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
Beef:
- 600 g / 1.2 lb scotch fillet steak / boneless rib eye (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +50% for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
To cook:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil , divided
- 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), sliced
- 300 g / 10 oz mushrooms , sliced (not too thin)
- 50 g / 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour (Note 2)
- 2 cups beef broth , preferably salt reduced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Serving:
- 250 – 300 g / 8 – 10 oz pasta or egg noodles of choice (Note 3)
- Chopped chives , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pound and slice – 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 beef with the salt and pepper
- 30 second sear – Heat 1 tablespoon of the 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.
- Repeat – Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and repeat with remaining beef, removing onto the same plate once cooked.
- Sauté onion and mushrooms – Turn heat down to medium high. Using the same pan, add butter and 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 and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add stock/broth – Add half the broth while stirring. Once incorporated into the flour mixture, add remaining broth.
- Make sauce – 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), have a taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Warm beef – 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!
OMG!! Now I know what I have been doing wrong all these years making beef stroganoff..I have been cooking the beef way too long. Thirty seconds each side is perfect for juicy tasty beef. Made exactly and it was the best ever! Didn’t have any leftovers. Don’t change a thing as it’s perfect as written. Thank you Nagi!!
Everyone does this to beef and ruin it every time. They’re too used to hearing about low and slow cooked crappt roasts. If you have a decent cut of beef, you want it red. In fact, try getting a decently trained chef to cook any beef produce any more than medium-rare and you’ll have someone coming out of the kitchen to slap you repeatedly until you recant and ask for it seared and bloody.
I made this recipe with a few tweaks:
– instead of frying the beef (porterhouse) in oil, I trimmed off the fat cap, rendered the fat, then used the fat to brown the beef.
– added garlic (I like garlic)
– added a splash of Worcestershire sauce to try and give it a bit of depth.
Was pretty enjoyable, and fairly straightforward and easy to make. Sauce wasn’t what I was hoping, but I think I probably added a bit too much sour cream and Dijon, so the beefy flavour wasn’t as prominent as I’d hoped.
It’s hard to believe something so simple can taste this good. I used bottom round steak because it’s all I had but tenderized it first. It was still delicious!
Def saving this recipe! Strog always seemed so daunting before!
Turned out delicious.
The only change I made was that I added a slurry to the sauce as it was too liquidy for my liking, I prefer stroganoff to be more like a gravy.
I couldn’t find chives so I used green onion to garnish.
I almost forgot to note we have lots of hamburger that needs used so I used that instead of the sirloin, but will try sirloin someday.
This was the most flavorful recipe I’ve come across. I changed a few things though:
I used leftover cooked steak from the night before so I skipped the first step. I also had already cooked down mushrooms and onions the night before so I just tossed those into the pan and sautéed them quick to warm them back up and add some flavor to the pan. Then added flour and followed the rest of the recipe! I also added a few cloves of cooked down crushed garlic and a sprig of thyme and that added a bunch of flavor as well. This recipe is definitely customizable which is what makes it so great!
Made this using the stovetop method and it was quick, easy and the beef was perfectly fall-apart. Used chuck steak and added in a tbsp of whole grain mustard.
I loved this recipe! It was delish and easy. I had leftover rib roast, which worked well, but next time I’ll use your meat suggestions. Thanks, Nagi! Every one of your recipes I’ve used has turned out great!
Cooked this one tonight… so good!
I didn’t have brown onion so substituted with a leek.
Served with mash and veg.
This will be on the menu from now on!
I made this for a friend for Christmas dinner. she has a sore mouth so i wanted to make something that was easy on her mouth. I followed the instructions and it came out wonderful. I used a beautifully marbled ribeye steak.
Why no paprika? I was taught to put paprika in Stroganoff
pictures 7 and 8 are the wrong way around!
Made this tonight. Wow! First time trying to make it. I am pleasantly stuffed. Easy to follow, perfect balance of ingredients. I have not had this since my wife passed, it was a comfort food for us. She made hers from memory, I watched but mostly enjoyed the aroma as I anticipated a delicious meal.
I love this recipe!
Fancied stroganoff for a few meals this week at work so followed this recipe. Quick, easy and really tasty. I was quite liberal with seasoning and mustard but I always am. Looking forward to trying more of Nagi’s dishes.
All I have to say …. YUM.
Forgot to rate it!
My husband spotted thinly sliced ribeye in the Aldi’s app, so I searched for a recipe to use it, and found yours. I haven’t made beef stroganoff in years, and it sounded good. I’ve always used sirloin steak in mine, and canned mushrooms (ugh). What a delicious upgrade! We both loved it. Keeper!
Great recipe. Original recipe is wonderful, I’ve made it several times. Some tweaks… I add minced garlic, some sherry and use a bit less sour cream for a stronger beef flavor. But like I said, as written is super good, tweaks just because I like these flavors. Thanks Nagi!
Your recipes are always awesome 👍
Such an easy yet gorgeous meal. Thank you Nagi