Ground Beef Stroganoff is creamy, hearty, and only uses one pot, so it’s perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner with just one pan to wash. Best of all, it’s ready in under an hour!
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Quick Summary: Ground Beef Stroganoff
It's easy to make homemade Stroganoff with ground beef–no Hamburger Helper needed! Brown ground beef with onions and mushrooms, season with Dijon, Worcestershire, and smoked paprika, and simmer egg noodles right in beef broth. Finish off-heat with sour cream and cream for a silky sauce in only one pot in under an hour (see my tip below for even faster prep!).
For a different Stroganoff option, try my Meatball Stroganoff recipe.
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What you need to make Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Onion and salt. I use yellow onions. The dash of salt helps to release the moisture from the onions.
- Cooking oil. I recommend olive oil or avocado oil for their high smoke point.
- Ground beef. 93% lean or higher is ideal for this recipe since the beef is added to the cooked onions. If you are using a higher fat ground beef, you may want to brown it separately so you can drain the fat without losing any of the flavor from the onions and garlic. Ground turkey, venison, or elk can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic is always best.
- Dijon mustard.
- Smoked paprika. The smoky flavor of smoked paprika boosts savory depth that you won't get from other paprikas. If you prefer, you can use half regular and half smoked or all regular if you don't care for the smoky flavor and want a milder flavor profile.
- Salt and pepper.
- Baby bella mushrooms. If you can't find baby bellas, you can use buttons (which are the same mushroom picked earlier). Due to their maturity, baby bellas are have a richer flavor than white button mushrooms. If you want to omit mushrooms, double the onions and add some diced zucchini for texture.
- Beef broth. Feel free to substitute chicken broth for beef broth. Chicken broth actually has more protein than beef broth, and the flavor difference will not affect the finished dish. You can also substitute a broth made from Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. Use low-sodium broth if you need to limit sodium.
- Egg noodles.
- Sour cream and heavy cream. Sour cream gives a nice tangy finish and cream contributes to an extra-smooth sauce. Greek yogurt can be substituted for sour cream.
See recipe card for quantities.
✨ Pro Tip: Make Ground Beef Stroganoff Faster ✨
My secret to quick and easy dinner prep is keeping a stockpile of cooked ground beef in the freezer. It's easy to get hamburger Stroganoff and other recipes with ground beef on the table sooner when part of the cooking is already done. After shopping, cook ground beef in bulk and freeze in recipe-sized portions to make weeknight dinner prep easier. In most cases, you cut 10–15 minutes off your prep time, reduce dishes, and get dinner on the table faster.
How to make Ground Beef Stroganoff
Prepare the vegetables: Thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, and clean and slice the mushrooms.
In a deep skillet with a large heating surface, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add sliced onions and sprinkle with a dash of salt.
Sauté onions slowly over medium to low heat, stirring often and reducing heat if necessary to prevent burning, for about 10-15 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized. Caramelized onions add deep sweetness, so it's important not to rush this step. When ready, they onions will be a deep golden and have a jammy consistency to the edges.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Crumble in ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
Stir in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to the beef mixture, and cook for another 2 minutes so the flavors meld.
Add sliced baby bella mushrooms and sauté for 3–4 minutes over medium-high heat until softened.
Pour in beef broth. Deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir.
Combine the sour cream and heavy cream. Temper the cold dairy products by adding 1-2 teaspoons of the hot liquid from the pan and mix well. Set aside.
Add the wide egg noodles to the boiling broth and return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 8–10 minutes, until noodles are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and add the tempered sour cream and heavy cream. Mix gently until uniform.
Let sit uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
Serve garnished with fresh parsley.
✨ Pro Tip: Prevent Curdling ✨
Sudden heat can cause cold dairy products to separate or curdle. Slowly raising the temperature of the cold dairy by adding a little hot liquid (tempering the cold dairy) before adding it to the pan prevents this. In this recipe, whisking in a little bit of hot broth from the pan before adding the dairy to the dish prevents curdling.
Storage and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Ground Beef Stroganoff can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop (it may need added liquid on the stovetop).
To freeze, store in an airtight freezer container for up to 6 months. If freezing, slightly undercook noodles and omit the sour cream and cream and make a note to add them after heating.
Ground Beef Stroganoff Date____________________
Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Reheat on stovetop, adding beef broth or water if needed. Just before serving, turn off heat and add tempered sour cream and cream. Gently stir to mix well, and garnish with parsley before serving.
FAQ
Can you add sour cream to Stroganoff without curdling?
Tempering the cream and sour cream by adding a teaspoon or two of the hot broth from the pan. This brings up the temperature before you add it to the hot pan and prevents curdling and separating.
What kind of meat is good for Stroganoff?
Although typically made with cuts of ribeye or sirloin, this easy one pot ground beef Stroganoff recipe uses ground beef. You can also substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, ground venison, or ground elk.
What can I use instead of sour cream in Beef Stroganoff?
Greek yogurt can replace sour cream in most recipes and works fine in this Ground Beef Stroganoff.
Recipe
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- dash of salt
- 2-3 cloves garlic, to equal 2 teaspoons minced
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Thinly slice 1 large yellow onion. Mince 2-3 cloves garlic. Slice 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms.
- In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add sliced onions and sprinkle with a dash of salt. Cook, stirring often and reducing heat if necessary to prevent burning, for about 10-15 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Crumble in 1 pound 93% lean ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Add sliced baby bella mushrooms and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Pour in 3 cups beef broth and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom as you stir. Bring to a boil.
- Combine the ¾ cup sour cream and ¼ cup heavy cream. Temper the cold dairy products by adding 1-2 teaspoons of the hot liquid from the pan and mix well. Set aside.
- Add 8 ounces wide egg noodles to the boiling broth and return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
- Turn off the heat. Add the tempered sour cream and cream to the pan and gently stir until sauce is uniform. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
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