Easy Beef Stroganoff

Name: Easy Beef Stroganoff
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup sour cream (at room temperature); 1 lb. sirloin steak (cut into strips*); 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (divided); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (divided); 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 large onion (chopped (8 oz)); 16 oz sliced mushrooms (white or cremini); 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

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This easy beef stroganoff recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. I make it with lots of extra onions and mushrooms and it's so delicious!

Served over mashed cauliflower, it's the perfect comfort food. And as long as you reheat them carefully, the leftovers are very good too.

Beef stroganoff served in a cast-iron skillet.

My friend Irina is of Russian descent. Her cooking is rich and wonderful, and she confirms that the Russians do love adding sour cream to their dishes - and plenty of it.

I've been making this easy beef stroganoff a lot lately (I also make a very tasty chicken stroganoff, by the way). It's such a wonderfully rich and creamy comfort food. I change it up by increasing the vegetables I use - I add extra mushrooms and onions compared with the classic recipe.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tips
Frequently asked questions
Variations
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Sirloin strips: You can splurge and use tenderloin for truly tender beef, but I usually go with sirloin.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Avocado oil: An excellent neutral-tasting cooking oil with a high smoke point. Ghee is another tasty option.

Veggies: I use lots of onions, garlic, and mushrooms.

Sour cream: It's best to use full-fat sour cream for the richest and tastiest result.

Chopped parsley: Used purely for garnish, so it's optional.

The ingredients needed to make beef stroganoff.

Instructions

Making my version of beef stroganoff is easy! It's basically a quick stir-fry recipe, much like this Korean beef recipe.

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

Cook the meat. Season the beef and cook it in avocado oil until no longer raw, then transfer it to a plate.

Cook the vegetables. In the same skillet, cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic with salt and pepper.

Add the sour cream. Add the beef back to the skillet. Reduce the heat and stir in the sour cream.

A six-photo collage showing the steps for making beef stroganoff.

Expert tips

Removing the sour cream from the fridge at the start of cooking will help it warm up a bit, reducing the risk of it curdling when you add it to the hot dish. It also helps to reduce the heat and allow the skillet to cool off before mixing it in.
When you add the sour cream, you'll notice that the dish immediately takes on a grayish hue. One way to overcome that is by adding a little Worcestershire sauce to the dish. However, don't add too much, or the dish will taste too vinegary. Start with one teaspoon and taste to see how it affects the flavor.

Frequently asked questions

What is Beef Stroganoff?

It's a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef, served in a sour cream sauce.

There are many variations of this classic dish. Mine is quick and easy. I make it with lean beef (sirloin), lots of onions and mushrooms, and a little sour cream. So basically I change the ratio of the traditional ingredients, adding more vegetables and using less meat and sour cream.

What cut of meat should I use?

The traditional cut of meat used in this recipe is beef tenderloin, which is a lean and tender cut of meat.

I actually prefer to use sirloin, another lean cut of meat. It's not as tender, but it's more flavorful, and it's also much more affordable.

Some people make this dish with ground beef. I haven't tried that. Although I can see how it would work. Just the way Korean ground beef is just as good as Korean beef, or maybe even better. Sometimes it's easier to mix flavors and spices into ground beef because of its finely ground texture.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

I advise against that. This is one recipe where you really do want the richness of full-fat sour cream. It's absolutely worth it.

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

Instead of cooking the dish in avocado oil, you can use ghee. I also like to use duck fat - it's so very flavorful.
You can experiment with adding more seasonings to this dish. Good options include paprika and dried thyme.
While nontraditional, try adding a handful of wild mushrooms instead of some of the white (or cremini) mushrooms. I love the flavor they add to the dish.

Serving suggestions

This dish is often served on top of noodles. But I skip the starch and serve it over mashed cauliflower. It's really good! You can also serve it on top of spaghetti squash noodles.

I also like to add a side of a bright green veggie such as roasted broccoli, steamed asparagus, or sautéed spinach. It makes for a prettier presentation. This dish, though utterly delicious, is not exactly pretty to look at.

Storing leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. When reheating them, do so very gently, to avoid drying out the meat and curdling the sour cream. I reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.