Beef Stroganoff Recipe - Jen Reviews (2024)

Perhaps one of the best examples of true comfort food, beef stroganoff is often regarded as a dish that will have you sweating over a hot stove for hours on end. However, this could not be further from the truth, and this simple recipe can be completed in under two hours while your dinner guests will be sure that it has spent the entire day in a slow cooker. With a short list of ingredients and simple preparation, this beef stroganoff makes for an excellent addition to your culinary arsenal.

This Russian dish features sauteed beef and mushrooms that are accompanied by a savory yet creamy sauce, all to be spooned over freshly cooked noodles. Whether you are looking to impress the guests at your next dinner party or simply wish to spend the night with family over a meal that everyone can enjoy, this dish is a perfect choice.

Step One – Cut the Steaks into Bite Sized Strips

Whenever dealing with beef steaks it is almost always a good idea to remove the meat from the fridge around 30 minutes before you plan to cook with it. This helps to keep the overall temperature a lot more even. Once this is done take a sharp knife and cut the steaks into bite sized strips or cubes.

Step Two – Coat the Meat with Flour

It is important to flavor the meat prior to browning it, so add a liberal amount salt and black pepper. Next, we will be coating the meat with flour that will help to thicken the sauce in later steps. Make sure to not use too much flour, around 2 Tbsp should be plenty.

Step Three – Brown the Meat

Place the meat into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the meat to brown on one side before flipping it over. It can be difficult to ensure that each strip gets cooked equally, so occasionally stirring the meat is a good way to get it all going. You do not have to fully cook the meat here, as they will be cooked plenty enough later on.

Step Four – Remove the Meat and Saute the Mushrooms and Onions

Once the meat has been sufficiently browned remove it from the pan and add 3 Tbsp of butter. Reduce the heat to medium at this point and once the butter is fully melted add a diced onion and around 1 ½ cups of chopped mushrooms. You can really use any mushrooms for this, but a few that work well are portabella, cremini, or even regular old white button mushrooms. Allow the vegetables to cook until the onions begin to turn a nice caramelized brown, then add one minced clove of garlic. Continue cooking for an additional minute to ensure that the garlic is slightly roasted.

Step Five – Deglaze the Pan and Stir in Meat and Broth

Now that the vegetables are finished sauteing, add ½ cup of white wine to deglaze the pan. What this does is essentially loosen up all of the burnt on bits of meat that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. This adds a ton of savory flavor to the sauce, and you can use cooking wine or even a nice bourbon as a substitute.

Simply add the wine and scrape the bottom with a metal or rubber spatula until the bottom of the skillet is clean. Allow the wine to reduce by half, which should take around 2 minutes of cooking time. Next, return the meat to the pan and stir in 2 cups of beef broth.

Step Six- Simmer the Mixture Over Low Heat

Reduce the heat to low and let the meat and vegetable mixture simmer for up to an hour. Make sure to stir occasionally, and add more broth if the sauce levels get too low. This step is incredibly important, since the meat will continue to get increasingly tender as time goes on. So try your hardest to resist!

While the meat and sauce is simmering we can take this time to cook our noodles. Boil lightly salted water in a large pot and add a 16 oz package of egg noodles. The cook time for these noodles will vary depending on size and shape, but should be no more than 10 minutes. What you are looking for is a soft noodle that has just the slightest bite to it. Once they are finished cooking drain and set them aside.

Step Seven- Mix in Tempered Sour Cream

Once the meat is finished cooking the next step is to add sour cream. There is a lot of wiggle room here, but anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup is fine. However, the most important part of this step is to temper the sour cream before adding it to the sauce. Simply put the sour cream into a bowl and spoon an equal amount of the hot sauce to it. Mix it well and then add the tempered cream to the skillet, making sure to mix well. We do this to keep the cream from curdling, resulting in an unpleasant consistency.

Step Eight- Serve the Beef Mixture over Cooked Noodles

At this point the dish is essentially complete, all there is left to do is put it all together and enhance its presentation. Plate the noodles in an even layer and spoon over a good amount of the meat and sauce mixture. Top it all with chopped parsley to impress any dinner guests.

This recipe is definitely an all-year-round dish, but I can think of few meals that I would rather enjoy on a cold winter night. Something about the aroma that fills the house while the sauce simmers just warms the soul.

There is a lot of room for modifications to this classic dish. Use your favorite mushrooms to enhance the flavor, add extra sour cream for an even thicker and creamier sauce, or top it all with freshly chopped chives to give it that extra kick of flavor. The possibilities are endless, and the recipe is beyond simple!