Classicly comforting and simple to prepare. Ground Beef Stroganoff is a dinnertime family favorite. With crumbled ground beef and sautéed mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Served over doughy egg noodles you find this meal to be a regular one.
Ground Beef Stroganoff
There are some American dinners such as meatloaf and sloppy joes that are so classic when asked, “what’s for dinner” everyone knows exactly what you’re referring to. Beef stroganoff falls into this category even though it hails from Russia.
This lazy meal is made with ground beef, which is where the Americanized version comes in. It’s a super simple recipe of sauteed mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce with ground beef. Typically prepared with condensed cream of mushroom soup, this recipe leaves this ingredient out and opts for sour cream and cream cheese mixture.
Since this Russian dish comes from the 19th century there are many variations and it seems to have changed with the times. Coming to popularity in American during the 1950’s it acquired its first douse of Americanization with the cream of mushroom soup.
I would suggest this version of beef stroganoff is the even more modern version, yet still just as easy to prepare and just as delicious.
Ingredients in Ground Beef Stroganoff
This beef stroganoff recipe consists of three main parts, which are the mushrooms, the creamy sauce, and then the noodles. At first glance, it appears there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, but I assure you, most of them are spices and seasoning.
Sautéed Mushrooms
- Crimini or Baby Bella Mushrooms: the mushrooms in this recipe are key ingredients and bring the classic throwback taste. You can use your favorite mushroom, but crimini retains its shape when cooked and tossed in the sauce.
- Butter + Olive Oil: mixing these two fats really just adds two different flavors to the mushrooms when they’re sautéed. The combination drenches the mushrooms and softens them as they cook.
- Seasoning: since the fats in the sautéed mushrooms already have a tasty flavor you only need to season them with salt and pepper.
Stroganoff Sauce
- Ground Beef: traditional beef stroganoff is made with cubed beef or thinly sliced beef, but this version is the quick and cost-friendly option. Ground beef also brings a unique flavor to the sauce.
- Seasoning: there are several spices in this recipe salt and pepper can be used to meet your taste preferences, but also there’s paprika and oregano as well.
- Diced Onion: you can leave the onions out of this recipe if you’d like, but combining them with the garlic brings a flavorful combination.
- Minced Garlic: the warm spicy flavor of garlic adds a bit of an earthy taste to the sauce that mixes well with the mushrooms and beef.
- Flour: the stroganoff sauce is slightly thick and to achieve this texture an all-purpose flour is used.
- Beef Broth: the base of the sauce is beef broth. For this recipe, I combine both beef broth and beef bouillon. You can substitute the broth for water though.
- Worcestershire Sauce: this savory and tangy sauce adds a hint of spice to the overall sauce mixture.
- Dijon Mustard: adding in dijon mustard brings up the acidity and salt flavors of the recipe.
- Beef Bouillion: adding in the bouillion adds an even more intense beef taste. This is optional but does heighten the flavor of the dish.
- Cream Cheese and Sour Cream: mixing these two creams together turns the sauce into a creamy gravy-like consistency and replaces using a condensed soup.
How to Make Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Sauté the Mushrooms: melt the butter and olive oil. Once completely melted increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Stir in the salt and pepper and use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the skillet
- Brown the Meat: add the beef and onions, making sure to break the beef apart as it browns, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic.
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix the flour in with the beef and onions, tossing to coat. Reduce the heat. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, beef bouillon, and the paprika and oregano. Mix in the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and melted into the sauce. Then add the mushrooms back in and stir to combine.
- Boil the Noodles: prepare the noodles and drain. Spoon the sauce mixture over the egg noodles.
Sauté the mushrooms in butter and oil. Brown the beef and cook the onions and garlic. Add the broth, Worecestershire, dijon, and bouillon. Simmer and then add the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix mushrooms back into the sauce. Serve over egg noodles.
What mushrooms are best for stroganoff?
The best mushrooms to use for this dish are Crimini or Baby Bella mushrooms. They work best for sautéing and hold their shape when tossed in the sauce. You can also use a mushroom medley.
Can I use different ground meat?
Yes. Using ground beef will bring the most flavor, however, you can change it out for any other ground meat such as chicken or turkey. It will alter the flavor, but will then create a new tasty dish.
Do I have to use mushrooms?
No. It’s said the original dish from 19th century Russian doesn’t contain mushrooms and even if it did you can still leave them out of this recipe. You can also substitute your favorite mushroom as well or use a combination.
Do I have to use ground beef?
No. You certainly don’t have to use ground beef. This dish was said to originally be made with beef cubes and the standard beef stroganoff is prepared using beef strips. You can use the beef of your choice for this recipe.
How to Serve Ground Beef Stroganoff
There are a few common ways to serve ground beef stroganoff with one of the most popular ways over egg noodles. It can also be served over mashed potatoes, rice, or even pasta.
Additional Add-Ins:
As I’ve mentioned this recipe is so old now there’s no one way to make it anymore and the origins seem a bit murky. You can easily change the sauce up to add more flavor or remove the things you don’t like. Below are some delicious ingredients you may want to consider adding to your stroganoff.
- Parmesan Cheese
- Red Wine
- Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients
MUSHROOMS
- 8 ounces Crimini Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
CREAM SAUCE
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 medium Onion diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 3 cups Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 1½ teaspoons Beef Bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 12 ounces Egg Noodles
Instructions
Sautéed Mushrooms
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat melt the butter and olive oil. Once completely melted increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Toss to coat in the fat mixture and let sizzle for 3 minutes.
- Toss the mushrooms again and let cook until they're softened and have absorbed the flavor, about 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the salt and pepper and use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the skillet and place them on a side plate.
Stroganoff Sauce
- In the same skillet add the beef and onions, making sure to break the beef apart as it browns, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute.
- Mix the flour in with the beef and onions, tossing to coat. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, beef bouillon, and the paprika and oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat even more to a simmer. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes (while the sauce is simmering cook the egg noodles according to package directions if using).
- Mix in the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and melted into the sauce. Then add the mushrooms back in and stir to combine.
- Spoon the ground beef stroganoff over cooked egg noodles (or mashed potatoes or rice).
