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Some weeknights call for dinner that moves fast, but still tastes like you cared. In my kitchen, that’s exactly when ground beef stroganoff shows up, creamy, savory, and ready to turn a regular Tuesday into something cozy.
This version keeps the comfort you expect, but it cooks like a chef’s skillet sauce: deeply browned beef, a silky roux base, and a sour cream finish that stays smooth. It’s perfect for busy families, tired students, or anyone who wants a warm bowl and a quiet moment.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Weeknight luxury, no fuss: You get that bistro-style comfort with one skillet, familiar pantry staples, and the kind of sauce that clings to egg noodles the way it should.
The secret umami boost: In my kitchen, I learned that stirring in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard right when the flour goes in builds real umami, and it makes ground beef taste richer than it has any right to.
Velvety, not greasy: With lean Ground Beef and a proper roux, the sauce emulsifies into a smooth, pale-brown blanket instead of splitting into oil and cream.
Comfort that stays reliable: Once you know what the Maillard reaction should look and smell like, this becomes one of those recipes you can nail even when you’re cooking on autopilot.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These ingredients are simple, but each one has a job, from building a savory skillet base to giving the sauce its tangy Sour Cream finish and classic Egg Noodles comfort.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can mushrooms, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) package wide egg noodles
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Ground Beef: 90% lean keeps the skillet from turning oily, so the roux thickens cleanly. If your beef renders a lot of fat, spoon off the excess before the flour goes in so the sauce tastes rich, not heavy.
Mushrooms: The canned mushrooms work beautifully when time is tight. If you want a meatier bite, swap in Cremini Mushrooms and cook them until their moisture evaporates and they smell earthy and toasted.
Beef Broth and Worcestershire Sauce: Beef Broth brings body, and Worcestershire sauce adds that savory edge that makes the dish taste “long-simmered” even when it isn’t. If your broth is mild, that tablespoon of Worcestershire does a lot of heavy lifting.
Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream gives the smoothest texture and the best tang. The key is gentle heat, once it goes in, you want warmth, not a boil.
Egg Noodles: Wide Egg Noodles are classic because the ripples grab sauce in every groove. If you’re not in a noodle mood, this same stroganoff is ridiculously good over mashed potatoes or roasted cauliflower.
How to Make ground beef stroganoff
Brown the beef base
- Set a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef, chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Break the meat up, then let it sit long enough to actually sizzle, not steam.
- Keep cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and crumbly and you can smell that deep, roasted aroma. Those brown bits on the pan are pure flavor, so don’t rush past them.
Build the roux and savory sauce
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons all purpose flour evenly over the hot beef mixture, then stir until everything looks lightly dusty and coated. Give it a moment on the heat so the flour loses that raw smell.
- Pour in the 1 cup beef broth gradually, then add the 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon until the browned bits release into the liquid and the sauce turns glossy.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. You’re looking for silky, not stodgy.
Cook the noodles and finish with sour cream
- While the skillet simmers, boil the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water for about 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain well so you don’t water down the sauce.
- Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the 1/2 cup sour cream a little at a time until the sauce turns uniformly creamy and pale brown. It should smell tangy and beefy, and look smooth with no oily puddles.
- Spoon the stroganoff over the hot noodles, then finish with freshly chopped parsley for garnishing. That little green bite keeps each forkful lively.
The Science of Savory Perfection
The make-or-break moment is browning, not just “cooking through.” When the beef sits against the hot skillet and turns properly brown, you’re triggering the Maillard reaction, which is where that roasted, deeply savory flavor lives.
Then comes the quiet workhorse: the roux. Flour mixing with the beef fat creates the thickening backbone, and as it simmers with Beef Broth it turns into a sauce that feels cohesive instead of watery.
One more detail I swear by is emulsification. When you remove the pan from heat before adding Sour Cream, you’re encouraging the sauce to stay velvety, not broken, and it keeps that luxurious stroganoff mouthfeel.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Pro Tips
- Let the beef sizzle before stirring so a brown crust forms, that’s your flavor foundation.
- If your pan has a lot of rendered fat, drain some before adding flour so the roux stays balanced.
- Temper your sour cream by stirring in a spoonful of hot sauce first, then add it back to the skillet off heat.
- Salt your noodle water generously so the noodles taste seasoned inside.
- A splash of dry white wine or cognac before the broth can deepen the aroma, but keep the simmer gentle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Moving the meat constantly, it steams and turns gray instead of browning.
- Letting the sauce boil after adding sour cream, that’s how it curdles and separates.
- Skipping the simmer time, the flour needs those 10 to 15 minutes to become silky.
- Storing noodles in the sauce, they soak it up and go soft.
Serving & Storage
Creative Serving Ideas
Parsley is classic, but dill gives a more old-world stroganoff vibe. On the side, something green and snappy, like roasted beans or a sharp salad, keeps the plate from feeling too heavy.
If you love comfort food with that same creamy-savory profile, Swedish meatballs bring a similarly cozy sauce moment. A hearty side like Brussels sprouts also balances the richness with smoky bite.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftovers airtight in the fridge up to 3 days, and keep noodles separate if you can. The sauce thickens as it chills, so a splash of broth or water brings it back to silky.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, and avoid boiling. Microwaves work in a pinch, but short bursts with stirring in between help prevent the sour cream from separating.
Creamy Ground Beef Stroganoff
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Large Pot
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 can mushrooms 4.5-ounce, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 package wide egg noodles 8-ounce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Instructions
Brown the beef base
- Set a large skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef, chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Break the meat up, then let it sit long enough to actually sizzle, not steam.
- Keep cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and crumbly and you can smell that deep, roasted aroma.
Build the roux and savory sauce
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons all purpose flour evenly over the hot beef mixture, then stir until everything looks lightly dusty and coated. Give it a moment on the heat so the flour loses that raw smell.
- Pour in the 1 cup beef broth gradually, then add the 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon until the browned bits release into the liquid and the sauce turns glossy.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Cook the noodles and finish with sour cream
- While the skillet simmers, boil the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water for about 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
- Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the 1/2 cup sour cream a little at a time until the sauce turns uniformly creamy and pale brown.
- Spoon the stroganoff over the hot noodles, then finish with freshly chopped parsley for garnishing.
Notes
Nutrition
Conclusion
This ground beef stroganoff is comfort food with a chef’s brain behind it, brown the beef well, build a quick roux, and finish with sour cream off the heat for that smooth, creamy payoff.
Once you’ve made it, little tweaks become easy, more mushrooms, a different herb, or serving it over mashed potatoes. When you’re on a weeknight comfort kick, a skillet dinner like this beef enchilada skillet keeps the same fast-and-satisfying energy.
