Home > Dinner > Ground Beef Stroganoff Ground Beef Stroganoff April 1, 2021 | 59 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Simple, 30-minute Ground Beef Stroganoff has sautéed and tender onions, mushrooms, and a luscious creamy sauce. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes for a complete crowd-pleasing meal. Instead of steak, we prepare this recipe with ground beef, which cuts down the time immensely! Serve this stroganoff alongside a garden Italian Salad or with some Roasted Vegetables. 30-Minute Pantry Staple Meal Another day, another pantry staple recipe! I hope these “pantry staple meals” are helpful for you! Two of the most common ingredients many of you have (when polled on Instagram) are ground beef and noodles. This Goulash recipe I shared the other day features both beef and noodles just like this stroganoff does. The rest of the ingredients in this recipe rely on pantry and fridge staples like beef stock/broth, beef bouillon, spices, and Dijon mustard. And with the fresh ingredients required, most of them are shelf stable for quite a good amount of time — onions, garlic, sour cream, butter, and heavy cream. This meal comes together quickly; it’s ready in about 30 minutes and is a meal the whole family will enjoy. How to make Beef Stroganoff With Ground Beef Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Be sure to use a nice, heavy pan, such as this one. Cook the ground beef, crumbling as you go, until browned through. To get a nice browning on the meat (browning = flavor), leave the beef undisturbed for about 30 seconds per side before breaking it up. Cook the mushrooms. Once the meat is browned, the mushrooms are added in, along with some butter. Once the mushrooms start to get tender, add in the seasonings and flour. The flour will thicken the sauce we’re about to make. Create the sauce. After the seasonings and flour have been added, it’s time to finish the sauce. Pour in beef stock (or broth) and then stir in heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Simmer everything until thickened and tender. Finish the dish. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sour cream and then finish it with fresh herbs. Read below for a few options on how to serve this tasty dinner. Serve This Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe With: Egg noodles: This is our favorite way to enjoy this easy Ground Beef Stroganoff. Boil the egg noodles separately in salted water and then serve the creamy stroganoff on top. Over mashed potatoes: Cook up a batch of your favorite potatoes and spoon this meaty sauce right on top. Over rice: Ladle this stroganoff over some warm cooked rice. Ground beef stroganoff with rice is my kids’ favorite way to enjoy this! Ground Beef Stroganoff tips Add the sour cream into the cream sauce off the heat to keep the sauce from curdling. If you have fresh parsley to top this stroganoff, add it; it adds such a nice flavor and cuts down the richness of the sauce. Don’t forget to season this Ground Beef Stroganoff (and taste for additional seasoning at the end), or it will taste flat. It’s also important to add salt to the pasta water. (Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here.) VARIATIONS Variations Switch up the mushrooms. We like cremini mushrooms best, but white mushrooms or portobello would also work. You can even use a combination of a few different kinds of mushrooms. Prepare Ground Beef Stroganoff without sour cream by replacing with plain Greek yogurt; it will slightly change the flavor though. I personally like fat-free or light sour cream in this dish best! Make a healthy Ground Beef Stroganoff by using lean ground beef and light sour cream or Greek yogurt. Add in 1 teaspoon paprika and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little spice. Add in 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme in place of dried if you have it on hand. QUICK TIP Portabella or portabello? Is there a difference in the names of these mushrooms? It’s just personal preference, so spell it however you like. Portabellas are extra-large cremini mushrooms, and their size changes their texture a bit. Storing leftovers Store any Ground Beef Stroganoff leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Because of all the dairy in the sauce, I don’t recommend freezing this dish; it won’t thaw well and is likely to curdle when re-heated. I’d recommend halving the recipe instead if you don’t think you’ll use it up. Ground Beef Stroganoff FAQs1What is stroganoff?Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish with beef served in a creamy sauce, typically with sour cream. It is usually served over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. 2What is in Beef Stroganoff sauce?The sauce is made with butter, garlic, onion, sour cream, beef stock, cream, mushrooms, and a few herbs to enhance the flavors. 3Does sour cream thicken Beef Stroganoff?The cream does thicken it slightly, but we primarily thicken with a roux (flour and butter). 4What can I use instead of cream in Stroganoff?While it will slightly change the flavor, you could use Greek yogurt instead. If you need a dairy-free substitute, try coconut cream. Again, the flavor will be slightly different. 5How do you keep sour cream from curdling in Beef Stroganoff?Sour cream curdles when it’s added to hot liquid. To prevent this, add the sour cream slowly, off the heat. 6How do you fix bland stroganoff?Bland food is usually simply lacking enough seasoning. Here are some ways you can bump up the flavor a bit: Use a good, robustly-flavored beef stock. Increase seasonings. Add some more salt and pepper (and don’t forget to season as you cook!). And whenever you adjust seasonings, taste as you go so that you don’t end up with a dish that is too salty. 7How do I thicken Beef Stroganoff?Beef Stroganoff gets its thickened sauce from the roux, the heavy cream, and the sour cream. To do this correctly, remember these tips: Take time to properly prepare the cream sauce (starting with whisking together the butter and flour) which will end up thickening everything nicely. Use real, heavy whipping cream (not a lower fat dairy product). Use full-fat sour cream. More recipes that use ground beef: Taco Lasagna reader favorite recipe! Beef Lettuce Wraps with coconut rice and pickled red onions Beef Tacos baked and ready in 30 minutes or less Taco Pasta Hamburger Helper inspired Pasta e Fagioli Olive Garden copycat Try our variations on this recipe — the original beef Stroganoff or this delicious Chicken Stroganoff! FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Ground Beef Stroganoff 5 from 29 votes - Review this recipe Simple, 30-minute Ground Beef Stroganoff has sauteed and tender onions, mushrooms, and a luscious creamy sauce. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes for a complete crowd-pleasing meal. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Ground Beef Stroganoff 5 from 29 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Simple, 30-minute Ground Beef Stroganoff has sauteed and tender onions, mushrooms, and a luscious creamy sauce. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes for a complete crowd-pleasing meal. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American Keyword ground beef stroganoff Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Cook Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 533kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.81 Ingredients▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (~1 small onion)▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic (~2 cloves)▢ 1 pound lean (90/10) ground beef▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter▢ 1 package (8 ounces) sliced cremini mushrooms▢ Fine sea salt and pepper▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme▢ 3 tablespoons white, all-purpose flour▢ 1 cup beef stock (or beef broth)▢ 1 cup heavy cream▢ 1/3 cup light (or regular) sour cream▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard▢ 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder▢ 8 ounces medium egg noodles▢ Optional: fresh flat leaf parsleyUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPASTA: If serving over pasta, start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add in a generous amount of salt (about 1/2 tablespoon). Add in the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain when cooked through (I try to time pasta cooking to when the meat sauce will be done).ONIONS, GARLIC, AND BEEF: Preheat a large, deep, cast-iron skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil and once shimmering, add in the 1 cup diced yellow onion and 2 teaspoons minced garlic. Stir until onion is translucent and beginning to turn golden, about 3-4 minutes; reduce the heat if needed. Press onions and garlic to the side and increase the heat to high. Add the 1 pound ground beef to the middle of the pot. Let stand, undisturbed for 30 seconds and then flip and break up. Let the other side stand for about 30 seconds and then continue to cook the beef, breaking it up into small pieces until no longer pink. Season the beef to preference with salt and pepper. If anything is burning/sticking to the pot, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or slightly reduce the heat. MUSHROOMS: Once the beef is cooked through (no longer pink) add in the 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and the 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and stir for 30 seconds. Then mix in the 3 tablespoons flour and stir. Cook for 1 minute to remove the floury taste. GRAVY: Add 1 cup beef broth and scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the skillet as you stir. Stir in the 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and season everything to taste with salt and pepper. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.FINISHING: Remove pan from the heat and stir in the 1/3 cup sour cream (Note 1). Stir to combine everything and season to taste as needed. Serve over cooked noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes and top with fresh parsley. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Sour Cream: Be sure to add sour cream off the heat and stir slowly to avoid curdling. Nutrition FactsServing: 4servings | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 35.3g | Fat: 30.3g | Cholesterol: 145.9mg | Sodium: 289.5mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 4.1g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Would ground turkey work for a change?Any ingredients you would substitute for its difference in flavor? Reply
I haven’t tried it but it should work, you might want to amp up the seasonings a bit! Let me know how it goes! Enjoy! 🙂 Reply
Absolutely delicious! Best stroganoff I’ve had in years! A better cut of meat could be used but not necessary. I’m on a diet, 1st time I’ve gone back for seconds since March😊 Reply
Thank you so much for your comment Bev! I’m seriously so happy to hear how much you loved this! Thanks! 🙂 Reply
I made this tonight…it was a BIG HIT! I even loved it, and I don’t always like my own cooking. Thank you Reply
Goodness! We made this 2 weeks ago and making it again tonight. The best I’ve ever had and I shamelessly devoured the leftovers 😂 Reply
Oh my goodness, I just made this and had to leave a comment! This dish is sooo delish and filling. Very easy to make and not expensive. I love it and will be making this a lot! Thanks so much Reply
Excellent! My only difference: I start with sauteeing the mushrooms in butter, take those out, then sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil, then cook the hamburger, and then put the mushrooms back in. And add 1 tsp sweet paprika. Reply
Made this for dinner tonight. It was pretty good but I think next time I’m going to use a little bit less Thyme. Reply
Great recipe. Enjoyed the flavors. Used beef bouillon by better than bouillon brand. Definitely use the flat leaf parsley. Added more sour cream and heavy cream Reply
In place of the mushrooms & beef broth I substituted 2-bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/4 cup water & 14 oz. can organic mushroom soup. I also added 1 teaspoon more of dried thyme, a few dashes of red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, teaspoon of salt & 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Atop gluten free noodles with a fresh parsley garnish the stroganoff was outstanding! Boyfriend is looking forward to leftovers which usually is NOT his thing:) Thanks for your awesome base recipe! Reply
I haven’t ever tried cream cheese in this; I think you’d need some more liquid with that substitute so the sauce isn’t overly thick Reply
Really appreciated how fast this was! I only had 80/20 beef, unfortunately, but I also had a jar of lingonberry preserves. Its tart acidity as a side pairing worked super well with the fat and salt in this — sort of a spin on how Swedish meatballs are served. Anyway, Thanks so much Reply
Thank you so much! Everyone in my very picky eater household loved it! That is truly a miracle. Reply
These instructions were perfect, I made this tonight and it was amazing. Because I was serving over rice, I simmered to thicken even more and it was awesome. Will be making this again! Reply
The recipe was very well-written and easy-to-follow. The dish turned out fabulous! I will definitely make this again. Reply
Loved it! I was looking for something different to do with the ground beef I had thawed out, and this was perfect. I did use less meat, just a personal preference, and replaced the dried thyme with fresh. Next time I would also add some red pepper flakes, as suggested, to spice it up a bit. Reply
This is delicious and easy. Adding the amount of the ingredients in the directions and specifications on how to cook the meat was so convenient and rare, thank you so much for posting this! Look forward to trying your other recipes. Reply
Thank you Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope you love whatever you try next 🙂 Reply
I don’t have heavy cream. Will half and half work? I want to make it tomorrow. I don’t think there has been a new comment in a year so hoping you see this 🙂 Reply
My husband and I enjoyed this very much, but I think the thyme was a bit much for us. Next time we will put a 1/4 tsp, or we will leave it out altogether, but I’m 100% adding this recipe to my recipe files. I also appreciate the detailed instructions! I’ve been cooking for years, but it’s still nice to see the detail. 😀 Thanks again for the recipe. I can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow. Reply
I am so thrilled you guys loved this Ground Beef Stroganoff! You can definitely leave out the thyme! Thanks for your comment! 🙂 Reply
