taste before you add the sour cream. The sauce concentrates as it simmers, so it may need less additional salt than you’d expect — or more. Get it right before you stir in the sour cream, because adjusting after is harder.
• Serve immediately once the sour cream is in. The sauce is at its best right away. If you’re making this for a crowd and need to hold it, keep it on the lowest possible heat and stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Leftover stroganoff will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Be sure to store it in a sealed container. If you can, store the sauce and the noodles in different containers. Noodles will absorb the sauce and become mushy if they sit in it overnight. When you reheat the sauce, do it on the stovetop over low heat and stir it often. If it looks thick and separated, that’s normal. Heating it gently and stirring will bring it back together.

To prepare this for a busy week or dinner party, you can make the beef and mushroom part of the sauce a day in advance. Do this up to Step 5. Then refrigerate, and remember to reheat gently before mixing in the sour cream. Do this right before serving. Flavors deepen overnight, so day-two stroganoff often tastes even better than day-one.

The recipe’s beef and mushroom sauce can be frozen and stored without the sour cream added, as the sour cream and other dairy products do not freeze well. The dairy often separates when thawed, and this sauce will not thaw well. If you want this recipe to be freezer-friendly, you’ll have to do the following: First, make the beef and mushroom sauce. Then freeze it, and once you’re ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, reheat it and stir in fresh sour cream before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef?

Stew meat and round steak are the best options, if money is a concern, because they are inexpensive and can take a long simmer without falling apart. If you’re wanting something a bit more tender, sirloin tips and beef tenderloin are great choices, but they will take less simmering time, so check them after 15-20 minutes instead of 30. Another option you might consider is using ground beef, the texture will be different but the flavor will be similar. Just brown it, drain the excess fat, and continue with the sauce.

My sauce looks thin. What do I do?

Please let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes before adding sour cream, as this will allow the liquid to reduce and concentrate. To further thicken the sauce, you can also combine a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water, and then stir that mixture in to the sauce, and let it simmer for another minute or two to cook the raw starch off. The sour cream will add even more body when you add it in, so if the sauce looks thin before that step, don’t stress.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

You can use full-fat Greek yogurt as a substitute. It gives a similar taste and tang. However, the sauce might be a little thinner.\ The same rule applies. Do not boil it after you add it, or it will separate. For this reason, low-fat or nonfat yogurt is not recommended, as they break apart more easily.

Do I have to use egg noodles?

No, but they are the classic pairing for a reason. The softness and wide area of the sauce hold well. Mashed potatoes are a classic alternative, especially popular in the Russian and Eastern European versions of the dish. Rice works too. If you’re avoiding carbs, it’s also good over steamed cauliflower or roasted zucchini.

Why did my sour cream sauce curdle?

It boiled. When sour cream (along with most dairy products) is added to a boiling mixture, the proteins seize up causing the fat to separate. Once a mixture has been curdled, there’s not much you can do to recover it, although vigorous stirring may be able to smooth it out. The solution to this problem for next time: add sour cream (and most dairy products) at a low temperature and do not allow the mixture to boil.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Add the beef to the brown and beef first before putting in slow cooker. Then, add mushrooms, bouillon, paprika, and flour. Set the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add sour cream 15-20 minutes before it is done cooking. If you want to see more slow cooker recipes, check out our recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff.

Related Recipes

• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff — same great flavors, hands-off slow cooker version
• Crockpot Beef Barley Soup — hearty beef and vegetable soup that practically makes itself
• Simple Crock Pot Beef and Noodles — a weeknight staple for when you want beef and noodles without the fuss