Beef Stroganoff is a classic Russian dinner recipe. Sour cream is the star ingredient in traditional beef stroganoff. In fact, it’s not beef stroganoff until the rich mushroom sauce turns creamy with the addition of sour cream. Just 1/2 cup is plenty to give the dish its signature flavor.
How to Make Beef Stroganoff from Scratch
- BEEF: Buy a sirloin tip roast. These are usually next to other beef roast cuts such as rump and chuck roasts. TIP: If you plan on scaling down the recipe, use sirloin tip steaks in place of the roast.
- ONIONS: Onion is a must as it adds rich flavor to the beef gravy. However, the same flavor can be reached using Lipton’s Beefy Onion Mix which is sold as a powder packet near the soups.
- MUSHROOMS: Don’t skip the mushrooms! Baby bella mushrooms, sometimes called cremini mushrooms, boast an earthy deep savory flavor and adds a hearty texture to each bite.
- GARLIC: I love garlic and plenty of it transforms this dish. TIP: Don’t want to mince garlic? Use garlic puree, usually found in a small bottle next to the refrigerated vegetables.
Beef Stroganoff has been a staple on our meal plan for years. This recipe hits the spot every time I’m craving comfort food. I prefer to make a large enough batch to have plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner.
Making a Rich Mushroom Gravy Sauce
- BEEF PAN DRIPPINGS = RICH BEEF FLAVOR: To get the BEST flavor, cut the beef into very thin strips. Since we’re working with a sirloin tip roast and cooking it on the stovetop, be sure to cut the pieces thin enough where they won’t be hard to chew. Then, brown the pieces in oil on the stovetop. The pan drippings leftover from browning the meat make a quick pan sauce.
- BEEF STOCK: Flavored liquid used to make a good amount of sauce.
- BEEF CONSOMME: Imparts a deeper flavor than stock alone. Pick a can up where the soups are located.
- BUTTER: The secret to making a rich sauce is to use butter. Not only is butter important to making a roux for the stroganoff but it changes the entire flavor profile of this beefy dish. PRO TIP: If you’re making a beef dish and find that the flavor is off, add butter. I promise this is the ingredient your dish is missing.
- FLOUR: Used to thicken the cooking liquid and turn it into a velvety rich sauce that sticks to the beef tips and pasta.
- ONION SOUP MIXES: The secret ingredient to making the BEST Beef Stroganoff is to use Lipton’s Onion Mushroom Soup Mix and Lipton’s Beefy Onion Soup Mix. Find these powder pouches in a blue box near the canned soups and broths.
- CREAM: Balances the beefy mushroom onion sauce with just the right amount of richness.
- SOUR CREAM: The star ingredient in stroganoff. It’s not beef stroganoff unless it has sour cream. Just 1/2 cup is plenty to give the dish its signature flavor.
Beef Stroganoff Tips and Questions
What kind of beef do I buy to make stroganoff? Beef sirloin roast or sirloin tip steaks. Since this recipe makes extra for leftovers, I buy the roast. TIP: To scale the recipe down, locate the servings section in the recipe card. Sirloin tip steaks are perfect for this. Hold the mouse on the set amount then scroll up or down to change the servings size. The ingredients will adjust accordingly.
What can I serve with Beef Stroganoff? Egg noodles, of course. Warm Italian bread or french bread is great for soaking up the extra sauce in the bowl. Vegetables I sometimes add to the sauce include broccoli, peas or asparagus tips. Skip the pasta and opt to serve with savory mashed potatoes.
Can I use this recipe for beef tips in mushroom gravy? Yes. Skip the sour cream and heavy cream. Serve beef tips with rice or egg noodles.
Can I make this with ground beef instead? Yes, it should work. If you grew up on hamburger helper and like ground beef in your stroganoff, use it instead of cutting beef into strips.
DON’T skip browning the meat. Since the meat doesn’t cook long, this is where it initially starts to cook. Also, those pan drippings add an incredible amount of flavor to the sauce.
DO cook the beef until it’s tender enough to eat. It’s important to note that because everyone will cut their beef differently, I suggest using your best judgment when it comes to cooking it. Simply continue to cook it in its liquid covered with a lid until the beef texture is just right.
NOTE: On the fence about trying this recipe? Wondering if this is the recipe you’re searching for after trying it in a restaurant? I’ve perfected this recipe over many years and trust me, it’s really good. I really love southern-style beef tips in gravy and this recipe holds up to my standards. Much of the same flavor is transferred to my beef stroganoff recipe. For more cozy dinner recipes, try my Instant Pot Crack Chicken, or Crock Pot Ham.
Irresistible Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 3½ lb beef sirloin tip roast or beef sirloin tip steaks
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion, minced
- 8 oz sliced baby bell mushrooms, rinsed
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or 1½ tsp garlic puree
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 7 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1⅔ cup beef stock
- 10½ oz can beef consomme (about 1⅓ cup)
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup Mix a powder found near the soups
- 1½ tbsp Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix powder (or more onion mushroom powder)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup half and half (or cream/whole milk)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 16 oz medium egg noodles
Instructions
- Cut beef across grain into very thin small pieces.
- Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat with a tbsp oil. Brown both sides of the meat, transferring the cooked beef to a bowl and resuming with another batch adding oil as needed.
- Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onions and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Move ingredients to reserved bowl with beef.
- Melt butter in the pan. Sprinkle in flour. Stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in beef stock, and beef consomme until flour thickens the liquid.
- Stir in onion powder, Lipton's Onion Mushroom Soup Mix, Lipton's Beefy Onion Soup Mix, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in beef with mushrooms and onions. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes.
- Stir in half and half or cream. Place sour cream in a small bowl and ladle some of the hot liquid into the bowl. This will raise the temperature of the sour cream so it doesn't curdle in the pot. Pour in sour cream mixture.
- Cover pot with lid. Continue to cook 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. TIP: Beef may need to cook longer if your pieces are too big and it's too tough. Add a little liquid if this is the case.
- Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Pour pasta noodles into the stroganoff gravy and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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3 Responses
Delicious. Sauce was very thick so stuck to noodles well. Beef consomme is essential.
Great recipe! My local grocery did not have beef consomme, so I just used more beef broth. I also had to add more water and turn the heat a bit higher to a low simmer at the end for everything to blend and heat through.
Glad you enjoyed it! It is pretty delicious!