Beef Stroganoff

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.

5 stars (11 reviews)

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird

Prep15 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total35 minutes mins

Serves: 4 to 6

A quick and easy Beef Stroganoff recipe, served with a creamy mushroom and onion sauce which is perfect for weeknights.

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Ingredients

For the Beef Stroganoff

• 500 g (1 lb) beef fillet, or rump steak, finely sliced
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly cracked
• 4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• olive oil
• 2 large brown onion, thickly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500 g (1 lb) white mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 to 1 ½ cups crème fraîche, or sour cream

To Serve

• parsley and/or chives, finely chopped
• pasta or rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Instructions 

To Make the Beef Stroganoff

1. Lightly season the beef with some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
2. 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.
3. Sear the beef in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Add more butter and oil as necessary.
4. 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.
5. Add more butter and oil to the pan.
6. Sauté the onions and garlic until they have softened slightly.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to soften and release some liquid.
8. Stir in the mustard and paprika.
9. Turn the stove down to medium heat.
10. 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.
11. Return the beef to the pan, together with any juices that have collected in the bowl.
12. 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.

To Serve

1. 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.
2. 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.
• OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
  All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
• CONVERSIONS
  To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition Information Nutrition Information

Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 11.5g, Protein: 25.3g, Fat: 25.2g, Cholesterol: 87.9mg, Sodium: 346.4mg, Fiber: 1.9g, Sugar: 4.1g

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Update

This recipe was first published on 7 March 2018. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

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