Russian Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is so much more than the 50s and 60s made it out to be. Our easy and authentic traditional Russian Beef Stroganoff recipe combines tender beef and flavorful mushrooms in a creamy sauce for an elegant, yet quick dish.
What is traditional Russian beef stroganoff?
Stroganoff (or Stroganov) is a simple and comforting Russian dish consisting of sauteed pieces of beef served in a sour cream sauce.
It dates back to the mid-19th century and is named for a member of the Stroganov family, who were a group of highly successful Russian merchants and landowners: the richest businessmen in Tsarist Russia.
The first known recipe shows up in the mid-1800s in a Russian cookbook.
After the fall of Tsarist Russia, the dish found popularity in China. Then, during WWII, Russian and Chinese immigrants as well as US servicemen brought the dish to the US.
The popularity of beef stroganoff in the US
In the 50s and 60s, Stroganoff saw quite a bit of popularity in the US, but over time its image was marred by canned cream of mushroom soup and poor cuts of meat that were slopped over noodles or rice and served in school cafeterias.
It saw so much popularity, it really became an iconic dish. Unfortunately, it was this cafeteria version that everyone in the States came to associate with the name.
If you've been scared off by bad cafeteria versions of beef stroganoff, now is the time to give it another chance.
What cut of beef is best for stroganoff?
The best beef to use in beef stroganoff is a cut that works well with quick cooking. That means you need something that is fairly tender in its own right.
We like to use a sirloin steak, but flank steak is another good option.
The important thing is to cut the steak into thin slices, or chunks, by cutting across the grain. This shortens the fibers of the meat, making it more tender with less cooking.
Some people like to use ground beef to make their stroganoff. While that version can be tasty in its own right, and very quick and easy, it is more of an American adaptation and not the traditional version. Having slices or chunks of meat in your stroganoff really takes the dish up a level, for minimal extra work.
What is stroganoff sauce made of? Ingredients and substitutions.
Stroganoff sauce is a creamy, sour cream gravy infused with onions and mushrooms. There are a few key ingredients:
- Onions and mushrooms - give the sauce extra umami and savory flavors, and add texture to the finished dish.
- Butter, flour, gravy - You may recognize these as your classic gravy ingredients. They make the sauce saucy and the flour acts as a thickener.
- Ground mustard seed (or mustard) and tomato paste - add richness and depth of flavor.
- Sour cream - The (not so) secret ingredient of stroganoff sauce. It adds a tang and amps up the creaminess.
- Salt and pepper - These help you adjust the sauce to your taste.
Some recipes will add white wine or Worcestershire sauce. If your palate desires those flavors, you can add them in. For our recipe below, we take a more minimalist, traditional approach.
How to make authentic beef stroganoff
The first time we made homemade stroganoff, as we sat down to dinner, we were a bit in disbelief at what was sitting in front of us.
Could it be?
An elegant version of beef stroganoff?
This dish is hearty and full of flavor. With chunks of beef and ample, tender mushrooms.
And, it's quite easy to make!
- First, sauté the mushrooms in butter. Then remove them from the pan. This is an extra step, but it really does wonders to create different elements in the dish, rather than having everything taste the same.
- After the mushrooms, it's time to sauté the onions and beef. (We toss the beef pieces in flour to help with browning and toast the flour that we'll need in the gravy step below.
- Then, you make the gravy by adding the beef broth and other flavoring elements.
- Sour cream gets tempered and stirred in at the end to thicken the sauce and make it extra creamy!
In less than 30 minutes, you have an incredibly comforting dish that can be served with a number of accompaniments.
How to serve traditional beef stroganoff
In Russia, you will most often find traditional beef stroganoff served over fried shoestring potatoes (thin French fries). It can also be found served over mashed potatoes or rice.
Here in the States, pasta is the most common accompaniment to beef stroganoff, particularly twisted egg noodles.
Whichever way you go, having something to soak up the delicious gravy is a must!
And, while not culturally appropriate, this dish pairs perfectly with a Bordeaux-style wine.\
How to store and reheat beef stroganoff
Beef stroganoff stores incredibly well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. We recommend storing the stroganoff sauce and your accompaniment (noodles, potatoes, rice, etc) separate.
The best way we have found to reheat stroganoff is in a small saucepan or skillet, over a low heat. Once the sauce is hot, you can add your rice or pasta and stir until those are hot as well.
You can also reheat it in the microwave for short segments of time, stirring between heatings. But, we find the texture does stay nicer if you can use the stove.
Can you freeze beef stroganoff?
Yes, you can freeze beef stroganoff!
Let the beef stroganoff cool to room temperature before freezing.
We recommend freezing it in serving-sized portions in sturdy containers or zipper bags. Remove as much air as possible (if using a bag). Don't forget to label!
To reheat from frozen, thaw the stroganoff overnight in the refrigerator. Then reheat the same way you would leftovers (see above).
(Personally, I would freeze the stroganoff sauce by itself and make up a fresh batch of noodles, rice, or potatoes to serve it with. But, I prefer the texture of these items fresh.)
Traditional Beef Stroganoff
Our easy and authentic Russian Beef Stroganoff recipe combines tender beef and flavorful mushrooms in a creamy sauce for an elegant, yet quick dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, divided
- 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lb sirloin steak, sliced thinly, against the grain
- 2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 c beef broth, (we prefer low sodium)
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed, or 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ c sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
To Serve
- Sauteed shoestring potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice, or cooked egg noodles
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute the mushrooms in the butter over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the onions to the butter and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Toss the beef chunks with the flour and add them to the saute pan. Cook until browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, mustard powder, and tomato paste to the saute pan along with the cooked mushrooms, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any stuck bits.
- Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the beef is cooked to your liking.
- Place the sour cream into a small bowl and mix a little of the broth from the skillet with the sour cream to warm it. Pour the warmed sour cream mixture into the saucepan and mix to combine.
- Taste the stroganoff and add the salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve the stroganoff along side of potatoes, rice, or noodles, of your choosing.
Notes
This recipe from 2015 was updated in April 2017. We made the stroganoff easier and more authentic. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
¼ of recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 399
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
According to Larousse Gastronomique,Beef Strogonov was actually created by a French Chef working for Count Pavel Strogonov in St Petersburg. The chef entered the dish in a 1891 cooking contest and won. It was soon a family favorite.
How interesting! Thanks for sharing.
This is my go to recipe for Beef Stroganoff. I am half Russian myself. This is both of my teenagers favorite foods that I make. I do skip the mustard and I add some heavy cream to mine. But I think we all make each recipe our own in some way. Yours is my favorite recipe for this by far. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to checking out your other recipes as well.
So glad you and your family enjoy it Michele!
This is by far the BEST stoganov recipe I have ever tried! Thank you so much for sharing! I used sirloin cut into thin strips, portobello mushrooms and Grey Poupon Spicy Brown Mustard. I served it over gold and red baby potatoes that had been light mashed and seasoned….TERRIFIC! I am going to next try your baked Piroshki’s ……
So glad you enjoyed it Kaye! Hope you enjoy the Piroshki just as much!
We like eating ours over baked potatoes! Great recipe.
Yum! Thanks for sharing Stevie!
Looking forward to making this authentic version of Beef Stroganoff
Hope you enjoy it Jeff!
This recipe was a big success at dinner tonight. Great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I'm very sorry, i spent the time to make this and it came out extremely bland. I didn't want to just keep adding more and more salt, but there was almost no flavor. Trying to figure out what I did wrong?
Hi Naeya. Without knowing what substitutions you made, I can't help much. We make this recipe often and it is definitely not bland. If you read the other comments, you'll see that others agree. That being said, we all have different tastes and if you're looking for something a bit different in the flavor, you may have to tweak it to suit your preferences.
Yum! So good! My husband asked for beef stroganoff for dinner today. I was hesitant because I had tried a couple I wasn’t too crazy about. I settled on this version and the look on my husband’s face first bite said it all! Definitely will become part of our dinner rotation!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this twice now and my chef husband raves about it. I use baby portobello mushrooms instead for a richer meatier flavor but only because it’s a personal preference. I grew up hating stroganoff and you’d never know based on how much I love this recipe!
So glad you both enjoy it!
Nice receipe , i totally stuffed up by buying chuck steak thinking the recipe would need slow cooking, yer not this one. i rate it tho, definitely will try this again with premium steak ... Although the version i did make i slow cooked the meat after searing the steak in olive oil, mushrooms where cooked separate then added, and sour cream at end ... A very different strog but not a bad one at all !
Your version sounds tasty as well!
Wow, in this lock down I am doing dishes from around the world and we've eaten everything from Korean to Creole! I originate from South Africa and am widely travelled and now live in London, UK. I always thought Beef Stroganoff was a german dish as most south african dishes are of german influence so boy was I surprised to find it was Russian in origin. I know SA is a melting pot of cultures but way back then nit was German and Dutch influence as well as those on the indian spice trail from India to the USA. I wonder how on earth Beef Stroganoff because so popular in SA, i's virtually the go to dish when catering a party, wedding, etc. That, and curry and rice of course! I solute you for your research and commend the dish, we (SA's) made it with cream as we did not have the luxury of sour cream i those days but it really makes the difference and I LOVE it!
Hi Fiona. Thanks so much for sharing! You do find a lot of similarities and crossovers in German, Russian, and Polish cuisine, so that could be the reason. This is really interesting though! I never realized stroganoff was so big in SA.
My mother d in law came from Latvia but always called herself Russian. She made these tasty little rolls called something like :Speckenkugles" or Spekugens ? Anyway they were little rolls filled with little pieces of bacon and onion. Have you heard of them? If so, I would love the recipe
Hi Audrey. I'm not familiar with these, but we can do some looking! I wonder if they would be similar to these piroshki (https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/baked-piroshki/), just stuffed with bacon and onions?
Check these out, Kroppkakor (Swedish Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Bacon and Onion). Sounds like what you are talking about and they sound delicious. Sweden and Latvia are not so far apart!
@Audrey Booth, they are called “pīrāgi” which are basically bacon and onion buns
Very good flavor. I raised my family with the ground beef, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream quick meal type. My son had an authentic Stroganoff and raved about it. I made this with prime rib eye steak thinly sliced on the bias, and homemade 1 inch wide noodles. As a guy of 61 years who has always had a bad bite even after years of braces I avoid things that require chewing more than a second or so. I found this for me a bit chewy but good. Thank you for making some authentic food that doesn't throw in garlic. I will make this again but figure away to make the meat easier to chew without using ground meat. Maybe heavily chopped with a cleaver. I had never come across your website before, but I have book marked it for the future, Thanks again..
Glad you and your family enjoyed the stroganoff George! You could always try using 'cubed' steak, which is steak that your butcher pre-tenderizes. This meat is generally quite tender and still works well in the stroganoff.
I use round steak and cut pieces about 1/2 inch by 2 inch and then pound it in flour ( as much as it will take up) and then sauté it in olive oil and after sautéing sliced onions and mushrooms I and beef broth or water with a boullion cube for each cup and simmer until beef is as tender as I want. I also need to get the meat so I can chew it easily.
Sounds delicious Lois. Thanks for sharing!
I, too, have looked for a recipe close to the amazing dish I ate in Kemerovo, Russia over 10 years ago at a cute restaurant just down from our hotel. I agree; this is the closest I have ever come to replicating it. As we ate it tonight I shared the story of going back to that restaurant several times just for the stroganoff with my daughter (who we adopted from Russia). I think the more I make it, the better I will be at it! Thank you so much for the recipe and bringing back memories of a special time!
Hi Paige. Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us! We're so glad you and your family enjoyed the stroganoff!
Thank you got sharing this is the closest recipe I recall to my Otec favorite, we ate several times a month very authentic and traditional!!! Dakjuem!
You're welcome! We hope you enjoy it!