An easy beef stroganoff recipe with tender strips of beef and mushrooms cooked in sour cream and served over noodles. Made with the best beef stroganoff sauce.
Oh Beef Stroganoff—the ultimate comfort food! To make it, we sauté tender strips of beef and mushrooms in butter, then swirl with sour cream to make a creamy sauce, and serve over noodles, rice, or fries.
It’s not diet food, but it will put a smile on everyone’s face.
Best beef for stroganoff
You will want to make stroganoff with a tender cut of beef, such as tenderloin or top sirloin. For a quick version you can use ground beef instead of beef strips.
It’s not particularly fussy, the bulk of the prep time comes from slicing the beef and mushrooms.
Origins of Beef Stroganoff
According to the Wikipedia, Beef Stroganoff first appeared in Russian cookbooks in the mid 1800s, presumably named for a prominent member of the Stroganoff family.
The dish became popular in the U.S. in the 1950s from servicemen returning from Europe and China after WWII.
Stroganoff sauce
Some versions of stroganoff use mustard, stock, and a little sour cream. Our version includes shallots, no mustard (though you could easily add some), and plenty of sour cream. If you want, you can substitute (full fat) yogurt for sour cream and leave out the mushrooms entirely.
More stroganoff recipes
How to make beef stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
It helps to cut thin strips of the beef by putting the meat into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes first.
If you substitute yogurt for the sour cream, use full fat yogurt, and make sure to take the pan off the heat before stirring it in or it may curdle.
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp butter
- 1 pound of top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch long strips
- 1/3 cup chopped shallots (can substitute onions)
- 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry tarragon or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 cup of sour cream (full fat) at room temperature
Method
1 Brown the strips of beef in butter: Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Increase the heat to high/med-high. Add the strips of beef in a single layer with space between the strips. You want to cook the beef quickly, browning on each side, so the temp needs to be high enough to brown the beef, but not so high as to burn the butter. You may need to work in batches.
While cooking the beef, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.
2 Sauté the shallots: In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for a minute or two, allowing them to soak up any meat drippings. Remove the shallots to the same bowl as the meat and set aside.
3 Sauté the mushrooms: In the same pan, melt another 2 Tbsp of butter. Increase heat to medium high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
While cooking, sprinkle the nutmeg and the tarragon on the mushrooms.
4 Add sour cream, beef, shallots: Reduce the heat to low and add the sour cream to the mushrooms. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of water or stock to thin the sauce (or not).
Mix in the sour cream thoroughly. Do not let it come to a simmer or boil or the sour cream may curdle. Stir in the beef and shallots.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Note that you will likely need more salt than you expect. Taste, and if it needs salt, add 1/2 teaspoon or more.
Serve immediately over egg noodles, fettuccine, mashed potatoes, or rice. (Potatoes, rice, and gluten-free pasta are gluten-free options.)
Links:
Hamburger Stroganoff – from here on Simply Recipes
Chicken Stroganoff – from No Recipes
Venison Stroganoff – from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
