Ground beef stroganoff is a quick and easy weeknight dinner made with ground beef, mushrooms, onions, and egg noodles in a creamy sauce made from scratch, with no canned soup. Using ground beef instead of the traditional steak keeps it budget-friendly without losing that rich, beefy flavor. It's a comforting, family-friendly meal that's perfect for busy nights.
Recipe at a glance
- Main ingredients: Ground beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, beef broth, sour cream, and egg noodles.
- Time: 55 minutes
- Method: Brown the beef, build a mushroom gravy from scratch, simmer, then stir in the sour cream and noodles.
- Best for: Busy weeknights, budget dinners, and family meals.
- Servings: 4
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What's great about this recipe
- No canned soup - The creamy mushroom sauce is made from scratch with butter, flour, beef broth, and sour cream, so it tastes richer and fresher.
- Budget-friendly - Affordable ground beef stands in for the traditional steak, so you get all the beefy flavor for a fraction of the price.
- Weeknight easy - Simple ingredients and straightforward steps, and the noodles cook while the sauce simmers.
Budget Check
- The full recipe is about $13-$14
- Per serving (4 servings): about $3.25-$3.50
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region. Garnishes not included
Ingredients you'll need
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- Oil - Use a neutral (flavorless) oil with a high smoke point. We use canola oil.
- Ground beef - Choose lean ground beef with a little fat for flavor. We use ground chuck (80/20 lean to fat ratio). Ground round and sirloin are other good options.
- Produce - You'll need mushrooms, an onion, and garlic. White button mushrooms work well. Use a yellow or white onion. Don't slice the mushrooms or onion too thin so they hold up during cooking.
- Seasonings - Salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce season this dish simply. Look for Worcestershire sauce in the condiment aisle.
- Pantry - All-purpose flour thickens the sauce, beef broth makes the gravy, and wide egg noodles are the pasta traditionally served with stroganoff.
- Dairy - Butter is used to sauté the onions and mushrooms and works with the flour to thicken the gravy. Sour cream is stirred in at the end for a creamy finish.
- Garnish - Fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese (optional, not pictured).
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make ground beef stroganoff
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season the ground beef with salt, add it to the hot oil, and arrange it in one layer. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir the beef, arrange it in one layer again, and cook for 2 more minutes, breaking up any large pieces. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and drain the excess grease from the skillet. Do not wash or wipe it.
- Add the butter, onions, and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.
- Add the garlic and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the beef broth while stirring briskly and scraping any bits off the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
- Return the browned ground beef to the skillet and stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take the skillet off the heat and let it cool until it's no longer simmering. Temper the sour cream with a little of the sauce, then stir it into the skillet.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the egg noodles in well-salted water until al dente, then drain. Add them to the finished sauce, stir until coated, and taste for salt (as a reference, we added ⅓ teaspoon to ours). Serve garnished with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Cook the egg noodles right before serving so they don't stick together. Adding them hot to the creamy mushroom gravy lets them soak up the sauce and become even more flavorful.
- Cook the noodles to al dente so they don't turn mushy or clumpy, since they keep softening in the hot sauce.
- Temper the sour cream before adding it so the sauce stays smooth and doesn't curdle.
- Use reduced-sodium beef broth if you're sensitive to salt, and taste before adding more at the end.
Frequently asked questions
Since the beef is drained after browning, you can use beef with some fat. We use ground chuck, which is 80-85% lean and 15-20% fat and has plenty of flavor. For leaner beef, try ground round (85-90% lean) or ground sirloin (90-92% lean).
Yes. Choose ground turkey or chicken with some fat, like 85/15, and avoid extra-lean breast meat. You can also use chicken broth instead of beef broth. Keep in mind that turkey and chicken are paler than beef, so the finished dish will look lighter.
Don't add cold sour cream to the hot sauce. Temper it first. Tempering means slowly warming the sour cream with a little hot sauce so it doesn't curdle from the sudden temperature change. Place the sour cream in a bowl and stir in a teaspoon of the hot sauce at a time, mixing well between additions, until it's no longer cold. Then stir it into the skillet.
Storing and reheating
- Refrigerator - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer - Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Chill it in the refrigerator first, then cover well and freeze. Keep in mind the sour cream sauce may separate a little and the noodles will soften after freezing. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating - Reheat in the microwave until hot all the way through, or warm it in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 tablespoons of beef broth to loosen the sauce if needed. A gentle stir usually brings a separated sauce back together.
- Food safety - Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F. Always reheat leftovers to 165°F.
More easy ground beef dinners
If you enjoyed this ground beef stroganoff, try our hamburger soup for another cozy weeknight meal, or beef and macaroni when you need something simple and family-friendly. Craving a classic, old-fashioned dinner? Salisbury steak is always a great choice.
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📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef we use ground chuck for flavor - substitute ground round or sirloin if desired
- 1 teaspoon Salt plus extra for the pasta water and to season the finished sauce (if needed)
- 1 tablespoon Oil use neutral (flavorless) oil with a high smoke point
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 medium Onion sliced (do not slice too thin so they hold up to the cooking time)
- 8 ounces Mushrooms sliced (do not slice them too thin so they hold up to the cooking time)
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- 8 ounces Egg Noodles cooked to package directions and drained
- Fresh Chopped Parsley for garnish optional
- Grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Season the ground beef with salt.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and arrange in one layer. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir it well and arrange in one layer again. Cook for 2 minutes. Now, stir and break up any large pieces.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Remove the ground beef with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.
- Drain the excess grease in the skillet but do not wash or wipe.
- Place it back over medium heat then add the butter. When it is melted and foamy, add the onions and mushrooms. Cook them for 5-6 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Stir occasionally.
- Next, add the garlic and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stir often.
- Add the flour and cook for 1½-2 minutes, stir almost constantly.
- Slowly add the beef broth while stirring briskly and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue adding and stirring until the flour dissolves. Then stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
- Return the browned ground beef to the skillet. Stir well to combine with the sauce. Raise the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep the sauce at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as necessary.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles following the package directions for al dente. Drain well. Remember to add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the pasta water once it starts to boil to season the egg noodles.
- When the stroganoff is done take the skillet off the heat and uncover. Let it cool some so that it is no longer simmering.
- Add the sour cream to a bowl. Add a teaspoon of the sauce to the sour cream and stir vigorously. Continue adding a teaspoon of sauce at a time and stirring until the sour cream is no longer cold. Then, add the mixture to the sauce. Stir well.
- Finally, add the noodles to the mushroom sauce, toss and stir until coated and combined.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ⅓ teaspoon to ours.
- Serve the ground beef stroganoff and garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Tempering the sour cream: Don't add cold sour cream to the hot sauce or it can curdle. Tempering means slowly warming it with a little hot sauce. Place the sour cream in a bowl and stir in a teaspoon of the sauce at a time until it's no longer cold, then stir it into the skillet.
- Noodles: Cook the egg noodles to al dente right before serving so they don't get mushy or stick together.
- Broth: Use reduced-sodium beef broth if you're sensitive to salt.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Dawn Everly
This is the best ground beef stroganoff recipe I've ever tried! I love that it does not have a can of soup in it like the recipe I used for over 20 years until I ran across this one. The entire family loves it! It's a keeper!
Elizabeth
Hi Dawn, Great to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by!