Easy Stroganoff Recipe with Ground Beef • Longbourn Farm (2024)

FAQs

What is the best substitute for sour cream in Stroganoff? ›

Greek yogurt is a healthy alternative to the traditionally used sour cream in beef stroganoff recipes, so you can be confident that your family is getting a satisfying, healthy meal. Fresh dill and paprika will provide a sweet, slightly smoky garnish to top off the dish.

Traditionally, tenderloin is the meat of choice for Stroganoff, and after testing out a few alternatives—strip steak and ribeye along with more inexpensive cuts like flap meat, hanger, flank, and skirt—I decided to stick with tradition (flap meat and hanger came in a close second).

Traditional goulash is a type of soup or stew that uses a cheaper cut of meat suitable for slow cooking as well as peppers. Meanwhile, stroganoff is a creamy dish that uses higher-quality meat and mushrooms.

Beef Stroganoff is a popular Russian dish of small pieces of beef fillet sautéed in sour cream sauce together with onions and mushrooms. The dish was named after Count Alexander Grigorievich Stroganoff, who lived in the late 19th century in Odessa. There're two versions of the dish's origin.

Full-fat Greek yogurt will offer the closest approximation of sour cream's flavor and texture, and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for sour cream. If you'd like, you can stir some heavy cream into any percentage of Greek yogurt to give it a somewhat richer body and higher fat content.

Mayo is a great sour cream substitute. It can be used as a 1:1 replacement in both baking and dips. You'll lose some of that tang that sour cream offers, but it still does a great job at adding moisture to baked goods. Plus, it's relatively the same texture as sour cream, which makes it a great sub in dips and sauce.

My secret ingredient in beef stroganoff is just a touch of nutmeg. This aromatic spice works so well with the rich, creamy sauce and is a nod to the dish's origins. You don't need much, just a little more than half a teaspoon.

What is stroganoff sauce made of? Stroganoff sauce is a sour cream gravy made with beef broth that's thickened with flour. It's flavoured with mustard and has mushrooms in it. I love the pale brown creamy colour against the deep golden brown seared beef!

A splash of brandy, a couple cups of beef broth, some mustard and paprika, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream. The secret here is to wait to add the sour cream until the very end, temper it with a bit of the hot broth and then add it to the pan just long enough to warm it, as boiling can cause it to curdle.

If too runny, add more flour-water mixture and if too thick, add more sour cream.

Why is beef stroganoff so good? ›

Beef stroganoff is packed with flavor from it's creamy mushroom sauce so pair it with simple grains or starches that won't compete with the sauce, such as: Egg noodles, lightly buttered (our favorite!)

Add too much sour cream and its sourness will overwhelm the sauce and make it too acidic to enjoy; too little and your dish might just seem dry or lacking in richness. To find the ideal balance, start with a moderate amount of sour cream, mix it in, and taste the sauce.

But if you don't have red wine or brandy on hand, you can definitely swap it out… Use all red wine (no brandy). Or use sherry in place of the red wine and brandy. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can leave it out entirely.

There are many versions of stroganoff, some using brandy, mustard, stock or crème fraiche. My recipe is a little simpler, with a base of double (heavy) cream and sour cream.

Cream Cheese, Mascarpone, and Cottage Cheese

Fresh, spreadable cheeses like cream cheese and mascarpone generally work well as 1:1 substitutes for sour cream in baking. Be sure to let them warm up to room temperature before using, and thin them out slightly by stirring in milk or lemon juice to get a similar texture.

If you run out, you can make a sour cream substitute with no cooking and very little effort. All you need is three ingredients (milk, distilled white vinegar, and heavy cream) and 24-48 hours to let it ferment and thicken.

Temper the sour cream by adding a few teaspoons of the hot liquid from the pan—one tablespoon at a time—before adding the sour cream to the pan. Turn the stovetop down to low before adding the sour cream and give it a few minutes for the temperature in the pan to actually lower.