Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Guess what time it is? It's comfort-food-o'clock, my friend.

And in my mind, there's no better comfort food than a rich, creamy pasta dish, like this Beef Stroganoff. It cooks in just one pot, a bit like that boxed helper from your childhood, but it's *homemade* and I promise, it's still super easy.

You're going to want to tuck this recipe into your back pocket for those nights when you're just super tired and need an extra comforting meal to wrap around you like a warm hug.

What's the Story Behind This Creamy Classic?

Beef Stroganoff has a fancy, international pedigree, hailing from 19th-century Russia. The original dish featured elegant slices of sautéed beef in a luxurious sour cream sauce.

Our version here is a little more down-to-earth, a budget-friendly take that captures all that creamy, savory essence without the fuss. We're using ground beef and mushrooms to make it affordable and easy for any night of the week.

It’s not strictly traditional, no, but it is strictly delicious, which is really the whole point, isn't it?

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make this deliciously creamy beef stroganoff. It's a simple cast of characters that creates something truly magical together.

• Garlic: Just a couple of cloves, minced, to add a nice deep flavor to the creamy sauce.
• Butter: We'll sauté the garlic in butter for that extra layer of richness and flavor you just can't get from oil alone.
• Ground Beef: Instead of using expensive chunks of beef stew meat, we're using ground beef for a wonderfully budget-friendly alternative.
• Mushrooms: I use a combination of mushrooms and beef to bulk up this one-pot pasta while keeping the price low. They add a wonderful, earthy depth.
• Beef Broth: This is the liquid gold our pasta cooks in. Use a very flavorful broth, or else your stroganoff might end up a bit bland.
• Worcestershire Sauce & Dijon Mustard: These two are the secret agents of flavor, adding a ton of dimension and a subtle tang to the broth.
• Egg Noodles: Wide egg noodles have the perfect light, tender texture for this creamy sauce, keeping the entire dish beautifully balanced.
• Sour Cream: This is stirred in at the very end to give the sauce its classic, creamy, and tangy flavor. It's the heart and soul of stroganoff.
• Parsley (optional): A little sprinkle of chopped parsley at the end adds a fresh, colorful finish to an otherwise, let's be honest, beige dish.

Can I Make This Dish Vegetarian?

Absolutely, you can, and it turns out wonderfully. The mushrooms are more than capable of carrying the flavor all on their own.

Simply replace the ground beef with an additional 8 ounces of your favorite mushrooms, like cremini or shiitake. Then, swap the beef broth for a rich mushroom or vegetable broth.

You'll still get that deeply savory, umami-rich sauce that makes this dish so incredibly satisfying, I promise you won't even miss the meat.

How to make Beef Stroganoff?

Getting Your Aromatics Started

Begin by mincing your garlic cloves. Go ahead, get that strong, fragrant smell all over your fingers, it's part of the fun.

Add the garlic and butter to a large pot or a deep skillet, something that has a lid, and sauté it over medium heat for about a minute. You just want the garlic to become soft and incredibly fragrant, but not brown.

Browning the Beef

Next, crumble in your ground beef. Let it sizzle away, breaking it up with your spoon as it cooks.

You're looking for it to be fully browned, no pink spots left, which should only take a few minutes. This step builds a fantastic foundation of flavor for the entire dish.

Welcoming the Mushrooms

While the beef is doing its thing, quickly slice your mushrooms. They don't have to be perfect, just evenly sized so they cook at the same rate.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot along with a good crack of fresh black pepper. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms have softened and released their moisture, about five minutes.

The One-Pot Magic Begins

Here’s where the magic happens. Add the uncooked egg noodles directly to the pot, right on top of the beef and mushroom mixture.

Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and dollop in that Dijon mustard. Give everything a good stir to combine. Don't worry if the liquid doesn't fully cover the noodles, that's perfectly okay and exactly how it should be.

The Simmering Wait

Now, place the lid on your pot. Let the liquid come up to a boil over medium-high heat—you'll hear it starting to bubble away.

As soon as it's boiling, give the pot a quick stir to make sure no noodles are sticking, replace the lid, and immediately reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta will drink up the broth and become perfectly tender.

The Grand, Creamy Finale

Once the noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, take the pot off the heat. This is crucial.

Stir in the sour cream, folding it gently into the noodles until everything is coated in that rich, creamy, tangy sauce. Give it a taste and add a little extra salt or pepper if you think it needs it.

Chop up that parsley and sprinkle it over the top for a pop of color and freshness. Then, serve it hot, and dive right in.

What Should I Serve With Beef Stroganoff?

This dish is a complete meal all on its own, truly. The pasta, protein, and sauce are all right there in one cozy bowl.

If you're looking to round out the table, a simple, crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette provides a wonderful contrast to the rich, creamy pasta.

Or, for the ultimate comfort food experience, a side of buttery green beans or some warm, crusty bread for mopping up every last bit of sauce is never a bad idea.

Tips

One-pot recipes are a bit like riding a bike; you have to feel it out for your specific stove and pot. Use heavy, thick-bottomed cookware to help the ingredients heat evenly and prevent any scorching.

Resist the urge to add extra water or broth, trust the process. The broth does *not* need to fully cover the noodles for them to cook through properly, the steam does the rest of the work.

Make sure the liquid maintains a gentle simmer the whole time the pasta is cooking. If the heat is too low, the pasta will just get gummy and sad instead of tender.

Stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking, but not too often, or you risk breaking down the pasta. Use your judgment—if the liquid is gone but your pasta is still too firm, add a splash more broth.

And finally, always take the pot off the heat before adding the sour cream. Adding it while the pot is still on the burner can cause it to curdle, and we want a perfectly smooth, creamy sauce.

How Can I Store and Reheat the Leftovers?

Leftovers? This dish is so good, I'm impressed if you have any! But if you do, let the stroganoff cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.

It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce, so it will be thicker the next day.

To reheat, gently warm it in a skillet over low heat, adding a tiny splash of beef broth or water to loosen the sauce back up. The microwave works in a pinch, but stir it well partway through to ensure even heating.