Beef Stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food. This 25 minute recipe is made with simple and easy-to-find ingredients and has such simple steps that it will become a regular in your house.
One of the things I truly love about food is how it is used to care. When I gave birth to my youngest and had two other kids running around the house, my siblings hired a private chef to make us multiple meals that were then frozen. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for us. Gifting food when someone really needs to be taken care of is so special.
This Beef Stroganoff is the perfect meal for such an occasion. It is easy to make, taking just 25 minutes of hands-on time, and is amazing comfort food. If you do make this for someone you love in need a little TLC, make sure to take a tiny taste for yourself so you know that it belongs in your regular meal rotation.
How to Make Beef Stroganoff
Here is a brief overview of how this recipe for beef stroganoff comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cook the noodles. Get your water boiling right away. See more on cooking pasta below.
- Cook the steak. Cut the sirloin into two pieces lengthwise, then into thin strips. Toss the meat with Worcestershire sauce and thyme and cook in a large skillet until mostly browned. Remove from the skillet.
- Sauté the vegetables. Cook the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in melted butter in the skillet the steak was cooked in until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.
- Make a roux. Add the paprika, salt, black pepper, and flour, stirring it into the mushrooms until well combined. Slowly whisk in the wine, adding more liquid once what you just added is absorbed. Read more on making a roux below.
- Finish the sauce. Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Then simmer and allow the beef stroganoff sauce to reduce for about two minutes.
- Put it all together. Stir in the sour cream and add the beef and any acquired juices to the pan. Serve over noodles and enjoy!
Beef for Beef Stroganoff
For this recipe we are using top sirloin steak. The reason I went with this cut of meat is because it can be cooked up quickly without needing to be marinated or tenderized in some other way first.
Many other stroganoff recipes use cuts of meat like chuck roast or top round that require a low and slow cooking method. Other recipes use something like a flank or skirt steak cut thin. But those are cuts of meat that really need to be marinated in order to be tender.
By using top sirloin steak, we are able to keep this recipe quick while still getting really tender pieces of beef in the final recipe.
Cooking Pasta
While cooking pasta sounds like an easy step in any recipe, a few tips will make it turn out perfectly every time.
- Use plenty of water. Pasta expands as it cooks, so you need more than just enough water to cover the noodles. A pound of pasta needs four to six quarts of water.
- Add salt to the water. Salting the water is the only way to add flavor to the pasta. Add 1/2-1 teaspoon to the water before adding the noodles.
- Bring the water to a roaring boil. Make sure your pot of water has large, constant bubbles.
- Set a timer. Follow the directions on the package and set a timer as soon as the noodles are added to the boiling water. This will help them cook to al dente and not be overcooked and mushy.
Making a Roux
A roux is the combination of flour and fat used to thicken soups and sauces. The fat surrounds the flour and keeps it suspended in the sauce, resulting in a creamy beautiful sauce. When making a roux for the sauce in the recipe, a few things are important to keep in mind.
- Make sure to fully whisk the flour into the mushroom mixture. This will ensure there is no “flour taste” in the stroganoff.
- Add the liquid slowly. When you add the wine, allow it to be absorbed before adding more. While we want to go slow here, the whole process should take less than a minute.
Cooking With Wine
Whenever I have a recipe that calls for wine, I get asked what kind of wine to use and if the recipe can be made with something else. Because the flavor of the wine is enhanced when cooking, you’ll want to choose something with good flavor that you wouldn’t mind drinking.
I recommend dry white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. If no one in your house drinks wine, you can buy those little bottles to keep in your pantry instead of opening a whole bottle for a small amount. While you want to buy something that you enjoy the flavor of alone, you don’t need to break the bank on a bottle of wine.
If you prefer not to use alcohol in this recipe, you can replace the 1/2 cup of wine with 1/2 cup more beef broth. The end result will have a slightly different flavor, but will still be delicious!
Using Ground Beef
If you’d like to make beef stroganoff with ground beef instead of steak, I recommend you follow the recipe linked in the box below.
Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Always use your best judgment when reheating and eating leftovers.
What to Serve With Beef Stroganoff
If you make this easy Beef Stroganoff recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment below letting me know how you enjoyed it.
Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles cooked according to package instructions (340.2 grams)
- 1 pound top sirloin steak read why we use this cut here (453.6 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (28.3 grams)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced (226.8 grams)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine (118.3 ml)
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth (236.6 ml)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (113.5 grams)
- fresh parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.12 ounces egg noodles
- While the noodles are cooking, cut the sirloin into two pieces lengthwise. Then cut into 1/8 inch thick strips. Toss the meat with Worcestershire sauce and thyme in a medium bowl.1 pound top sirloin steak, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mostly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Melt the butter in the pan used to cook the steak. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the skillet, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.2 tablespoons butter, 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small yellow onion
- Add the paprika, salt, black pepper, and flour, stirring it into the mushrooms until well combined. Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, about a tablespoon at a time, adding more liquid once what you just added was absorbed. While we want to go slow here, the whole process should take less than a minute. Whisk in the beef broth.1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1/2 cup white wine, 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, then return the beef and any acquired juices to the pan. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed. (At this point I typically add another 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and another dash of black pepper.) Serve with the noodles and enjoy!1/2 cup sour cream
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
WOW, Lisa, I am speechless! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH, like time a million, for this incredible post! The photos are stunning, and your kind words-I legit have goosebumps!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookbook and loved the recipes, I’m all about making things a little easier because we all have like a million and a half things going on, and who wants to spend a bazillion hours trying to figure out what’s for dinner, right?
And p.s., I cannot tell you how hard I laughed when I read you had to look up how to spell stroganoff – the same thing happened to me when I was writing the cookbook, I’m pretty sure my editor just rolled her eyes at me when I told her how hard the spelling was LOL.
Thank you thank you THANK YOU again!!