Classic Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is tender beef in a silky sour cream sauce served over noodles or egg pasta. The beef cooks fast in a hot pan, then finishes in a pan sauce made from pan drippings, broth, and sour cream. Done right, it takes less than an hour and tastes like you spent all day on it.

Ingredients for Classic Beef Stroganoff

Beef chuck gives you marbled meat that stays tender when cut into strips and cooked quickly. Onions and mushrooms build savory depth in the pan. Beef broth becomes the body of the sauce, while sour cream adds richness and tang. Tomato paste deepens the flavor without making it taste like tomatoes. Butter browns the meat and sautés the vegetables. All-purpose flour thickens the sauce lightly. Salt, black pepper, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce season it.

Why This Classic Beef Stroganoff Works

Cutting the beef into strips means it cooks in minutes instead of hours. A hot pan browns the meat on the outside while the inside stays pink and tender, then the meat rests while you build the sauce in the same pan. This way the beef stays juicy.

The pan drippings from the meat mix with sautéed mushrooms and onions to make a flavorful base. Tomato paste and broth add body, and sour cream stirred in at the end makes it silky without breaking. The sauce coats the noodles and the beef evenly.

Mistakes To Avoid

Crowding the pan with all the beef at once drops the temperature and the meat steams instead of browning. The meat comes out gray and pale instead of golden, and the sauce tastes thin. Brown it in two batches and you will see the difference.

Cooking the beef past medium turns it tough and dry. Check it at two minutes and pull it from the pan as soon as the outside is brown and the inside is still pink. The meat keeps cooking after it leaves the heat.

Adding sour cream to a boiling sauce makes it break and separate, leaving grainy curds instead of a smooth sauce. Stir the sour cream in after you take the pan off the heat and keep the temperature low when you reheat it.

Using lean beef like sirloin makes the stroganoff dry and stringy. Chuck has enough fat to stay tender when sliced thin and cooked fast. Do not skip this cut.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 large onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 12 ounces egg noodles

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles to just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, then drain and toss with a little butter.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels so it browns instead of steams.
3. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot, add 2 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add half the beef in a single layer without stirring for 1 minute.
4. Stir the beef and cook until the outside is brown and the inside is still pink, about 1 to 2 minutes longer, then move it to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the rest of the beef.
5. Add the onion and mushrooms to the same pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir well, and cook for 1 minute until the flour is no longer raw.
7. Pour in the beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift up the brown bits, then stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.
8. Return the beef and any juices to the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the beef is warmed through.
9. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sour cream until the sauce is smooth and creamy, then taste and add salt and black pepper.
10. Spoon the stroganoff over the noodles and serve right away.