Is there a more satisfying meal than classic beef stroganoff from scratch? Warm up your soul with this hearty classic!
For better or worse, when I think of a classic Wisconsin family supper, I think of beef stroganoff from scratch. My mother made this dish for us frequently throughout my childhood, though my taste buds’ appreciation for the meal lagged behind a few decades. Back then I enjoyed beef stroganoff strictly for the naked buttered noodles I could inhale devoid of any mushroom based topping that I was convinced was more akin to a caloric-based torture than edible grub.
In my mother’s defense, there was nothing wrong with her classic beef stroganoff recipe. I was just an incredibly picky child who was careening down a path that showed no discernible signs of becoming a future foodie.
It wasn’t until last year that I even realized I like beef stroganoff. I spent the past fifteen years of adulthood fearing any cream of mushroom type substance with greater fervor than a Herbalife consultant fears a meal cooked by Julia Child. My father had asked me to make him a batch in exchange for fixing my car, so, of course, I sampled my concoction and you know what? It tasted great!
Who knew beef stroganoff tasted so good? Well, I guess everyone but me.
What is the Best Cut of Meat for Beef Stroganoff?
You can make beef stroganoff with ground beef, but cubed sirloin steak makes the best beef stroganoff. The meaty morsels brown exceptionally well and are perfectly tender when they reach your lips. Alternatively, you can slice it thinly as well, but I prefer cubed.
What is Stroganoff Sauce Made of?
You will find some easy beef stroganoff recipes using cream of mushroom soup as the base of the sauce, however, when making beef stroganoff from scratch beef broth thickened with flour will form the backbone of the sauce, along with a generous helping of sour cream for both creaminess and tang. Actually, you will find making beef stroganoff from scratch isn't much harder than the so-called easy recipes.
I find the best pan to cook this in is a straight sided sauté pan. The straight sides are ideal for holding a larger volume of liquid, while the wide, flat base is perfect for searing the beef. I’ve been using the Calphalon Contemporary pans for years, and I highly recommend them.
What to Serve with Beef Stroganoff
This dish is already featuring your protein and carbs, so you just need a simple vegetable side dish or salad to finish it off. Here are some ideas.
Beef Stroganoff from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds beef sirloin steak cut into 1" cubes or sliced thin
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- 12 oz bag of egg noodles
Instructions
- Using a saute pan, saute mushrooms and onions in butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until onions are tender, add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until garlic is fragrant but not burnt.
- Remove mushroom, onions, and garlic from pan.
- Add beef to the same pan and sear till exterior browns. Add 1 cup of beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Boil noodles according to package instructions while beef simmers.
- Stir in remaining beef broth into flour then add to beef mixture.
- Add mushroom/onion mixture back to pan and heat till boiling.
- Once boiling stir in sour cream and turn off the heat once the mixture is hot enough to serve.
- Serve over bed of egg noodles.
Notes
Add a few tablespoons of butter to the cooked noodles if desired.
This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com March 16, 2016.
Monique
Finally! This was my favourite meal as a kid! I have been looking for the recipe from my childhood, but none of the recipes I saw looked like what I remember happened. (I was so impatient during that 15 minute simmer.) This is it! I can't wait to taste beef stroganoff again!
Haley
I added about 1/4 cup of steak sauce and it really gave this recipe great flavor. Highly recommend.
Sara
Absolutely delicious. My whole family loved it.
Toni
My family absolutely loved this recipe! Delicious!
Beck
I followed David's vegan instructions with a couple of exceptions and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Thank you both!
I used Beyond Beef Ground. Browned/cooked before making gravy. Removed and made roux with pan leftovers, 2T oil, 1.5T flour, 1c better than bullion broth, dash */wine/sherry vinegar (came together quickly bc pan was very hot!). Stirred everything back in, remove from heat, add 1/2 cu tofutti.
Maria
Amazingly delicious. Now I can make this wonderful dish in the comfort of my home. Thanks!
David
I substituted Earth balance for butter, mushroom broth for beef broth, Gardein or Beyond Beef beefless tips fot the sirloin and egg free pasta. After removing sautéed onion, mushroom and garlic (I added paprika to the sautee) I slow cooked 1/4 cup flour, cooked it for 4 minutes on med. high and then slowly added 2 cups of broth to make a gravy. Add the beefless tips and heat to a boil with a dash of white wine or sherry vinegar. Remove from heat and stir in Tofutti sour cream substitute. Voila" Vegan!
Boris
Sounds like you made yourself some not stroganoff
Damien
I thought the idea of a meat dish was to have meat in it i agree a Not Stroganoff
Miles Long
So basically not this recipe at all...
Jeffery
Yes! This is exactly what I was looking for!