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    Beef Stroganoff

    Updated April 7, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    A creamy mushroom sauce coats tender pieces of beef in our easy beef stroganoff recipe. Our families adore this comforting childhood favorite, and yours will, too.

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    homemade beef stroganoff in a skillet made with sirloin steak, mushrooms, onion, spices, butter, sour cream and dijon

    Beef Stroganoff is kind of in a class of its own, don’t you think? A lot of us grew up eating it, and so it doesn’t just taste great (though it does taste great!) but it also has an extra comforting nostalgia factor. Tender, slightly chewy (in a good way) pieces of beef, all coated in a slightly tangy sour cream sauce, plus mushrooms and onions make this traditional Russian sauce so irresistible to kids and adults alike. Spoon it over a big bowl of noodles or mashed potatoes, and you’re golden! If your family loves rich, earthy dishes like our super easy beef Stroganoff recipe, be sure to add our Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Wild Mushroom Chowder with Bacon and Leeks, and paprika-tinged Hungarian Mushroom Soup recipes a try soon, too! 

    ingredients for homemade beef stroganoff: beef, mushrooms, butter, onion, spices, sour cream, Worcestershire and dijon

    Key Ingredients For Stroganoff Sauce

    • Mushrooms: These could be white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms (also sometimes called Baby Bellas), either one would work fine. 
    • Sour Cream: Thick and tangy, sour cream is the very Russian source of this delicious sauce’s creaminess factor. Yum! 
    • Onions: Onions and mushrooms are a fabulous combo, and they really show off their deliciousness in this classic cream sauce. 
    • Beef stock: We love a good swap, but in this case, only beef stock will work. No subs, please!
    • Mustard: Spicy Dijon mustard packs a punch, and it brings some much needed sharpness to our Stroganoff sauce, which is otherwise quite rich and heavy. 
    thinly sliced raw steak on parchment paper
    steak strips seasoned with salt being cooked in olive oil in a skillet

    The Best Cuts of Beef For Stroganoff

    Making beef Stroganoff doesn’t have to break the bank. If you want to spring for an expensive cut of steak like a Ribeye, it’ll taste great in this recipe! But you don’t have to. 

    Here are three pretty-affordable cuts of beef that work well in Stroganoff: 

    • Top sirloin steak: Relatively affordable as steak goes, sirloin is a classic pick for Stroganoff. It’s lean and meaty, and it’s our favorite cut to use in this recipe. 
    • Flank steak: Another favorite, we usually reach for flank steak when we’re grilling. But it also works well in this recipe, if it’s what you have available. 
    • Chuck roast: Cheap and rich with marbling, chuck is an often-overlooked cut of beef that works great for Stroganoff. 
    onions and mushrooms being cooked in butter in a skillet
    onions, mushrooms and garlic being cooked in butter in a skillet

    How To Make

    1. Slice the beef into thin strips against the grain.
    2. Sear the steak strips in a hot pan! Work in batches, so that the pan stays hot.
    3. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter, and add garlic.
    4. Make it creamy: Add a little flour, and whisk it in to make a roux, the base of your creamy beef stroganoff sauce.
    5. Add all of the things! Beef broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, spicy Dijon mustard, and sour cream.
    6. Add the beef to the mushroomy stroganoff sauce, and admire your handiwork.
    flour sprinkled on top of cooked onions, mushrooms and garlic in a skillet
    easy beef stroganoff sauce with mushrooms and onions in a skillet

    2 Ways To Serve Stroganoff

    You may be tempted to simply grab a spoon and eat the Stroganoff sauce out of the pan, but it’s most delicious to eat it over something that’ll play nicely with the sauce. Two classic ways to serve it are: 

    • Over noodles: Egg noodles are pretty classic, but we also think homemade Pappardelle would be amazing with Stroganoff.
    • Over mashed potatoes: Imagine this creamy, tangy mushroom sauce pooling all over a big mound of mashed potatoes! Delicious, right? 
    sour cream and dijon being added to mushroom sauce in a skillet
    cooked steak being added to beef stroganoff sauce in a large skillet

    Tips For The BEST Stroganoff 

    • Whatever cut of beef you use, the key to tenderizing it is to slice it thinly against the grain. If you do that, the beef will be tender and juicy, and it will cook quickly and evenly. Win, win, win. 
    • Slice the beef when it’s very cold (or even slightly frozen) with a nice sharp knife. It’ll cut like butter!
    • All about ROUX: The first step towards making your beef stroganoff sauce is making a roux, which simply means a thick paste of flour + fat that forms the base of most creamy sauces. When it is time to whisk the flour into the sauce, give it a really good whisk and a little time. You want to cook out the flours’ rawness and create a cohesive roux before proceeding to the next step. That’ll ensure that your sauce is thick and creamy. 
    • Don’t let the Stroganoff sauce boil! After you add the sour cream to the sauce, you’ll want to warm it through (of course) but be careful not to let the sauce fully boil or you’ll run the risk of curdling the sour cream. 
    homemade beef stroganoff made with mushrooms, onions, sour cream, dijon, butter and spices sprinkled with fresh parsley

    The Origins of Beef Stroganoff

    Traditional beef Stroganoff originated in Russian as the name “Stroganoff” (or, in Russian, it would be “Stroganov”) implies. The creamy, beefy recipe was likely created in the early 1800s for members of the wealthy Russian Stroganov family to indulge in, probably by their French chef. How do we know? Well, it’s kind of a food history guess based on the fact that the recipe uses classic French techniques, like browning the meat quickly, and then making a pan sauce flavored with Dijon. 

    homemade beef stroganoff in a skillet sprinkled with fresh parsley
    homemade beef stroganoff tossed with egg noodles and sprinkled with fresh parsley in a skillet

    How To Store

    Leftover Stroganoff sauce is really delicious, and will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the sauce separately from any noodles or rice you might serve it with. Why? If you store them together, the noodles will get mushy. We don’t usually love to freeze creamy sauces like this but you can freeze Stroganoff. Just cool the sauce completely, and store it in a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it defrost in the fridge for a day, and then warm it gently in a pan over low or medium-low heat until it’s warmed through. 

    homemade beef stroganoff in a skillet made with sirloin steak, mushrooms, onion, spices, butter, sour cream and dijon

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    Beef Stroganoff Recipe

    Updated April 7, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories:  433
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    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pounds chuck or sirloin steak, fat trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 1 pound white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ¼ cup flour
    • 2 cups beef broth
    • 1 tablespoon minced, fresh thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • Cooked pasta or mashed potatoes, for serving
    • Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Season the beef pieces all over with 1½ teaspoons of the salt.

      thinly sliced raw steak on parchment paper

    2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in small batches, add the beef and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding remaining olive oil as needed.

      steak strips seasoned with salt being cooked in olive oil in a skillet

    3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onion softens and the mushrooms are starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 1 more minute.

      onions, mushrooms and garlic being cooked in butter in a skillet

    4. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the beef broth and stir until fully incorporated. Add the thyme, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is starting to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, sour cream and Dijon mustard, until the sauce is combined. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Return the meat to the skillet and toss until fully coated.

      sour cream and dijon being added to mushroom sauce in a skillet

    5. Serve over pasta of your choice or mashed potatoes and sprinkle with parsley, if using. 

      homemade beef stroganoff made with mushrooms, onions, sour cream, dijon, butter and spices sprinkled with fresh parsley

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 433
    • Protein 31 g
    • Carbohydrates 14 g
    • Total Fat 29 g
    • Dietary Fiber 1 g
    • Cholesterol 106 mg
    • Sodium 990 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Beef Stroganoff

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Fiona

      I am a huge fan and make your recipes 3-4 times a week. This one is delicious too but I only used half the amount of mushrooms and it seemed like more than plenty. Two pounds is a lot. And I love mushrooms!

      Thanks Fiona, glad you enjoy our recipes! Feel free to use less next time.

    • LTP

      I've made this several times --my teenage & college-aged son love it --but I'm perplexed by what pan(s) you're using. I also use my enameled cast iron --like you. But each time I end up with a scorched mess in the pan to the point that tonight, I actually had to pull it and switch to my non-stick --and this was AFTER I tried just deglazing it! I want to use my enameled cast iron so I get that nice crispiness on the beef --but I end up with just a burned mess. I also tried just cutting the heat down but then the beef is more like steaming. I consider myself a pretty good home cook but I'm just wondering how you get a nice sear in your enameled cast iron without the burned mess. I also like using my enameled cast iron dutch oven (which I think is what you're using) so I can let the sauce / beef mixture hang out with the noodles. (it still turned out delicious!!)

      Our recomendation is to make sure you're not over crowding your pan and reduce the heat then the meat should not steam.

    • Macey

      In the pictures you have with noodles, how many ounces of noodles were used?

      12 ounces.

    • Momof3

      Is it possible to freeze this recipe? I've read arguements in both directions for freezing recipes that include sour cream.

      I would just leave the sour cream out and freeze it. Then when you do go heat it up, add the sour cream once it is rewarmed. You will have 1/2 cup less sauce when you go to freeze it, but that should be ok. The night before you want to serve it, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw. Then heat the sauce on the stove, and add the sour cream then. Enjoy!

    • Julia

      Made this for dinner with a nice piece of chuck roast and it was fantastic! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

      Thanks Julia, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Leslie

      Just made this, pretty much as written. Delicious!

      Thanks Leslie, we are so glad you love it!

    • Timmo

      Loved it.
      I would give it a 5 out of 5

      Thanks Timmo, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Holly

      My 11 year old son has been asking for beef stroganoff for a couple weeks now and last night he and his dad made this recipe. I've been putting it off because beef stroganoff has never been a dish I've enjoyed. Its usually heavy and rather bland. First, the two of them had a great time working together and then, the meal was delicious! This was a great recipe and we will keep this one for using again. We all agreed, there isn't anything we would change about it. Another great recipe from you ladies which is why we keep coming back for more. Thank you.

      This is such a great story! thanks for sharing Holly, we are so glad your family enjoyed this one!

    • Lisa

      Thank you so much! I made this tonight and the flavors were perfectly balanced and it was super simple.

      Thanks Lisa, so happy to hear that!