Vikalinka

She laughs without fear of the future. And she cooks.

Best Beef Stroganoff

Making the best Beef Stroganoff is easy! All you have to do is to follow my detailed instructions!
Best Beef Stroganoff

The two times in my life when I remember my Russian food cravings becoming especially strong were the times I was pregnant with my babies.

It seems I am at it again. No, not the pregnant bit but the longing for food I grew up with. When life gets especially hectic cozy Slavic food laced with butter and sour cream comes to the rescue once again.

I guess it came at a good time since I will be flying to St Petersburg in 3 short weeks. Just for a weekend and strictly for work but how can I not get excited when I haven’t been back in more than a decade!

I just found out that my hotel is offering complementary tea and fresh pastries 24/7.

What! I am simultaneously thrilled…and terrified.  I guess 3 days can’t do too much damage on my waistline…or can they?

Best Beef Stroganoff

I’ve been thinking lately that I don’t share nearly enough Russian recipes here. This needs to change. Pronto. I guess Beef Stroganoff to a Russian is like a Carbonara to an Italian.

Something we just whip up without a recipe in little time using very few ingredients.

The outcome is always the same-immediate bliss followed by a food coma. It’s good and it’s very easy. If you follow a few simple rules you will make the best stroganoff.

Best Beef Stroganoff

How to make best Beef Stroganoff

What meat is used for Beef Stroganoff?

First off, the beef quality is paramount; avoid stewing beef and buy sirloin or rump steak. You only need a pound so buy the best you can afford.

Secondly, if steak is too expensive go ahead and buy a more affordable pork loin. Really, it’s allowed. Many Russian cooks make Stroganoff with pork.

Lastly, use a heavy bottomed skillet and avoid a non-stick. You want your meat to stick to the pan so it gets coated with brown bits because once you hit it with a shot of brandy they get released into the sauce and that’s where wonderfully complex flavour comes from.

What is beef stroganoff served with?

I know it sounded like I just mentioned the last thing but I have more. Dill pickles and mounds of mashed potatoes make beef stroganoff the best dinner EVA!

Don’t even think about serving your Stroganoff with egg noodles. So wrong. No idea where it came from. No noodles.

You can watch me make it here!!

Best Beef Stroganoff

For Creamy Chicken Stroganoff recipe click here!

If you make my  Best Beef Stroganoff , I would love to see your photos! Tag me @vikalinka on Instagram when you are sharing your delicious plates! Are you following me on Instagram? If not, let’s be friends!

Best Beef Stroganoff

Authentically Russian beef cooked in creamy mushroom sauce. 
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: best beef stroganoff
Servings: 4 -6
Author: Julia Frey of Vikalinka

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp-oil
  • 1 tbsp-butter
  • 1- onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lbs- crimini mushrooms sliced
  • 1 lbs-beef steak cut in strips
  • 1/4 cup- brandy
  • salt
  • pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 cup-beef stock
  • 1- bay leaf
  • 1 tsp-whole grain mustard
  • 1 cup- full fat creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 3-4 sprigs-flat-leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet and cook onions and mushrooms over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Add cut steak to the same skillet and quickly fry over high heat for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add brandy and continue cooking until alcohol burns off, add stock, mustard, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release all the brown bits, they will add much flavour to the sauce.
  • Bring mushrooms and onions back to the pan and cook for 3 minutes until everything is heated through and bubbling.
  • Stir in sour cream and parsley and take off the heat.
  • Serve with mounds of mashed potatoes or rice.
Tried this recipe?Mention @vikalinka or tag #vikalinka!

 

Reader Interactions

Comments


  2. My mother always served her Stroganoff with kasha. My husband prefers noodles, but would like mashed potatoes. I substituted white Vermouth for the brandy. Mother also used fresh dill and fresh parsley in her Stroganoff.
    I had some “select” filet and used that for the meat. Select filet is about the same price as good quality sirloin, but is a little more tender.
    Thank you for sharing your recipe and memories.
    I keep a jar of Better Than Boullion beef stock concentrate on hand. Far tastier than those cubes.

    Reply

  3. Hi, I have a stroganoff recipe my Croatian baba very similar that I’ve made for years, but use round steak and have to cook it to death to get tender. I’m going to try your recipe tomorrow and use better meat. My question, we have always added horseradish, have you ever tried it that way? I just don’t want to mess it up as I have my son and family coming for dinner and stroganoff is his bday dinner request.

    Reply

    • Hi Lucetta, I’ve never tried horseradish in the sauce and actually have never heard of it being used in Stroganoff. It’s something that is eaten on the side in Russia. 🙂

      Reply


  4. Excellent recipe. I used mushroom stock instead of beef stock. We dislike brandy, so used red wine (a Barbera) instead. Not traditional, but absolutely terrific! The mushroom stock mellowed it, making the recipe similar in fullness to that made with brandy (which we tried, but didn’t like as we dislike brandy). For those wishing to make ahead, make everything but don’t add the sour cream until you heat it up.

    Reply


  5. This stroganoff was really delicious–my entire family enjoyed it! I used leftover frozen beef roast cut into thin strips.I did not have grainy mustard, so I added 2 teaspoons of dry mustard. I cooked the mushrooms separately due to family preferences. The full-fat sour cream was really good. I can only imagine how decadent creme fraiche would taste.
    Thank you for really quick and superb recipe!

    Reply

  6. I did try this recipe. I used fresh cream but it remained quite lose. Should it reduce and become thick? What did i do wrong? What can i do next time?

    Reply

    • Hi Philippa, it all depends on the fat content of the fresh cream you used. 35% and up will produce thicker sauce and yes, you can always reduce it to desired consistency. This recipe is written with sour cream or creme fraiche in mind, which is usually thicker, so that might be the reason the sauce wasn’t as thick. Please note creme fraiche and fresh cream are not the same.

      Reply


      • Sometimes I dust the beef in corn flour prior to frying it, which helps to thicken the sauce at the end of the process

        Reply


  7. Amazing!!! Made it with chip steak (paper thin sliced round roast) Came out perfect served with cauliflower mash to try and keep it keto!

    Reply


  8. Making this for the second time tonight- I’ve tried 3 or 4 different recipes since I made this the first time and this one really is the best! My man keeps asking me to make this one. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe, Vikalinka!

    Reply


  9. Made this tonight, was really delicious 😀

    I disagree with the no pasta thing, but I looooove pasta so I had to have pasta 😀

    Only thing I did different was make it with Kangaroo, which I should have known better being a lean game meat. Not the best for this sort of dish where its very hard to keep meat rare-> medium rare. But turned out tasty.

    Reply


  10. This recipe looks awesome! I can’t wait to make it. I am planning to make it the day before and reheat it for my dinner party. Is this an option, or will it ruin the dish? If you have any tips for reheating, please share. Thanks!

    Reply

  11. Hi,
    I am planning on tripling the recipe for a family brunch…making it a day ahead of time and reheating it. I’m wondering whether I should make 3 separate batches in the heavy skillet, and then transfer to my le crueset 5 qt dutch oven for reheating or just make it in the le crueset. I’m concerned about getting the proper thickness of sauce if I have all that meat in one batch. Suggestions?

    Reply

    • You can make it in your le creuset, Carla, just make sure you are browning the beef in batches to avoid ‘steaming’ it instead of searing. I wouldn’t worry about thickness since you are reheating it, which always causes some reduction. Or you can always add 1 tbsp of flour if you prefer it thicker.

      Reply

    • I would love to make this the day before and reheat for my dinner party. To lessen the risk of curdling I am considering substituting heavy cream for the sour cream. Do you think this would work with the recipe? Also, I’d love any tips about reheating.

      Reply

      • You can definitely use heavy cream here, Tanja. I prefer sour cream because it gives this otherwise very rich dish a hint of tangy flavour and it’s really lovely but heavy cream will work too.

        Reply

  14. I look forward to trying your Beef Stroganoff recipe. Is there something I could substitute the brandy with?
    Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe.

    Reply

  16. I’m about to try out your recipe and I am very excited to do so. My recipe is more time consuming than yours, so if this is a hit like others have said, then this will be my go to moving forward. I’ll post a pic to your insa when done! I’m topping with some fresh dill and chives as that is the only fresh herbs I have on hand, and I’m serving over egg noodles. Eek! I know!!! Not what you seem to like, but it’s soooooooo good! Haha! With that said, the next time I make this I swear I’m serving with mashed potatoes. Really, when I make mashed potatoes I always have more than enough left over for another meal and will make Shepherds Pie, but now I have another go to for leftovers! Super stoked. Thank you for your time and pic plus follow up coming shortly!

    Reply


  17. Hello i made this last night and it was the best beef stroganoff recipe ever. So simple so flavourful The brandy adds to the layers of richness. Thank you for sharing your family tradition with ya. Yummy I’m so glad i have a tiny bit of leftovers for my lunch today

    Reply


  18. Went to St Petersburg this month .. beautiful place . Had a beef stroganoff there. .. cooked this recipe and it’s delicious .. thanks

    Reply

  19. I love stroganoff with noodles!! I’ve a,ways eaten them that way but mashed potatoes would be great too. And starchy component would not go amiss. I think whatever you like is perfectly permissible.

    Reply

    • You can absolutely eat Beef Stroganoff with whatever you like, Nova. I am simply sharing what is traditional since it is my cultural background. Many people might not be aware that in Russia stroganoff is always served with potatoes. Learning about other cultures is fun! 🙂

      Reply


  22. Thank you. This brings me back to my Ukrainian Grandmother making this, and yes, ALWAYS over mashed potatoes. I tried to recreate hers but it never tasted the same. I now know i was missing the brandy. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!

    Reply

  23. If I double the recipe would it serve 12? I go to the beach with 12 on a Saturday and am in charge of Sunday dinner. If I make this ahead, will it freeze and reheat? Any help appreciated.

    Reply

    • Hi Jeanette, if some of those 12 are children, then yes! I would make sure there are sides like salads, bread, rice or potatoes to stretch this meal over 12. I wouldn’t freeze Beef Stroganoff, some brands of sour cream tend to separate after being frozen and reheated. It’s perfectly safe to keep it in the fridge for a couple of days. Also, reheat over low heat once again to avoid separation and curdling.

      Reply

  24. Hi. I have a simple question. Could this be topped over buckwheat kasha? Or would this be non-traditional?

    I will be trying this recipe later for dinner!

    Reply


  25. I don’t want to say this recipe is the most popular for a reason. There are so many other recipes on here that should definitely be tied for most popular. HOWEVER, that being said, this recipe is the most popular, for a reason. 🙂

    Reply

  27. Hi There!
    Two questions:
    1. I don’t know much of anything about brandy… Is there a particular type I should get (or avoid?) I know there are flavored brandies… Are there better/worse brands?
    2. I’ve been scouting Strog recipies because I’m going to serve this for a Russian family I’m friends with and I wanted to make them something homey. In other articles I’ve read, people have said that the inclusion of mushrooms is an American thing — that Russians don’t usually add mushrooms into this dish. Is that true?
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Hi Lili, you will need a regular brandy, no flavour. Any brand you can afford. I assume you are not a brandy drinker, so I wouldn’t splash out on an expensive bottle. AS far as mushrooms go there are absolutely mushrooms added to Russian Stroganoff. Mushrooms are a huge part of Russian cuisine and they are added to Stroganoff unless people are allergic to them or don’t like them for some reason.

      Reply


  28. This is truly the best beef stroganoff I have ever had. I tried it with the non-traditional pasta made from scratch and with the mashed potatoes and Wow! Amazing!

    I had to make a few modifications because I didn’t have everything in stock. So I used homemade cream of chicken soup (not store bought) in lieu of the beef stock and Jamesons’ Irish whiskey instead of the brandy.

    This will be the only recipe I use for making this ever!!!!

    Thank you so much for sharing this with us:)
    Spaciba Bollshoi (they need to add a Cyrillic alphabet)

    Reply


  29. Made this for dinner tonight; minus the mushrooms (family’s ; though not my preference). It was delicious! I was skeptical about the brandy; but it definitely added a depth of flavor. I have saved this to my “keeper dinners” and will make it again for sure. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply


  32. I had a craving for beef stroganoff, I have not made it in years, (hubby hates onion and mushroom) this recipe was sooo good. I had some creme fraiche left over from Christmas which initially inspired me, and a pound of chuck roast left over from another recipe, I was expecting it to be a little tough due to the cut of meat, but I added a little extra stock and let it simmer for an extra half hour, it wasn’t as tender as a good steak would have been, but it wasn’t too bad at all. And the flavour.. reallllly good!! I did serve it with mashed cauliflower, perfect for a low carb meal. Even my mushroom and onion hating husband ate it (some mushrooms pushed aside though)

    Reply

    • I love the cauliflower mash here, Shannon. I am going to do it myself as I am going low carb after Christmas to shed a few holiday pounds. So happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it! It’s such creamy comfort!

      Reply


  33. I must say I haven’t made Beef Stroganoff for a long time, My son just asked me to make some. I have a recipe in my (very old) Time/Life cookbook. I haven’t looked at it for ages, as I, too, am a great believer of “winging it”. It is a recipe from Sofka Skipwith’s book: Eat Russian. Funny, when I last looked, Mr Google hasn’t yet been invented. Just discovered she is quite famous (for things other than her cookbook)
    Anyway, reading your recipe sounded quite familiar, so I dragged the book out to compare. It is very similar, except it has a tablespoon of pureed tomato and 30gr of flour(which is made into a roux)
    I will definitely try your version, sounds simpler.
    The one thing she says (which may answer one of the comments above) is: “If the meat is cut too thin, it hardens in cooking”

    Reply

    • I just looked her up Judy and wow, what a remarkable woman. I’ve never heard of her before or her book. I am going to try and find it. Good luck with my recipe. I hope you like it. Best, Julia

      Reply

  34. I made this dish for my boyfriend tonight and if I get a marriage proposal in the near future, I’ll have you to thank. It was unbelievably delicious, each bite revealing another layer of beauty. Thank you!!!

    Reply


  35. I seem to have a problem with my sauce curdling, just a little, after I add the sour cream or yogurt; any suggestions as to what I’m doing wrong? Other than that it’s a very good recipe. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi Linda, sour cream can sometimes curdle at high temperature, so I would suggest lowering your heat a bit or take the pan off the heat, add sour cream and warm it through on low simmer. If you are doing all that and it still separates, I would try another brand of sour cream as it also can be a factor. DO let me know if that helped!

      Reply

      • The way I have always prevented curdling is that you add a bit of the hot stroganoff to the cream mixture, stirring well, than a bit more, etc, before then adding the mixture back to the pan. Adding the hot ingredient gradually to the cold sour cream tempers.

        Reply

  36. Hi i made this last night for myself and my Mother, i am currently on a non dairy health kick so made this recipe exactly but subsituted butter and cream/sour cream for non dairy alternatives and it was still beautiful! Definately one of my go to recipes now!

    Oh and i served it with wild rice and lemony green beans (i am from the uk) 😉

    Reply


  37. Hi, Vikakinka,
    I found and prepared your recipe last night, substituting white wine for brandy and omitting beef stock and parsley because I didn’t have any. I threw in some Worcestershire sauce to help compensate for the missing beef stock. A roaring success!

    I’m writing because, by coincidence, I came across a recipe that was in a fund-raising cookbook published in 1948, by some US military wives then living in Germany.

    After ready many of the comment on this page and ascertaining that no one had confessed to using “catsup” in their version, I thought this would be worth contributing. The cookbook is charming, too.

    BEEF STRAGENEUFF
    (Is that a German spelling of Stroganoff, or a little joke?)

    1 large onion (sliced)
    1 T butter
    2 lbs. round steak (cut in strips)
    3 T soy sauce
    6 T catsup
    2 C sour cream
    ***
    1 T flour
    2 T water
    1/2 C mushrooms

    Cook onion in butter until clear. Add meat and brown.
    Add seasonings and cream. Cook slowly until meat ls
    tender. Mix flour and water together and add, stirring
    until thick. Add mushrooms and serve on rice.

    The article about the book is here, on slate.com:
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2017/08/04/a_cookbook_published_by_american_women_during_the_berlin_blockade.html

    and a scan of the book itself is here:

    http://www.berlinbrats.org/pdfs/49Vittles.pdf

    Reply

    • This is interesting because of the book’s historical value but definitely an Americanised version of Stroganoff. There wouldn’t be catchup or soy sauce in an authentic recipe since they are very non-Russian ingredients. 🙂

      Reply

  38. This recipe looks amazing, but I don’t like sour cream. Could I substitute milk or whipping cream instead?

    Reply

    • You could use whipping cream, Michael but a slightly tangy taste is what characterises Beef Stroganoff, otherwise it will just taste like a classic French dish. Russian smetana (sour cream) tastes less sour if you have an Eastern European shop nearby!!

      Reply

  39. What’s up with the mashed potatoes, I was always taught it was pan fried potatoes. I can’t stand pickles = YUCK!

    Reply


  40. My grandmother used to make hers with dill pickles and it was SO GOOD! never been able to find a recipe with them included until today. Спасибо!

    Reply


  41. I made it one time in 1975 for a guy I was dating that was from Bulgaria. A friend of mine gave me a recipe he had from an International cookbook. I must have spent a half a weeks salary on the ingredients (made a sour cream cake too). He sits down and says “I’m not very hungry” and puts about a tablespoon of everything on his plate. I was so pissed when he did that…but then he took his first bite and his eyes lit up and says “This is fantastic! I have had this is Russia and this is just as good or better!” He ate two whole plates of it, plus my cake. I was very pleased. Have not made it since then, but may just have to make it this week. Your recipe looks very good and easy too.

    Reply

  42. I am looking forward to trying your recipe. My Grandfather was from Russia, and he made excellent stroganoff. It is one of my favorite things to eat.

    Reply


  43. I prepared this today and added some garlic, a little bit of low sodium soy sauce and a little tapioca flour to thicken it up a little. The mustard and brandy really give it a very nice flavor and this is by far the BEST Stroganoff I have ever made. I served it with Jasmine rice. If you are looking for a good Stroganoff recipe, then look no further – this is it 🙂 Thank you for sharing such a wonderful dish.

    Reply

    • Thanks you for your feedback, Desiree! I am happy to hear you enjoyed my Beef Stroganoff and you are very welcome. I hope you can try other recipes on my blog! 🙂

      Reply

  44. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I appreciate authentic recipes that reflect tradition. I’m going to make this today with the proper sides of potatoes and pickles. Yes, please post more Russian recipes! I adore Russian borscht; there is a version I always have at the Olive Tree Cafe in Greenwich Village NY, made with beef flanken; a Ukrainian friend told me that it’s authentic. They won’t give away the recipe but has dill, cabbage, beets, tomato and a touch of apple. If this is indeed Russian, I would adore a recipe. 🙂

    Reply


  45. My Mom always dredged the steak strips in flour which thickens the sauce a bit. Sauteed the onions and added just a little garlic. Usually thick enough for us and we always had ours served over wide noodles, Fresh green beans seasoned with bacon drippings and thick crusty hot bread.

    Reply

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