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Tender and juicy beef steak strips with mushrooms and onions, smothered in a savoury sour cream sauce. Making classic Beef Stroganoff is easy and quick too: ready in just 30 minutes! All you have to do is to follow my detailed instructions!
Serve this classic Russian dish with out creamy Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and our homemade Rye Bread for a truly unforgettable meal.
Whenever Russian cuisine comes up in conversation, it usually starts with beef stroganoff. And it’s easy to see why.
Savoury beef pieces cooked in a creamy and slightly tangy sour cream sauce is the sort of thing that will go down well with so many people. It hits all the right notes in all the right ways, which explains its enduring popularity.
But I’m also convinced that most people haven’t tried beef stroganoff the way it is meant to be enjoyed. Even with just a few ingredients, it has astonishingly complex flavours for such a comfort food.
Just follow my authentic recipe to discover the best possible version of this legendary dish!
Traditional Beef Stroganoff
Invented and named after a member of a Russian noble family Count Stroganoff by his personal chef, this delicious beef recipe has travelled far and wide across the globe since the 19th century. It’s time I share my version, which I have to admit is classic.
The classic beef stroganoff recipe was heavily influenced by the French cuisine, which was very popular among the aristocrats in the 19th century Russia. You can see that in the creamy sauce.
However, the use of traditionally Russian ingredients like mushrooms and sour cream made this elegant dish stick around for centuries in its homeland. Given how popular creamy meat dishes are, it’s not a surprise that it has become popular the world over.
Although beef is traditional in stroganoff, the dish can be made with more. Meatball Stroganoff is particularly good and using pre-made meatballs makes the dish especially easy to make.
You can even use chicken as I did in this impossibly popular version of Chicken Stroganoff. I varied the recipe a bit to make the delicate meat of chicken shine. Or even more off the beaten path, I’ve made Beef Stroganoff Soup!
It seems to me that 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. And most importantly when extra comfort is needed.
The outcome is always the same. Immediate bliss followed by a food coma. It’s good and it’s very easy.
What cut of beef is best?
First off, the beef quality is paramount. Avoid stewing beef and buy sirloin or rump steak. I find ribeye too fatty for this dish since the sauce is already rich. I prefer using a leaner beef for a more balanced meal. Whatever cut of steak you choose buy the best quality you can afford. You only need a pound of it!
Secondly, if a steak is too expensive, go ahead and buy a more affordable pork tenderloin. Really, it’s allowed. Many Russian cooks make Stroganoff with good quality pork.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Be careful not to steam the mushrooms and take the time to brown them. It’s important to get a good colour on them, so turn you heat up to make them look extra deep golden brown.
- A combination of olive oil and butter is a great way to get even more delicious flavour. Or use clarified butter to avoid burning as it has a high smoke point.
- Use a This is an affiliate link.heavy bottomed large skillet and avoid a non-stick frying pan. You want your meat to stick to the pan, so it gets coated with brown bits.
- The taste of sour cream in stroganoff can be too strong for some people, in which case heavy or double cream can be used in its place. Just make sure not to use low fat sour cream as it tends to produce a thin sauce and may cause the sauce to split.
- The brown bits are important because they get released once you hit the pan with a shot of brandy and go into the sauce. That’s where the wonderfully complex flavour comes from. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the pieces get released.
- The recipe calls for deglazing with brandy but madeira, sherry or a dry white wine will all be perfectly good substitutes. It’s important that dry wine, rather than sweet wine is used. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, it is possible to use the same quantity of apple juice with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Serving suggestions
Dill pickles and mounds of mashed potatoes make beef stroganoff the best dinner ever! If you are wondering why pickles are necessary, I am happy to oblige. Their acidity breaks up the richness of this dish and provides a great balance! The parsley garnish helps with this as well.
You might be surprised but potatoes are the most traditional pairing for Beef Stroganoff in Russia. We serve mashed potatoes at home and indulge in fried shoestring potatoes in restaurants. Give them a try and you won’t be able to go back to egg noodles.
You can, of course, serve beef stroganoff over egg noodles like I did with my vegetarian version here. This creamy dish also goes extremely well over plain rice or pasta. Let the sauce provide all the flavour!
Storage and leftovers
Sour cream and crème fraîche have a tendency to separate after freezing, making the texture less appetizing. To preserve a smooth sauce, it’s better to use double or heavy cream instead.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days when stored in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container. Warm in a microwave or over low heat on a stovetop. Let the pieces of beef get hot all the way through, but be careful not to boil the sauce.
More Russian Beef Recipes
- Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce “Tefteli”
- Cabbage Rolls “Golubtsi”
- Russian Meat Patties with Wild Mushroom Sauce “Kotleti”
- Russian Sweet and Sour Beef Stew Solyanka
Best Beef Stroganoff
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 225g/1/2 lbs crimini mushrooms/chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 450g/1 lbs beef steak (I used sirloin), cut in strips
- 60ml/1/4cup brandy
- salt
- pepper, freshly ground
- 125ml/1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 This is an affiliate link.bay leaf
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.whole grain mustard
- 250ml/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 over low heat to prevent the sauce from splitting. Sprinkle parsley and take off the heat. Serve with mounds of mashed potatoes or rice.
Video
Notes
- If the sour cream taste is too strong for you, replace a half of it with heavy cream.
- Do not use low fat sour cream as it tends to produce a thin sauce and sometimes cause the sauce to split.
- If you do not want to cook with alcohol, substitute the brandy with the same amount of apple juice plus one tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe and so has anybody I have ever served it to!! I have a couple of questions though:
1. You say in the recipe to cook until the alcohol burns off…how long should that take? I have no idea..
2. When I cook the mushrooms and onions in the first step in the recipe, a large amount of liquid is created. Should I keep that liquid when I put the mushrooms and onion back into the pot? (I use a Dutch Oven) Or should I discard it?
3. The only difference I make to this recipe is adding about a teaspoon or a little more of Worcestershire sauce. I love it!
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!!
Hi Vivian, great questions.
1. How long it takes for the alcohol to burn off depends on how high your heat is, so instead of a time marker I rely on the visual. The brandy you add should reduce in volume to almost nothing and it happens within a minute. I hope this makes sense.
2. I brown mushrooms on high heat as well, you want to see actual browning. This is where flavour comes from, mushrooms shouldn’t be just grey but golden. You will have less liquid if you use this method. If there is some liquid that is still left, keep it in for flavour.
I hope this helps!
Best
Julia
Absolutely the BEST!!! Made it for dinner while decorating for Christmas everyone loved it and was perfect comfort food at end of a busy day. You instructions were very helpful. Will absolutely try other recipes. Thank so much.
What a wonderful outcome! Thank you for sharing this with me, Linda.
Is old style mustard the same as whole grain? If not, can it be used as a sub? Thank you!
If you see whole mustard grains inside the jar, then yes!
Hello Julia,
Firstly, I want to say that I really enjoy your recipe. I have been using it and doubling it for quite some time. Nevertheless, I was at my local grocery store and saw that they had fresh bay leaves for sale. Most grocery stores where I live do not sell them, so I have only cooked with dry bay leaves. Do you recommend using fresh bay leaves over the dry bay leaves in your recipe?
I am so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying this recipe, James! I use fresh bay leaves when I have them, otherwise I use dried leaves with the same success. When I was growing up the only bay leaves, which are a staple in Russian cuisine, I ever saw were dried.
What can I sub the brandy with? Balsamic vinegar or Worcester (sp?) sauce? We donโt buy/use alcohol. Thanks!
Itโs fine to simply omit brandy. I wouldnโt use balsamic vinegar…very different flavour.
Thank you!
Can I sub with a good whiskey? Making this for 10 ppl tomorrow. Yummy!
Absolutely, I often do!
Thanks so much! Making it for 5:00 and am itching to get a move on as I know the scent will be amazing! Why is patience so HARD? In place of store bought sour cream I practiced making a homemade creme fraisch from chef John at Food Wishes on youtube A true happy marriage.๐
Oh homemade creme fraiche is something else! Enjoy!
I would love to make this recipe as it sounds amazing. I was just wondering what kind of pan you used in the video to make it?
Hi Amy, it’s an enameled cast iron pan. Enjoy the recipe!
Hi I want to try this
Do you serve over the top of the mashed potatoes/shoestring fries? Or do you serve them as side dishes?
I would be very interested to know
I almost always serve beef stroganoff over mashed potatoes. I don’t combine them myself if that is what you are wondering. People help themselves.
This is the BEST stroganoff recipe I have ever eaten!! The culmination of beef (I used flank steak), mushrooms, onions ad other ingredients are superb!!
Thank you so much!
Hello. I’ve been wanting to make a real homey style beef stroganoff lately. I find your recipe brilliant. Only, I have a question. I have a bad food allergy in which I can’t have anything with mustard or a beef broth or vegetable broth. Would you have any recommendations of anything I could substitute to those ingredients and still get the right taste. Thank you.
Sorry about your allergies, Mandolyn, unfortunately I can’t think of anything to substitute mustard with other than a tiny amount of horseradish mixed with mayonnaise or so you can just skip it. You can absolutely use chicken broth instead of beef or vegetable.
This was really amazing! My whole family loved it!
So great to hear, Toni!