Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe

This classic Beef Stroganoff recipe is a slightly lighter version using Greek yogurt instead of cream. The same wholesome comfort food with the tang of yogurt. Add in peas and spinach for color and some vegetables and it brings life to is classic comfort food.

We eat a lot of good dinner recipes around here and we also do a lot of recipe testing. I was never a fan of any type of stroganoff recipe as a kid, but as an adult I grew to at least like the rich brown gravy sauce. But I wanted to put my own spin on it and last night I made what I believe to be the best beef stroganoff recipe ever!

It’s the ultimate comfort food and easy easy dinner that your whole family will be glad is on the dinner table. You just can’t beat a homemade beef stroganoff recipe on a cool day.

What is Beef Stroganoff?

Beef Stroganoff, also known as Beef Stroganov, is a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef tips in a mustard and smetana (sour cream) sauce.

The most traditional of dishes didn’t use mushrooms, but through the decades, mushrooms came on the scene as a standard in the sauce, while mustard dialed back a tad and it become more of a brown gravy.

Stroganoff sauce can be used with any protein to make chicken stroganoff and even pork stroganoff. Another fun variations is to use a breaded and fried piece of meat to add to the sauce for a crunch. Chicken cutlets or pork cutlets are great additions.

Ingredients

This list may appear to be a little long, but remember the majority of these items are kitchen staples and won’t need to be purchased special in grocery stores.

• Vegetable Oil – Any neutral oil can be used, like canola oil, olive oil or peanut oil. I just like something with a high smoke point so it doesn’t start burn on the high-heat sear.
• Top Sirloin – Traditional stroganoff uses beef tips and simmers them for a long time so they tenderize since they are pretty tough cuts. Since we are using top sirloin steaks cut against the grain, all we need is a high heat sear and we will be left with tender strips of beef without needing a ton of time. Substitutions for top sirloin include Ny strip steaks or flank steak, although both of these cuts will be more pricey. You don’t need 1 1/2 pounds on the dot- anything between 1-2 pounds will be fine with the amount of gravy. If you’d like to make a ground beef stroganoff recipe, you can use ground beef.
• All-purpose flour – This is to toss the beef before browning. Tossing in flour is a technique called velveting and commonly seen in Asian dishes. It helps thin pieces of protein brown, but stay juicy and flavorful. You can omit the tossed flour, if you like, and substitute corn starch or another thickening agent for the gravy if you are aiming for a gluten free beef stroganoff.
• Cooking Sherry – A small amount of alcohol is used to deglaze the pan. I like the sweetness of sherry, but any blush or white wine can be used. The alcohol will burn off, so don’t worry about spiking the sauce.
• Mushrooms– Just plain white mushrooms are the standard, but elevate and go gourmet by using meatier shrooms like porcini or oyster. Fresh mushrooms are best.
• White onion – Certainly high on the onion scale, opt for a sweet onion or yellow onion.
• Black pepper – Freshly ground is always best! Scale back by using ground white pepper.
• Coarse kosher salt – Coarse salt will help balance and emphasis the natural flavors. If using a fine salt, reduce the volume to just a pinch.
• Paprika – Sweet paprika is the most traditional. Use smoked paprika or even spicy for some heat.
• Low Sodium beef broth – Low sodium beef stock is always my pick so I can control the saltiness in the dish. Add a little bit of worcestershire sauce to really amp up this delicious recipe.
• Dijon mustard – This recipe uses way less mustard than most. If you crave the mustardy goodness, double the amount or customize by swapping with one of the infinite flavor options.
• Baby spinach – I use baby just because the leaves are smaller, but regular spinach is just fine. I also don’t tear off the stems because they don’t bother me, but if they bother you, feel free to take that extra step.
• Frozen Peas – Frozen veggies get a bad reputation, but honestly, they are the best thing to fresh since all of the nutrients are sealed in when flash frozen. They don’t take much time to thaw, so you can throw them in totally frozen in this recipe.
• Plain greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt is thicker, so it mimics sour cream best. I use this for everything now days- see my notes before for other uses.
• Scallions – also known as green onions and yes, I did double onion on this dish. I like onions! Omit them if it is too much.
• Unsalted butter – Butter will add richness to the sauce. If using salted butter, omit the additional salt in the beginning of the recipe.
• Egg Noodles – My mother always made ours with broad egg noodles, so I’ve kept the traditional alive and use our lightly seasoned buttered noodles. Rice and mashed potatoes are also acceptable.
• Parsley – It adds a pop of color, but not a tremendous amount of flavor, so feel free to omit this if you family doesn’t require fancy meals on a random Tuesday night.

How to Make Beef Stroganoff

Making this classic dish is super easy. A rich gravy sauce weaved with mushrooms, spinach, peas and velvety beefs of strip.

1. Heat half of the vegetable oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. The trick to a good sear is that the skillet is creaming hot before the meat touches it.
2. Slice the beef against the grain before tossing in flour. Slicing any protein against the grain makes the fiber short, making them easier to chew. Toss with the flour and then shake off any extra, throwing the rest away. Working in batches, add half of the beef to the pan, browning lightly, then remove and set aside. The beef will be browned, but might not be fully cooked and that is perfectly fine. Sirloin is best at an internal temperature of medium and little rosy pink. Add the remaining half of the vegetable oil to the skillet and repeat with remaining half of the beef. Remove and set aside.
3. Deglaze the skillet with the sherry, scraping up all of the browned bits. Alcohol will help loosen the brown bits which are basically little flavor bombs that will dissolve and season the sauce.
4. Add the mushrooms, onion, pepper, salt and paprika allowing to brown and mushrooms reduce. The mushrooms should hold their shape and still be a little meaty, not fully reduced and shriveled.
5. Make a thickening slurry by combining 1/4 cup of the beef broth with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and Dijon mustard, whisking until smooth. The mustard might have little chunks, but the flour will fully dissolve. Add the broth slurry and remaining beef broth to the pan. Reduce to a low heat and bring to a simmer so it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Stir in the spinach, peas, yogurt, butter and scallions. When combined, add beef back to mixture, tossing to coat. Heat for 2 minutes.
7. Spoon the beef mixture over the cooked egg noodles and top with chopped parsley, if desired.

If you don’t want to use buttered noodles, rice or cauliflower rice are also good choices.

Yogurt Substitute for Sour Cream or Mayonnaise

Traditional beef stroganoff uses a sour cream sauce, and a lot of recipes might use heavy cream or cream of mushroom soup to make this creamy sauce, but I prefer to use Greek yogurt.

Plain Greek yogurt is a wonder ingredient and has become a kitchen staple. I make all sorts of sauces out of it, but also use it as a swap for sour cream and mayonnaise from everything from salad dressings to tacos. It has the same tang and it actually a bit creamier.

It can also be used to thicken, like in my Butternut Squash Soup, or as a marinade due to the high acidity, like in my Harissa Chicken Kabobs.

What to Serve with Beef Stroganoff

Authentic Russian versions are served over shoestring French fries- so that might be an alternative to egg noodles. Rice and mashed potatoes also make this a one-dish meal. But you know me, I like to have as much veggie as I can get.

Serve your beef stroganoff with a leafy green salad or another roasted vegetable like broccolini or brussels sprouts. Cheesy garlic bread is my husband’s favorite so he can mop up the extra gravy at the end.

Storage & Freezing

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in a skillet or the microwave. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of beef broth and make sure to correct the seasoning since any chill time (or freeze time) can tamper the seasonings. I do not suggest making this dish ahead of time, it is best enjoyed fresh from the skillet.

Freezing: Place into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a skillet and add a touch of beef broth to help the gravy thin out the delicious stroganoff sauce and give it a quick stir. Of course, all of the elements will be slightly more overcooked than the original version. Make sure to freeze the actual homemade beef stroganoff separately from the noodles, rice or French fries.

More Beef Dinner Ideas

• Mississippi Pot Roast
• Skillet Hamburgers
• Steak Frites
• Lomo Saltado

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Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe

4.82 from 50 votes

This easy Beef Stroganoff recipe uses yogurt instead of sour cream for a creamy tang that adds to the gravy along with peas and spinach.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Equipment

• Large Cast Iron Skillet
• Whisk

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided
• 1.5 pounds top sirloin , trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain
• 3 tablespoons flour , divided
• 1/2 cup sherry or other cooking wine
• 2 cups mushrooms
• 1 cup white onion , chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons scallions , sliced diagonally
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 cups egg noodles , cooked and lightly buttered (to prevent sticking)
• 2 tablespoons parsley , roughly chopped

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Toss the beef slices with 2 tablespoons flour. Working in batches, add half of the beef to the pan, browning lightly, then remove and set aside, approximately 3 minutes. Add the remaining half of the vegetable oil to the skillet and repeat with remaining half of the beef. Remove and set aside.
• Deglaze the skillet with the sherry, scraping up all of the browned bits.
• Add the mushrooms, onion, pepper, salt and paprika allowing to brown and mushrooms reduce by half for 3-4 minutes.
• Combine 1/4 cup of the beef broth with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and Dijon mustard, whisking until smooth. Add the broth slurry and remaining beef broth to the pan. Reduce to a low heat and bring to a simmer. Stir continuously and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• When the mixture coats the back of a spoon, stir in the spinach, peas, yogurt, butter and scallions. When combined, add beef back to mixture, tossing to coat. Heat for 2 minutes.
• Spoon the beef mixture over the cooked egg noodles and top with chopped parsley.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

Adapted from Cooking Light

Nutrition

Calories: 660 kcal, Carbohydrates: 44 g, Protein: 62 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 178 mg, Sodium: 809 mg, Potassium: 1326 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 6 g, Vitamin A: 1305 IU, Vitamin C: 24.1 mg, Calcium: 135 mg, Iron: 6.2 mg

Author: Jessica Formicola

Calories: 660

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Russian

Keyword: beef stroganoff

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