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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.
This recipes is perfect with veggie beef too!! Very tasty.
Great to know, thank you for sharing, Isabelle!
Let me start off by saying this was amazing!! I am Russian and I too long for Russian food all the time, so this hit home for me! I used Filet Mignon cut, my grocery store carries a what I call ugly cut of this meat so its Filet Mignon but not round and pretty looking but whatever works for you! With this cut I didn’t need to tenderize the meat so it was perfect, I did coat the meat with a little Almond Meal or flour you can use before I seared it. I also didn’t have any Brandy so I used a couple splashes of red wine I had on hand and that worked perfect! The mustard is definitely a key ingredient that gave a little tang to it. I really can’t say enough about this recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much for your review, Dasha! It means so much coming from a fellow Russian. I love your filet mignon story, I am exactly the same way, always looking for a deal! 😉
I love your website and I love this recipe. This is how Svetlana, my Russian friend, taught me how to do it 25 years ago and I lost the recipe and unfortunately lost track of her.
Thank you, thank you for bringing it back.
This and your glazed beetroot recipe made me an avid fan.
Thank you for visiting, I am happy you loved the recipe and were reminded of your friend.
Can I use orange cognac? Thats what I have, or is that too off? Thanks
I am afraid it won’t work here, you can just skip it altogether. 🙂
am making tonight but wondering what can be used in place of cognac- has anyone tried- sherry(cooking) white wine or red wine? i would really like to know what i can use. thanks for any info
So sorry with the late reply, Peggy, my blog was experiencing technical problems. White wine would work here as well, I would avoid anything sweet tasting like sherry. Hope this is still useful.
My mom is russian. Can’t wait to try it out.
I have been looking for a different Beef Stroganoff recipe and this one looks very good.
My mother used to make a poor mans version using ground beef instead of stew meat and we put it over boiled cubed potatoes. I’ve made her recipe with stewing meat and everyone liked it a lot. But…always on the lookout for something different!
Hi there! I am so looking forward to making this dish for a dinner party tomorrow. I have a quick question: I do not yet own a cast-iron skillet; all I have is a small non-stick skillet. I do have a large enameled cast iron dutch oven, though (this is the one I have at home: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039UU9UE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00). Do you think making it in a dutch oven (uncovered) would work? Thank you so much for the recipe!
Rachel, you can definitely make it in your dutch oven, especially if you are cooking for a crowd. The only thing to avoid is the beef steaming, since the walls of the dutch oven are quite tall and can trap a lot of heat. You are looking for a nice colour on your meat.
This dish is one of those hit the spot comfort foods. I was in the grocery store today, wondering what I wanted to eat. I’m Italian and Honduran, and I wanted to step away from those two cuisines, since I’m always eating them. I remembered eating an Americanized version of this dish years ago, and began craving it. I then googled authentic beef stroganoff and came across your recipe; I never knew that it was Russian. Nonetheless, the brandy grabbed my attention, and it came out delicious. I think that the brandy and mustard sets this recipe apart from the others that are out there. Thank you for sharing.
Brandy always grabs my attention too, James! We all get in food ruts, don’t we! On days when I have more time in the kitchen I always try to find a completely new recipe and experiment. I am so pleased yours turned out delicious!
Do you have a preference between creme fraiche and sour cream, when you’re making stroganoff? I made it again, and was curious if whether one was better than the other. By the way it’s great with a baguette on the side too.
Hi James, I am so glad to hear you made again and yes, I love it with a baguette! My preference is creme fraiche, it tastes the same as Russian sour cream or smetana, as it is called in Russian, that is added to many dishes. You can also use half sour cream and half heavy cream to achieve a similar result.
Thank you for the tips!
Hi, I can’t wait to make your recipe…I am making it tonight and wondering if I can use a Tawny Port instead of Brandy? Also, will cream cheese work in addition to sour cream? Thanks
Hi Dee, I wouldn’t recommend using port, it’s too sweet; white wine, vermouth or whisky would be a better substitute, or just skip it altogether. If you are short on sour cream and want to add cream cheese I would dilute it with stock to achieve the right consistency. Let me know how it goes!!
This was so delicious! We had a couple ribeye steaks sitting around in the freezer cause we buy bulk beef but don’t care for plain steak on its own. What a wonderful use for them! This will definitely be added to the regular meal rotation 🙂
So happy to hear that, Alex! I imagine ribeye steaks would be absolutely mouthwatering in Stroganoff! 🙂