Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipes

Beef stroganoff is a comforting family dinner made with tender beef and a creamy sauce, usually served over warm egg noodles or rice. Our family version adds mushrooms and tomato sauce before finishing the sauce with sour cream.

Start with our easy stovetop Beef Stroganoff, use the slow cooker when you want dinner cooking ahead of time, or try the reader-submitted Hungarian Steak Soup for something a little different.

Easy homemade beef stroganoff with noodles

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Basic Beef Stroganoff Recipe

This easy beef stroganoff is a family favorite made with chunks of steak, mushrooms, beef broth, tomato sauce and sour cream. Start the egg noodles while the stroganoff cooks so everything is ready to serve at the same time.

Homemade beef stroganoff with creamy mushroom sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound steak, cut into small chunks
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • Oil, for browning the beef
  • 1-2 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 1 can (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup beef broth, or 2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 cup water
  • Up to 8 oz. sour cream, as desired
  • Warm egg noodles or rice, for serving

Directions

  1. Add the steak pieces and flour to a bowl and toss until the beef is evenly coated.
  2. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the coated steak and brown the beef.
  3. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons tomato sauce and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for several minutes.
  4. Pour in the beef broth and stir well.
  5. Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken and the beef is cooked through and tender.
  6. Reduce the heat and stir in sour cream to taste.
  7. Serve the beef stroganoff warm over cooked egg noodles or rice.

How Much Sour Cream?

The original family recipe uses up to 8 ounces of sour cream, so you can adjust the amount to suit your family. Use less for a more tomato-and-beef-forward sauce or add more for a creamier stroganoff.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can measure the flour and broth, drain the mushrooms and help stir in the sour cream after the skillet heat has been reduced. An adult should cut and brown the beef and supervise the hot stove.

Stovetop or Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

The Basic Beef Stroganoff can be prepared on the stovetop for an easy dinner or adapted for the slow cooker when you want to start the meal earlier in the day.

Stovetop Stroganoff

Brown the flour-coated steak in a skillet, then add the tomato sauce, mushrooms and beef broth. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the beef is cooked through and tender. Reduce the heat before stirring in the sour cream.

Crockpot Stroganoff

Stir the beef and flour together in the crockpot. Add the tomato sauce, mushrooms and beef broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in the sour cream just before serving.

Add Sour Cream at the End

For either method, add the sour cream near the end of cooking rather than letting it cook for a long time. Stir it into the warm sauce until creamy, then serve the stroganoff over egg noodles or rice.

Crockpot Mushroom Beef Stroganoff

This simple crockpot beef stroganoff uses stew meat, golden cream of mushroom soup and sliced mushrooms for an easy make-ahead family dinner. Serve the tender beef and mushroom sauce over warm egg noodles.

Crockpot mushroom beef stroganoff cooking in a slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
  • 1 can (10 oz.) golden cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 6 cups hot cooked egg noodles, for serving

Directions

  1. Place the beef, drained mushrooms and golden cream of mushroom soup in the crockpot.
  2. Stir in the water, onion flakes, parsley and black pepper.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is tender and cooked through.
  4. Serve the crockpot beef stroganoff over hot cooked egg noodles.

Easy Dinner Prep

Gather the crockpot ingredients the night before, then add everything to the slow cooker in the morning. Cook the egg noodles shortly before dinner so they're warm when the stroganoff is ready.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can drain the mushrooms, measure the water and seasonings and help add ingredients before the crockpot is turned on. An adult should handle the raw beef and hot slow cooker.

Help Kids Practice Following Recipes

Recipes like beef stroganoff give kids practice measuring ingredients, following directions in order and helping prepare a family meal. Our Kids Cooking Recipe Cards give young cooks more recipes they can practice making with adult supervision.

Hungarian Steak Soup

This Hungarian Steak Soup is a flavorful variation on beef stroganoff shared by reader Kate Kerska of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tender steak, peppers, paprika and toasted caraway seeds simmer in beef broth and are served over wide egg noodles.

"Me and my dad made it. My dad helped me make the steak, but other than that I mostly did everything. It is so good that you won't want to stop eating it." — Kate Kerska

Hungarian steak soup with beef, peppers and egg noodles

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless round steak
  • 1 medium onion, preferably a sweet onion such as Vidalia
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika, preferably Hungarian
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 6 ounces wide egg noodles
  • Sour cream and cheese, for serving, optional

Toast the Caraway Seeds First

Toast the caraway seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Kate also notes that if you can't find all of the specialty spices, you can still make the soup without them.

Directions

  1. Pat the steak dry, trim away excess fat and cut the meat into approximately 3/4-inch cubes.
  2. Cut the onion in half. Coarsely chop one half and thinly slice the other half. Keep the sliced onion separate for later.
  3. Core and seed the green and red bell peppers. Cut half of each pepper into chunks and the remaining halves into 1/4-inch strips. Reserve the pepper strips for later.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a pressure cooker or large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining beef.
  5. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper chunks to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
  6. Add the sweet paprika, hot paprika, black pepper and toasted caraway seeds. Stir for about 1 minute.
  7. Pour in the beef broth, then add the bay leaves, garlic and tomato paste. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
  8. Pressure cooker method: Cover and seal the pressure cooker and cook at full pressure for about 20 minutes. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's directions and check the beef for tenderness. If needed, cook for about 5 minutes longer.
  9. Stovetop method: If using a saucepan instead, cover and gently cook the soup for about 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
  10. Strain the soup through a colander into a large bowl. Return the beef to the pot and discard the bay leaves and the cooked onion and pepper chunks used to flavor the broth.
  11. Return the strained broth to the pot. Add the reserved sliced onion and bell pepper strips. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 7-8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
  12. Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a separate saucepan according to package directions until just tender. Drain well.
  13. Add about 1/2 cup cooked noodles to each soup bowl and ladle the hot steak soup over the noodles.
  14. Serve immediately with sour cream and cheese at the table, if desired.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can measure the spices and broth, help toast the caraway seeds with close supervision and portion cooked noodles into bowls. An adult should cut and brown the beef and handle the pressure cooker or hot soup pot.

What to Serve with Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is usually served over egg noodles or rice, so simple vegetables and salads work well alongside it. Choose one or two easy sides to round out the family meal.

Easy cooked vegetables

Easy Cooked Vegetables
Practice steaming, roasting, sautéing and other simple ways to prepare vegetables for a family dinner.

Fresh family salad

Easy Salad Recipes
Add a fresh green or vegetable salad alongside creamy beef stroganoff for an easy contrast of flavors and textures.

Cooked rice and whole grains

Rice & Whole Grains
Serve stroganoff over rice instead of egg noodles and learn how to prepare other grains for family meals.

Easy family side dishes

Easy Side Dish Recipes
Find more simple side dishes to pair with beef dinners and other family main dishes.

How to Make Beef Stroganoff Video

Watch how beef stroganoff comes together with tender beef and a creamy sauce, then use the Basic Beef Stroganoff Recipe above to make our family's version.

More Easy Beef Recipes

Keep practicing family meal skills with more easy beef recipes. Ground beef works well for hamburgers, meatballs and meatloaf, while enchiladas and other beef dinners offer even more ways to use beef in family meals.

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Homemade Hamburger Patties
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Turn ground beef into homemade meatballs for pasta, soup, sandwiches and other family dinners.

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Try classic meatloaf along with mini meatloaves and several fun family-friendly variations.

Beef and bean enchiladas

Beef & Bean Enchiladas
Roll seasoned beef, beans, rice and cheese in tortillas and bake with homemade red enchilada sauce.

Share Your Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Do you have a favorite beef stroganoff recipe, slow cooker variation or family twist? Share your recipe and cooking ideas with us.

Submit your favorite kids recipe

Do you have a favorite recipe your kids love to make? Or a recipe your kids ask you to make again and again? Share it with us!

Beef Stroganoff FAQ

What kind of beef can you use for beef stroganoff?

Our basic recipe uses steak cut into small chunks, while the crockpot version uses beef stew meat. The Hungarian Steak Soup uses boneless round steak, giving you several options depending on the recipe you choose.

Can you make beef stroganoff in a crockpot?

Yes. The Basic Beef Stroganoff can be adapted for the crockpot, or you can make the separate Crockpot Mushroom Beef Stroganoff recipe on this page. Both cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

When should you add sour cream to beef stroganoff?

Add the sour cream near the end of cooking. Reduce the heat and stir it into the warm sauce until creamy rather than cooking the sour cream for several hours.

What can you serve beef stroganoff over?

Egg noodles are a classic choice, but the Basic Beef Stroganoff on this page can also be served over warm rice.

How do you thicken beef stroganoff sauce?

In our Basic Beef Stroganoff, the steak is coated with flour before browning. The flour helps thicken the beef broth and other sauce ingredients as they simmer together.

How can kids help make beef stroganoff?

Kids can measure flour and broth, drain mushrooms, prepare ingredients and help stir in sour cream with adult supervision. An adult should cut and brown the beef and handle the hot skillet or slow cooker.

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