This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.
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’m holding a seventies dinner party tomorrow night. Prawn cocktail, beef stroganoff and sherry trifle. This is the best recipe I have found so far on the net. Wish me luck!
Thank you, Richard! Love your menu and I hope your party is a huge success. 🙂
Hi, I love this recipe and am going to put in my slow cooker very soon.does the recipe need to be altered at all regarding the cream?ill be using creme fraiche as I normally would but will this split in the slow cooker?
Thanks
Hi Chloe, both creme fraiche and sour cream usually separate at high temeprature and that is why I stirred it in at the end of cooking. I’ve never used slow cooker for Stroganoff but I would do the same and add creme fraiche in the last 5 minutes. I hope it works for you.
Did using the slow cooker work for you ?? I was thinking about doing the same !! Low on 8 hours or high on 4 hours ?? Thanks for your help and Julia I would appreciate your feedback also !! I love all your recipes and looking forward to trying this one.
Mary Ann, I still haven’t used a slow-cooker but I would go with 4 hours since the meat is cut in small pieces and it wouldn’t take too long to cook. Please let me know how it goes. 🙂
Loved it! I made a double batch over egg noodles. I did not double the sour cream. I used one heaping cup. Turned out excellent. A lot more flavor than other stroganoff recipes that I have tried.
What a great feedback, Stephanie, thank you for sharing that!
thanks for sharing this recipe. Simple enough instructions for an amateur cook like me, not too many ingredients, but tastes great!
So great to hear that even an amateur cook approves it, Ria! 🙂
This looks like a tasty recipe, and one that would fit into a low carb diet, if I serve this with a mashed cauliflower or something similar (rutabaga or turnips).
Is there anything you can suggest in place of mustard, in this recipe? I really cannot stand mustards (with the exception of a few I’ve had at a Bavarian restaurant). I know mustard gives things a necessary zing, and it’s a tiny amount, but I can usually detect the flavor, and don’t care for it.
Would something like horseradish work, in place of mustard?
I’m pleased to see Russian recipes, as I’ve been exploring a little Russian, Ukranian, Uzbek and Tajik cuisine, in the last few years — but have no idea how to cook any of it. I live in Brooklyn, NY, in a neighborhood with a fairly large Russian population, so I buy a fair amount of prepared foods at local grocery stores or from Russian and Uzbek restaurants.
Hi Rachel, you can definitely skip mustard if you don’t like it but I wouldn’t substitute it with anything else. Good luck! 🙂
Please, please, please post more authentic Russian recipes. This one was fabulous! I love that it was made with real ingredients – nothing overly processed. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh wow, Caren, I love your enthusiasm! 🙂 Tomorrow a post full of authentic Russian recipes is coming for Russian/Ukrainian Christmas. I also have a few more in the line-up.
HI! This recipe looks amazing and I’m planning on making it this weekend for my dad. Just curious, what kind of beef or steak do you use? Thank you in advance for the tip! 🙂
I usually go for something that is good value for the money like sirloin.
This was absolutely so easy and so delicious. I never write reviews, but just had to for this. Thank you!
Thank you so much! I am thrilled you found it easy and delicious. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!! unfortunately my husband does not like mushrooms.. Will it still be as tasty without them?
Absolutely, Michelle! I always adjust the ingredient list according to our taste…no point using something if you don’t like it. 🙂
My husband says he doesn’t like mushrooms either. I made a different stroganoff recipe and chose the freshest mushrooms I could find to use in it. He loved it and asked me to make it again. I can’t wait to try this recipe; it looks much more flavorful with the addition of brandy.
We just spent a couple of weeks in Sweden and picked wild mushrooms almost daily. I am convinced that if people gave them a go, they would fall in love with mushrooms. So much flavour and texture, you cannot even compare them to white button mushrooms that are sold in shops! Try porcini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms or chanterelles!
I love the idea of adding brandy to Beef Stroganoff! This looks fabulous. I admit I am one to use egg noodles, but in my defense, my daughter will not eat mashed potatoes. 🙂
Hahaha…my kids didn’t eat mashed potatoes for years so I can sympathise! Thank you for stopping by and your comment, Andrea.