A quick and easy Beef Stroganoff recipe, served with a creamy mushroom and onion sauce which is perfect for weeknights. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Beef Stroganoff has become a regular dish in our home, primarily because it is a fabulously fast and delicious dish to make during the busy week.
Here is my easy Beef Stroganoff recipe which I love to make for my family.
Why This Recipe Works
- This is a great weeknight recipe but also ideal for entertaining friends.
- Get dinner on the table in around 30 minutes!
- The creamy mushroom sauce is perfect for serving with buttery pasta or a comforting bowl of rice.
What Cut of Meat to Use for Beef Stroganoff?
In Switzerland, the cut of meat I use for a Beef Stroganoff is called entrecôte, which I believe is called ribeye or Scotch fillet in other countries. You could even use the more expensive beef fillet for this dish.
And the reason why a more expensive cut of meat is desirable in a Beef Stroganoff is because the meat needs to be cooked for only a few minutes, and you want a cut which is meltingly tender to go with the soft mushrooms and pasta.
What to Serve with Beef Stroganoff?
My family loves to eat Beef Stroganoff with lots of tagliatelle or fettuccine, although you could also serve Beef Stroganoff with rice (I think Basmati rice is best here) or mashed potatoes.
If you are serving your Beef Stroganoff with pasta, I also recommend stirring the cooked pasta through the sauce so that it has had a chance to absorb the flavours from the sauce, as well as heat up in the process.
As the dish can be quite meat-heavy, unless you add lots of mushrooms like I do, it’s a good idea to serve some steamed greens (like broccoli or beans) alongside.
How to Make Beef Stroganoff
Step 1
Start by searing the beef in a large saucepan. If your pan is a bit small, you may need to do this in batches so that the meat is brown and slightly caramelised.
If you crowd the pan with too much meat at the same time, the meat will instead steam and turn grey.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a plate.
Step 2
Heat some more butter and oil in the pan, and sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms until they start to soften.
Add a few pinches of sea salt to help draw the moisture out of the vegetables.
For me, a good Beef Stroganoff must have a flavoursome sauce which is generous with mushrooms and onions. If you are not a fan of mushrooms, simply reduce the quantities stated below in the recipe.
Step 3
Then add the sour cream, mustard and paprika. Let the mixture simmer gently for a few minutes.
Taste for seasoning and maybe even add a dash of hot water if you want more stroganoff sauce.
Step 4
Once you are happy with the seasoning, return the beef to the pan to warm it through the stroganoff sauce.
Garnish with chopped herbs and serve hot.
This is a recipe which you can easily tweak to your liking – simply adjust the beef stroganoff recipe below to your taste if you prefer more beef or more vegetables in your dish.
More Beef Recipes
If you are looking for beef recipes, you might also enjoy the following:
Beef Bourguignon with Baguette Dumplings
Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce
Easy Beef Stroganoff
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: International
A quick and easy Beef Stroganoff recipe, served with a creamy mushroom and onion sauce which is perfect for weeknights.
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RateIngredients
- 500 g (1 lb) beef fillet or rump steak, finely sliced
- sea salt
- freshly cracked pepper
- 4–6 tablespoons butter
- olive oil
- 2 large brown onions, thickly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 500 g (1 lb) white button mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups crème fraîche or sour cream
- parsley and/or chives, finely chopped
- pasta or rice for serving, cooked according to packet instructions
Instructions
- Lightly season the beef with some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Heat a few tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over high heat, together with a bit of olive oil to stop the butter from burning.
- Sear the beef in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Add more butter and oil as necessary.
- Once the beef is mostly cooked and golden in places (it does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage), use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to a bowl.
- Add more butter and oil to the pan.
- Sauté the onions and garlic until they have softened slightly.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to soften and release some liquid.
- Stir in the mustard and paprika.
- Turn the stove down to medium heat.
- Stir in most of the crème fraîche or sour cream. Let everything bubble away gently until the sauce thickens slightly. If you want to create more sauce, you can add a touch of boiling water and/or more crème fraîche or sour cream. It is important that the sauce is of the right taste and consistency before you add the beef in the next step. Keep in mind that you want enough sauce to also coat the pasta later.
- Return the beef to the pan, together with any juices that have collected in the bowl.
- Mix everything together and taste for seasoning. Just be careful not to cook the sauce for too long on the stove as you don’t want to overcook the beef.
- If serving with pasta, cook the pasta until it is al dente (still with a bite). Stir the cooked pasta through the sauce to make sure the pasta is fully coated. The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and/or chives before serving.
Kitchen Notes
QUICK COOKING
When making this dish, try not to overcook the beef, otherwise it will go tough.
VARIATIONS
While it is not traditional, I sometimes like to sneak some greens into this dish to make it a bit more substantial. I often add some sliced green beans or snap peas with the onions and garlic, and cook them until they are just tender but still crisp.
SHORT-CUTS
To get dinner on the table faster, I recommend using pre-sliced fresh mushrooms in this recipe.
SERVE WITH PASTA
I like to serve this dish with tagliatelle or fettuccine, or bow-tie pasta for the children.
SERVE WITH RICE
Make this dish gluten-free by serving it with steamed Basmati rice.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 4 to 6
- Calories: 363
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Sodium: 346.4mg
- Fat: 25.2g
- Carbohydrates: 11.5g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 25.3g
- Cholesterol: 87.9mg
Update
This recipe was first published on 7 March 2018. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.
Beef stroganoff is one of my favourite dishes. Yours looks so creamy and delicious, I might just have to add it to the meal plan for this week especially as it is so quick and easy to make!
★★★★★
I love that you’ve finely sliced your beef – it sounds silly but my biggest complaint about stroganoff is the big hunks of meat – I don’t know why I hadn’t thought to just shave it into moreish slithers before!
★★★★★
MY boyfriend loves pasta dishes and I’m always looking for new ways to make it for him….and this is perfect! He’ll love these flavors, it sounds absolutely delicious!!
I love beef stroganof! It’s a childhood classic for me and reminds me of my grandmother. This looks so delicious and I have to try this recipe soon! It’s been a long while since I had it 🙂
★★★★★
This is one of my favourite comfort foods. My orents used to make it for us all the time when we were kids.
★★★★★
I tried cooking this for my parents anniversary and I can safely say that it went pretty well. Though, I must say that it’s not as aesthetically pleasant to the eyes just like on your pictures but I’m glad that my parents liked it. I guess I just need to work hard on my food presentation. hehe
mmm…this looks delicious. I️ just drooled. I need to try this! I’ve never had anything like this. Looks good!
★★★★★
Just made it… family loved it thanks
So glad to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe!!
I’m not a beef eater so replaced beef with pork fillet, and a little dash of brandy, and it was absolutely perfect.
★★★★★
Hi Lynne,
That’s wonderful to know that this recipe worked well with pork fillet. I must try that myself soon! Sounds so delicious.
Irresistible evergreen ! Thank you so much for your version 🙂
★★★★★
You’re welcome! Thanks for popping by 🙂
Fantastic recipe! Easy and delicious, the family loved it.
★★★★★
Beautiful recipe! I served it with fresh fettuccine. It was fantastic!
★★★★★
I make this beef stroganoff regularly and it tastes fantastic each time. Love this recipe.
★★★★★
One of my favorite recipes! Turns out perfect each time.
★★★★★