Ground Beef Stroganoff

I’ve made several iterations of stroganoff over the years writing this blog. From meatballs, to tartines, to soup, I’m constantly trying to find new ways to reinvent this classic dish, and that’s mainly because I actually love it so much. I find it to be fancy for some reason. Something you’d order at a classy restaurant, or at least it sounds like that. This time around, I’m bringing you this Ground Beef Stroganoff. It combines two of my favorite things—stroganoff and ground beef. I grew up on ground beef. It’s a cheap cut of meat that gets a bad rap in my opinion. But honestly it’s so versatile and so economical. This is the type of recipe you can make during the week when you want dinner fast and on the cheap.

Set a large skillet over moderate heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add in the ground beef. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until cooked through and browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl and set aside.

**Note: I like to use ground sirloin because it’s less fatty, but if you’re using ground beef, you might need to drain off the excess fat that has accumulated in the skillet.**

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and return to moderate heat. Add in the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened and browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme.

**Note: Depending on the size of your skillet, the mushrooms might be overcrowded and take a bit longer to brown. They’ll release their liquid but continue to cook until it evaporates and they brown.**

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Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds or so to remove that “raw” flour taste. Stir in the white wine and cook until it almost reduces completely. 

**Note: The white gives the sauce a nice depth of flavor, but you can totally leave it out if you’re not into cooking with wine. If you do, just pick something you would normally like to drink because if you don’t like the taste then you won’t like the taste of the dish either.**

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Add the chicken stock, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. 

**Note: I know that this is beef and so it might sound weird to use chicken stock, but I find that chicken stock is a bit lighter and not as heavy or salty as beef stock.**

Return the beef to the pan, lower the flame, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Make sure to give it a stir every now and then so that it doesn’t stick and burn.

**Tip: If you find that the sauce has thickened too much, you can loosen it up a bit with a small splash or two of chicken stock.**

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and cornstarch and then add to the stroganoff. Cook over very low heat until just heated through.

**Tip: This cornstarch step is optional but it’s a great trick I’ve learned through the years. The cornstarch helps create a silky smooth sauce and prevents the sour cream from curdling or separating.**

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Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley right before serving.

To serve, place cooked egg noodles in serving bowls or plates and then spoon the stroganoff over the top of each. Dollop with sour cream and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley.

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Stroganoff is traditional served over egg noodles, but honestly this would also be delicious with rice or mashed potatoes. It’s not classic, but would be delicious all the same.

If you’re a fan of stroganoff, like I am, then I really hope you’ll give this one a try. I feel like we can never have too many variations of classic dishes we all know and love. It’s quick, easy and so economical, which makes it perfect for weeknight dinner. Let me know what you think below. As always, thank you so much for reading and following along.