Beef Stroganoff – Classic Russian Recipe with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Beef Stroganoff is the most famous Russian dish outside Russia: tender strips of beef quickly seared, then folded into a silky sauce of onion, mushrooms, mustard and sour cream. It is named after the noble Stroganov family of St Petersburg, and the earliest known recipe appears in Elena Molokhovets’s famous 1861 cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives. Mushrooms and onions were added later, and in Russia it is still often served with crispy potato straws, mashed potatoes or buckwheat.

How to Make Beef Stroganoff

1. Prepare the beef. Cut the beef across the grain into strips about 1 cm thick and 5 cm long. Pat dry and season with half the salt and the pepper.
2. Sear quickly. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and a little butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Sear the beef in two batches for 1–2 minutes, just until browned outside but still pink inside. Remove to a plate.
3. Cook the onion and mushrooms. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and butter and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, until their liquid evaporates and they turn golden.
4. Make the sauce. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the stock, add the mustard and tomato paste and simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Add the sour cream. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the sour cream until smooth – do not let the sauce boil or it may split.
6. Finish. Return the beef and its juices to the pan and warm through for 1–2 minutes. Season with the remaining salt, sprinkle with dill and serve straight away.

Tips for the Best Beef Stroganoff

• Sear the beef in small batches over very high heat so it browns instead of stewing.
• Let the sour cream come to room temperature before adding it to the pan.
• For extra depth, add a splash of brandy or white wine to the mushrooms.

FAQ

What is beef Stroganoff traditionally served with?
In Russia: potato straws, mashed potatoes or buckwheat. In the USA and Europe it is often served over buttered egg noodles or rice.

Can I use cheaper beef?
Yes – use chuck, but simmer it in the sauce (before adding the sour cream) for about 1–1½ hours until tender.

Can I make it without mushrooms?
Yes. The oldest Russian recipes used only beef, mustard and sour cream.

👉 More Russian classics: Olivier salad, medovik honey cake and Ukrainian red borscht.

Footnotes:

Which beef? Tender cuts such as tenderloin, sirloin or ribeye are best because they cook in minutes. Cut them across the grain.
Storage: keeps 2–3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently and do not boil, so the sour cream sauce does not split.