Classic Beef Stroganoff

Tender strips of beef and earthy mushrooms coated in a rich, tangy sour cream sauce, served warm over a bed of egg noodles.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish that has been loved around the world for more than a century, and it is a model of how a few good techniques can build a deep, savory sauce in one pan. Thin strips of beef are seared hard, mushrooms and onions are browned in the same pan, flour thickens the broth and sour cream gives it a tangy, creamy finish.

Three moments decide how it turns out. Searing the beef quickly over high heat, so it stays tender. Browning the mushrooms properly, so they taste rich and not boiled. And stirring in the sour cream over low heat, so it stays smooth and doesn’t curdle.

It serves four over wide egg noodles, and takes about 40 minutes. It is a good weeknight dish, and it is even better with a little patience at the browning stage.

Read this first

1. Slice the beef thinly against the grain, and sear it quickly. Don’t cook it through.
2. Brown the mushrooms well, and don’t crowd the pan.
3. Add the sour cream over low heat, and don’t let the sauce boil.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 25 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb Sirloin steak or flank steak, sliced thinly
• 8 oz Wide egg noodles
• 8 oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Beef broth
• 1/2 cup Sour cream
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp Butter

Instructions

1. Boil the egg noodles in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Look for: Noodles that are tender but still have a little bite.
2. Season the thinly sliced beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. Quickly sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and set aside. Look for: A golden-brown crust on thin strips of beef, with a pink center.
3. Lower heat to medium. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté onions and mushrooms until softened and browned (about 5-7 minutes). Look for: Mushrooms that have shrunk and turned deep golden, and an onion that is soft and sweet.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Look for: Garlic smells fragrant and has not browned.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste. Look for: A pasty, golden mixture that smells toasty, with no dry flour.
6. Slowly pour in the beef broth, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Let simmer and thicken for 3-5 minutes. Look for: A smooth, thickened sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
7. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the Dijon mustard and sour cream. Do not let it boil vigorously or the sour cream may curdle. Look for: A creamy, pale brown sauce, with no curdled bits.
8. Add the seared beef strips (and any juices) back into the sauce to warm through. Serve over the cooked egg noodles. Look for: Tender beef strips in a creamy sauce over a bed of noodles.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 470
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 36g
• Sodium: 340mg
• Cholesterol: 160mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat — boiling the sauce after the sour cream is added can cause it to curdle, so keep it at a bare simmer.
• Not for Freezing: Freezing isn't recommended — sour cream-based sauces tend to separate once thawed.

Cook It With Me

Boil the noodles

Cook the 8 oz of wide egg noodles in well-salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and set aside, tossing with a little butter if you like so they don’t stick.

Sear the beef

Pat the 1 lb of thinly sliced sirloin dry and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the beef in a single layer for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned. Don’t cook it through, because it goes back into the sauce. Work in two batches if the pan is crowded. Move the beef to a plate.

Brown the mushrooms and onion

Lower the heat to medium. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and add the finely chopped onion and the 8 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then. The mushrooms will release water first, then it will evaporate, and then they will turn golden brown. That is the flavor you want.

Add the garlic

Stir in the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Cook the flour

Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for 1 minute, to cook off the raw flour taste.

Add the broth

Slowly pour in the 1 cup of beef broth, stirring continuously, so there are no lumps. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens and coats a spoon.

Finish with sour cream

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and the 1/2 cup of sour cream. Don’t let it boil, or the sour cream can curdle.

Add the beef and serve

Return the seared beef and any juices from the plate to the pan, and warm through for a minute. Serve over the noodles.

The Ingredients, One by One

Sirloin or flank steak

Sliced thinly against the grain, about 1/4 inch. Freezing the steak for 20 minutes makes it easier to slice. The strips cook in a minute or two, so tenderness depends on the cut and the slice.

Wide egg noodles

The classic base. They are soft and rich, and they hold the sauce well.

Cremini mushrooms

They have more flavor than white button mushrooms. Slice them thick, so they don’t shrivel to nothing.

Onion and garlic

The onion is finely chopped so it melts into the sauce. Garlic goes in late so it doesn’t burn.

Beef broth and flour

The flour thickens the broth into a gravy. Low-sodium broth gives you more control.

Sour cream and Dijon

Sour cream gives creaminess and tang, and Dijon adds a sharp edge. Use full-fat sour cream, which is less likely to curdle.

Butter

Used for searing and for browning the vegetables.

The Technique Behind It

Why sear the beef first and separately

Searing thin strips needs very high heat for a short time. Doing it first and taking them out means they stay tender, and the browned bits in the pan flavor the sauce.

Why the mushrooms need time

Mushrooms are mostly water. They must cook off all of that before they can brown. If you stir too early or crowd the pan, they steam and turn gray.

Why low heat for the sour cream

Sour cream is acidic and the proteins tighten and separate at high heat. Low heat and gentle stirring keep it smooth.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Cooking the beef through before the sauce It turns tough when it goes back in.
• Crowding the mushrooms They steam and turn gray.
• Boiling after adding the sour cream The sauce curdles.
• Skipping the flour cooking The sauce tastes raw.
• Slicing the beef thick It is chewy.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce is lumpy	Broth added too fast	Whisk it, or strain it, and add broth slowly next time.
Sauce curdled	Heat too high	Take it off the heat and whisk in a spoonful of cold sour cream.
Sauce is thin	Not simmered enough	Simmer 2 more minutes before adding the sour cream.
Beef is tough	Overcooked or sliced with the grain	Sear it quickly, and slice against the grain.
Sauce is bland	Mushrooms not browned	Brown them longer, and add salt and a squeeze of lemon.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Sirloin steak	Tender beef	Flank steak, ribeye or tenderloin work.
Egg noodles	Base	Rice or mashed potatoes work.
Cremini mushrooms	Earthy flavor	White mushrooms work.
Sour cream	Tangy finish	Greek yogurt works, but use low heat.
Dijon mustard	Sharpness	Whole grain mustard works.
Beef broth	Liquid	Chicken broth works.

Plan Ahead

• Prep ahead: Slice the beef and mushrooms ahead.
• Fridge: Up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Gently, on low heat.
• Freezer: Not recommended. Sour cream sauces split.

What to Serve With It

Serve over egg noodles with chopped parsley. A green salad or steamed green beans on the side lightens it.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.