Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ground beef stroganoff is a simplified version of the classic beef stroganoff your grandparents enjoyed back in the 1950s and ’60s. The old-school version typically used strips or cubes of a reasonably tender cut of beef, like sirloin. That’s a good and tasty option, but ground beef has its advantages as well.

Making beef stroganoff with ground beef takes what was already a deceptively simple recipe and makes it even quicker and easier. This contest-winning recipe comes together in just 30 minutes, so it’s ideal even for busy weeknights.

Ingredients for Ground Beef Stroganoff

• Noodles: Egg noodles are the traditional accompaniment to beef stroganoff. Using the yolkless variety cuts down on their fat content.
• Lean ground beef: Classic beef stroganoff uses sliced or cubed beef, usually a cut that’s tender enough not to need long cooking. Making beef stroganoff with ground beef doubles down on convenience, and it’s even quicker to prepare.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms are always a good accompaniment to beef, but they’re also a signature ingredient in beef stroganoff.
• Onion: The onions in the recipe add their characteristic sweetness and pungency, and elevate the flavor of the beef and other ingredients.
• Garlic: Garlic adds an assertive flavor to the finished dish, complementing the onions.
• Butter and flour: The butter lubricates and coats the starch molecules in the flour, creating a roux and reducing the risk of the sauce developing lumps as it thickens.
• Beef broth: The beef broth provides a base of flavor for the sauce.
• Tomato paste: The amount of tomato paste that’s used in the recipe is small, but it makes the sauce richer and more flavorful.
• Sour cream: Sour cream gives the finished dish its signature tang and richness.
• Parsley: The optional parsley lends a pop of bright color to the finished ground beef stroganoff recipe, which it otherwise wouldn’t have.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beef mixture

Cook the yolkless noodles according to the package directions. While the noodles boil, cook the beef, mushrooms and onion over medium heat in a large saucepan until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, then drain any excess fat and set the beef aside and keep it warm.

Step 2: Make the sauce

In the same pan, melt the butter and then stir in the flour to make a smooth roux. Gradually whisk in the broth and tomato paste, taking care to incorporate the liquids fully. Bring it to a boil, stirring frequently, for about two minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Step 3: Finish the beef stroganoff

Return the beef mixture to the pan. Add the sour cream, salt and pepper and stir until the mixture is heated through. Don’t let it come to a boil, or the sour cream will “break” or curdle. Drain the noodles, and serve them with the beef mixture. If you’re using parsley, sprinkle it over the individual servings as a garnish.

Ground Beef Stroganoff Variations

• Swap the noodles for potatoes: The version of beef stroganoff that was so popular during the ’50s and ’60s was served over broad egg noodles, and those are still a good choice. Surprisingly, the oldest and most authentic Russian recipes were served on fried “potato straws.” Yeah, that would be french fries to you and me. If you don’t want to fuss with fries, mashed potatoes are an excellent alternative to noodles.
• Serve the stroganoff with rice or other grains: Potatoes aren’t the only alternative starch that works well with this classic comfort-food dish. It works equally well over rice or other grains, either plain or cooked as a pilaf with lots of vegetables.
• Switch up the meat: Beef stroganoff is the classic version, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up. Switching out the ground beef for a “meatloaf mixture” incorporating pork or veal can give it a slightly richer flavor. Ground venison or bison is available from many supermarkets. If red meat isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the rich comfort-food vibe by using ground poultry to make a chicken or turkey stroganoff.

How to Store Ground Beef Stroganoff

Leftover stroganoff can be refrigerated short-term in its pan or a covered bowl, but it will keep best if it’s transferred to a food-safe storage container with a tight-fitting lid as soon as the meal is over. It’s best to store the noodles separately from the beef and sauce, otherwise the noodles will absorb moisture from the sauce and become soft.

Can I make ground beef stroganoff ahead of time?

You can prepare the noodles, beef and sauce a day ahead. It’s best to add the sour cream at the last minute, after the meal is reheated, because sour cream isn’t very heat stable and will tend to “break” or curdle as you reheat the meal.

How long will the beef stroganoff keep?

This easy ground beef stroganoff will hold for up to five days in the refrigerator, as long as you get it into the fridge as soon as possible after your meal. If it spends an hour or more at room temperature, you should plan to eat any leftovers within two to three days at most. If it spends two hours or longer at room temperature, that’s too long for food safety, and the leftovers should be discarded.

Can I freeze beef stroganoff?

If you’re making the stroganoff deliberately for future meals, freeze it without the sour cream and then add the sour cream after you’ve reheated the beef mixture. Leftovers can be frozen and thawed with the sour cream already in the mixture, though the sour cream may weep a bit of moisture into the sauce or potentially curdle during the reheating process (it’s a bigger risk with low-fat sour cream). That’s a cosmetic issue, and it’s still tasty and perfectly safe to eat.

Ground Beef Stroganoff Tips

So am I browning the beef, or just cooking crumbles?

You only need to cook the crumbles until they’re not pink anymore. That being said, if you’re prepared to invest a few extra minutes in actually browning the ground beef instead, your reward will be a bigger, bolder beefy flavor.

Can I use full-fat sour cream instead?

Yes, it’s a straightforward substitution. The original recipe calls for low-fat sour cream and no-yolk noodles, to help tweak the recipe in a healthier direction, but feel free to use the regular kind unless you’re deliberately focused on low-fat cooking.

I’m a vegan/vegetarian, so how can I adapt this recipe?

It’s not as difficult as you might think. You can use any of the readily available meat substitutes or commercial faux-meat products as your base, or simply double down on mushrooms by mincing them finely as your ground “meat.” Replace the butter in the roux with vegetable oil, and the sour cream with a vegan equivalent, and you’re back in comfort-food-land.