This Easy Beef Stroganoff is a classic dinner of tender sliced beef, mushrooms, and onions in a rich sour cream sauce served over egg noodles. It's hearty and satisfying and ready in less than an hour!
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When I'm in the mood for some serious comfort food, Beef Stroganoff is tops on my list. In fact, it's one of my all-time favorite recipes, period!
When you use the right cut of meat, it's a quick and easy meal that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or Sunday supper - and it's even good enough to impress guests!
Why is it Called Beef Stroganoff?
Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish that, by some accounts, was created around 1891 by a French chef named Charles Briere who worked for the Stroganov family, a very wealthy and influential family during the time of Ivan the Terrible.
It is said that the chef won a cooking contest with the dish and named it after his employer (although it's also said that an earlier recipe appeared in the Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives by Elena Molokhovets in 1861).
The original version was simply beef cooked in a mustard and sour cream sauce (no mushrooms, onions, garlic, alcohol, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste or any other ingredients you might find today). The recipe has evolved throughout the years into many different variations across the globe.
I was introduced to the beefy, mushroomy, sour creamy deliciousness that is Beef Stroganoff as a kid by my Welsh grandmother who made it for my Russian grandfather.
Sadly, I don't have my gram's recipe, but this recipe, which is adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, is my version, and the flavor is pretty much spot-on to how I remember her Stroganoff, which was so delicious - just like everything she ever made (miss you, Gram)!
Use the Right Cut of Meat & Cut it Right
Since this version of Beef Stroganoff is a quick-cooking dish, we need to use a cut of meat that will be nice and tender after cooking for a only short amount of time. That cut is boneless sirloin steak. It's what I always use for the best results when making this dish.
A cut like top round steak could be used in a pinch, but the meat may not be quite as tender as the sirloin. You may need to simmer it a little longer for better results.
Whatever you do, don't try to use a cut such as chuck which requires a waaaay longer cooking time (we're talking hours) in order to become tender.
Trust me. Just use the boneless sirloin steak. It might be a few dollars more, but the end result is totally worth it!
When you cut the boneless sirloin into strips, be sure to cut the meat across/against the grain - meaning slice perpendicular to the long muscle fibers (this is a good rule to always follow when cutting steak, either cooked or raw). Slicing it this way makes the meat less stringy and more tender. It definitely makes a difference!
Ingredients You Need
- Egg noodles
- Butter
- Fresh mushrooms
- Onion
- Boneless beef sirloin steak
- Beef broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base and water)
- Ketchup
- Garlic
- Salt
- Flour (all-purpose)
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley (optional)
How to Make Beef Stroganoff
Tips & Tidbits
- I use regular white button mushrooms or cremini (baby bella) mushrooms. To save a few minutes of prep time, buy the pre-sliced ones!
- Instead of beef broth, I use Better Than Bouillon roasted beef base. Nope, I'm not sponsored by them. I just think that it has so much more flavor than canned or boxed broth, and it really makes this dish better. I highly recommend it, but you can also use your favorite beef broth or stock.
- I like my Beef Stroganoff with lots of sauce lots of sour cream, so I use a whole 16-ounce container of sour cream. It makes the sauce sooo good! It will also be delicious if you only want to use an 8-ounce container of sour cream.
- If you have leftovers, be sure to reheat them slowly and gently. Avoid boiling, as sauces containing sour cream can separate when boiled.
- I don't recommend freezing leftovers of this dish because sauces with sour cream always seem to separate when frozen and thawed, and they often take on a weird grainy texture.
- But if you wanted to make it a freezer meal, here's how to do it:
- Skip the steps of cooking the egg noodles and adding the sour cream (these steps will be done on serving day).
- Once the meat mixture has cooled, put it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw the meat mixture completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
- On serving day, cook and drain the egg noodles. Meanwhile, reheat the thawed meat mixture in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Then stir in the sour cream and heat though. Enjoy!
I love Beef Stroganoff served over egg noodles - there's just something about that rich, creamy sauce and the egg noodles together that is absolutely divine - but you could also spoon it over some rice or mashed potatoes. YUM!
I hope you try this Easy Beef Stroganoff recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Beef Dinner Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Easy Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup diced onions
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced into ½" x 1½" pieces
- 2½ cups beef broth or stock, divided, I use and recommend 2½ teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon roasted beef base combined with 2½ cups water
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, add more or less to taste
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
- chopped fresh parsley, optional (for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil the egg noodles in salted water according to the package directions; drain and set aside. If desired, toss with some butter or olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together.
- While the noodles are cooking, start making the rest of the dish. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the skillet to a bowl or plate.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet and add the sliced beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is lightly browned.
- Add 2 cups of the beef broth, the ketchup, garlic, and salt to the skillet; stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup beef broth and the flour until smooth. Stir the flour mixture into the beef mixture in the pan.
- Return the mushrooms and onions back to the pan; stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil and boil, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Note: This is to prevent the sauce from separating. If you add the sour cream while the sauce is boiling, it may separate.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve over egg noodles. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- If you have leftovers, be sure to reheat them slowly and gently. Avoid boiling, as sauces containing sour cream can separate when boiled.
- Also good served over rice or mashed potatoes!
- Estimated calories are for one serving of Beef Stroganoff and about 1 cup of cooked egg noodles. Estimated calories for the Beef Stroganoff only are 590 per serving.
Victoria says
Great recipe! I added cilantro and green onions and used ground beef since that is all I had. It still turned out great! I may personally add a little less ketchup next time but it still tasted great how it is. 😃
Michelle says
Thank you, Victoria! I'm so glad you liked it and love how you adapted the recipe to use things you had on hand!
Sam says
Wayyyyy too much ketchup. Didn’t end up tasting like beef stroganoff, just some weird ketchup noodle dish.
Michelle says
Sorry you didn't enjoy the Stroganoff, Sam...but I do appreciate your feedback! We love this dish as is, but you could always reduce the amount of ketchup to suit your own tastes.