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This easy dinner is the perfect weeknight meal: Ground Beef Stroganoff, done in just 30 minutes!
I’ve changed up this classic recipe into a faster and easier dinner – and it’s picky eater approved.
Growing up, we ate beef stroganoff really often. It was one of my dads favorite meals and it was the first one my mom ever cooked for him when they were dating (I’ve heard that story a loooot, lol.)
I remember watching my mom cut up slices of steak and cook them in the sauce. Back then my favorite part was the egg noodles (are you surprised?) but now I love all of it, but especially the sauce.
Since I can never remember what kind of steak goes into making a classic beef stroganoff (sirloin? Tenderloin?) I started making it with ground beef years ago. It’s a lot easier to grab ground beef at the grocery store (plus it’s more affordable) and sometimes I even make this with ground turkey to make it a bit healthier.
Regardless of what kind of meat you use, the thing I love about beef stroganoff is that it’s done in under 30 minutes!
What is beef stroganoff?
I believe that beef stroganoff was originally a Russian dish but, like most dishes of its kind, it’s been Americanized. Basically, beef stroganoff consists of strips of beef cooked in a mushroom sauce and served over noodles. The mushroom sauce is creamy thanks to a last minute addition of sour cream.
As a kid the sour cream freaked me out but now I love the tang that it adds to the sauce. Add in the mushrooms – my favorite – and you have a hearty meal.
Ground Beef Storganoff is easier, cheaper, and healthier than the classic.
(Plus, it’s easier to find!)
The one thing I’ve found about making traditional beef stroganoff is that the meat can get chewy if it’s not cut right or over cooked. That’s why I like making ground beef stroganoff because the meat is always cooked just right.
You can choose what fat content you want in your ground beef: traditional is 80/20 but I often buy 90/10. The higher the number on the right is (the amount of fat) just means that you’ll have to drain more out of the pan after browning the meat.
Once your meat is browned and the mushrooms and onions are cooked through, you make the sauce for the beef and noodles.
Beef Stroganoff sauce is creamy, hearty and tangy.
You make the sauce right in the pan you cooked your beef in. This adds lots of flavor to the sauce. The sauce is made with a simple roux of butter and flour and beef broth or stock. I highly recommend a quality beef stock or beef broth. My favorites are Kitchen Basics, Trader Joe’s or O Organics.
Once the sauce thickens a bit, which just takes a few minutes, you return the meat to the pan and add the creamy part: the sour cream.
The important thing about adding sour cream to a hot dish is that you add it at the end and make sure it doesn’t boil after. Wait until everything is hot and cooked, then add the sour cream and stir to distribute it through the sauce. Pour it over noodles and you’re ready to eat.
Note: you can use reduced-fat sour cream in this recipe. Both reduced-fat and regular work but I would not use nonfat.
This Ground Beef Stroganoff served with noodles is the perfect and easy 30 minute meal. I hope you like it as much as my family does!
Other easy 30 minute meals:
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Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked egg noodles
- 1 pound lean ground beef I use 90% lean
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 large onion halved and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 14 1/2 ounce can beef stock or broth or about 1 3/4 cup
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup sour cream reduced fat is fine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions in a large pot of boiling water.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the beef, mushrooms and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and remove from pan; keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Whisk in the flour until smooth then slowly add the beef broth, whisking until no lumps remain. Stir in the tomato paste.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Return the beef mixture to the pan. Add the sour cream, salt and pepper and cook and stir until heated through.
- Drain the noodles. Serve beef mixture over noodles.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Video
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Last Updated on August 21, 2019
This looks absolutely delicious, and so easy to make!!
Wow….this is an amazing recipe till now…and looks soo yummy & more delicious as well…i will trying to making it….Thanks for sharing…..!
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