30-Minute Ground Beef Stroganoff — This quick recipe tastes just like traditional beef stroganoff, but with ground beef instead of steak tips! Using ground beef keeps this meal budget-friendly and reduces the prep work significantly. Serve the RICH and CREAMY stroganoff over egg noodles or mashed potatoes for an EASY dinner the whole family will love!
Easy Beef Stroganoff … with Ground Beef!
Beef stroganoff is a comfort food recipe for many – especially y family – and it’s easy to see why!
The classic recipe features tender pieces of beef simmered in a rich and creamy mushroom gravy that’s seasoned with layers of flavor thanks to the addition of garlic, onion, beef bouillon, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today packs in the same comforting flavors, but the traditional steak tips are replaced with ground beef.
Using ground beef in stroganoff keeps the recipe budget-friendly, reduces the prep time, and makes the dish even easier to whip up on a busy weeknight.
This is a completely homemade beef stroganoff recipe made with ground beef, fresh mushrooms, and sour cream. No canned or condensed soups in sight! Best of all, it’s ready in 30 minutes!
I served this creamy ground stroganoff over wide egg noodles, but you can also spoon it over mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, or rice. And don’t forget a hunk of crusty French bread. No matter what, your family is going to adore this fast ground beef dinner recipe!
Love Beef Stroganoff? Try This Slow Cooker Version Next!
For a set-it-and-forget-it beef stroganoff, try this Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe.
It’s just as easy as this stovetop version, but your slow cooker does all the hard work for you!
Ground Beef Stroganoff Ingredients
This is a scratch ground beef stroganoff recipe (aka hamburger stroganoff), meaning the mushroom gravy is completely homemade.
I don’t mind using canned cream of mushroom soup as a shortcut now and then, but seeing as how this entire meal takes just 30 minutes from start to finish I didn’t feel the need to use any shortcuts!
Gather the following ingredients:
- Wide egg noodles
- Unsalted butter
- Mushrooms (white or baby bella)
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Low-sodium beef broth
- Tomato paste
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Beef bouillon
- Sour cream
- Parsley; optional, for garnishing
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Ground Beef Stroganoff
This beef stroganoff recipe with ground beef comes together very quickly, so I recommend slicing the mushrooms, chopping the garlic and onions, and measuring out the remaining ingredients before you start cooking. That way, you can work quickly at the stove and get dinner on the table ASAP.
The recipe is very simple, just follow these steps:
Step 1: Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Once they’re done, drain and set aside.
Step 2: In a large skillet, cook the sliced mushrooms in melted butter. Once they’re brown on both sides, remove to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Add the ground beef, onions, and garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with flour.
Step 4: Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and beef bouillon.
Step 5: Add the mushrooms back to the pan, along with the broth.
Step 6: Simmer the ground beef stroganoff until it thickens into a creamy gravy.
Step 7: Stir in the sour cream. See the important info below!
How to Prevent Sour Cream From Curdling
To prevent the sour cream from curdling (i.e. splitting, breaking) in the ground beef stroganoff sauce, you’ll want to temper it before adding it to the pan.
Tempering just means measuring the sour cream into a heat-proof bowl, then stirring in small amounts of the piping hot mushroom gravy until the sour cream is the same temperature as the sauce.
Once you’ve tempered the sour cream, stir it into the stroganoff OFF THE HEAT as added insurance against curdling.
Step 8: Taste the dish to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper, then spoon individual servings over cooked egg noodles, garnish as desired with parsley, and dig in!
Tips for Making The Best Stroganoff with Ground Beef
Beef bouillon: I like the Better Than Bouillon brand in beef flavor, but you’re welcome to use your favorite brand of bouillon.
I strongly urge you to use bouillon of some sort for the depth of flavor it lends.
Beef broth: I suggest cooking with low sodium beef broth. Sometimes regular beef broth can be far too salty, especially once the stroganoff sauce has reduced in volume and turns into a creamy gravy. Remember that you can always add extra salt to the stroganoff sauce, but you can’t take it back out!
Mushrooms: If you want to make truly spectacular beef stroganoff with ground beef, you MUST take the time to brown the mushrooms on both sides. If you skip this step, your stroganoff sauce won’t have the same depth of flavor.
Flour: After sprinkling the flour over the ground beef mixture, let it cook for about 1 minute in the pan before continuing with the recipe. You want to cook out the raw flour flavor. The reason we add flour is to help lightly thicken the sauce as it simmers later on.
Sour Cream: I highly recommend using sour cream rather than Greek yogurt because it’s the perfect creamy ingredient. Make sure you use full-fat sour cream to both add creamy flavor, a rich mouthfeel, and also the fat in full-fat dairy is insurance against a sauce separating which is just about the ugliest sight. If it’s never happened to you, consider yourself lucky. If it has, you know what I am talking about. Use full fat sour cream to combat against this potential sauce catastrophe.
Tempering the Sour Cream: While you may be able to get away without doing this 2 minute step, if you don’t do it, and your sauce curdles or separates, I don’t want to be the one to tell you ‘I told you so’. Better that you add the sour cream to a bowl, then stir in small amounts of the piping hot mushroom gravy until the sour cream is the same temperature as the sauce. Then add that all back into the main beef mixture and stir. Sounds more ‘complicated’ than it is, but it’s not at all and is great insurance against having to start over due to broken dairy with fluffy particles floating around. Nope!
Separate Storage: Noodles of any kind, but especially egg noodles, really tend to soak up any type of broth or sauce. You probably wouldn’t store the beef and sauce with mashed potatoes all in one container, so don’t do it with the noodles is my advice. They will get mushy and gummy – and it will seem like the beef stroganoff is dry, not saucy – if it all sits together in the fridge.
30-Minute Beef StroganoffRecipe FAQs
I recommend using lean or extra lean ground beef to make this recipe (90% lean or higher, I usually use about 93% lean).
If you use a fattier ground beef, you’ll probably need to drain off some grese. Plus, you’ll want to make sure to wipe any excess grease from the pan after browning the beef. The mushroom gravy is already very rich and creamy, so lean ground beef is a must!
I recommend using baby bello (portobello) mushrooms in this recipe or cremini mushrooms. White button mushrooms would also work but they’re not my preferred mushroom because this type of mushroom doesn’t have as much flavor.
However, you don’t want too strong of mushroom flavor as you will find more mature mushroom varieties, like portobello mushrooms so they won’t compete with the other flavors in the dish. 
There’s a mushroom hater in every family and group! As I always say when it comes to mushrooms (I just mentioned this in my recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala) you’re free to omit them but just know that your finished easy stroganoff meal won’t have the same depth of flavo or richness, and it won’t be as authentic-tasting.
Wide egg noodles are the traditional choice for serving beef stroganoff. However, you can use another type of noodle or pasta, or serve the stroganoff over mashed potatoes or even rice. You want something that will soak up that flavorful mushroom gravy!
For an even creamier stroganoff sauce, you can add up to ½ cup of room temperature heavy cream to the pan at the same time you add the broth.
Just be careful to not over simmer the sauce, because that can cause the heavy cream to break (i.e. separate). Make sure not let it boil, just a tiny simmer, or you could end up with a broken sauce.
Potentially you could, but I have only ever made the recipe with sour cream. If you try it, make sure to use full-fat Greek yogurt. Fat is your friend here and prevents sauces from separating as well as provides a rich mouthfeel and great flavor!
This ground beef stroganoff recipe was written for using, well, ground beef. Although I’m sure use ground turkey, but the sauce will not be as flavorful. Ground turkey is a very lean protein and lacks the rich flavor that ground beef has.
If using ground turkey, you’ll likely need to add a little extra butter(plus a little olive oil likely) to the skillet to prevent the turkey from drying out.
You might also want to use 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon (rather than 1.5 teaspoons) to add extra beefy flavor to the gravy.
In that same vein, ground pork or ground sausage could also be used. In all actuality, ground sausage would likely be my next-in-line if I wasn’t using ground beef.
Yes you can. This recipe reheats quite well in either the microwave or on the stove. Just take it easy when you reheat and don’t use too high of heat.
However, I don’t recommend preparing the egg noodles in advance because they can dry out in the fridge and don’t reheat as well.
Bottom line, if you’re trying to get ahead, premake the beef portion and boil the noodles right before you plan to serve this easy dish.
Serving Suggestions
My family prefers pairing this easy ground beef stroganoff recipe with chewy egg noodles. You can even toss the warm egg noodles in a little melted butter to prevent them from sticking, and to make the dish even richer!
However, the stroganoff gravy is also delicious spooned over fluffy mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, or rice.
If you need side dish ideas for ground beef stroganoff, I recommend preparing one or more of the following:
Storage Instructions
If you have leftovers of the ground beef and mushroom gravy mixture, I recommend storing airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
If you have egg noodles leftover as well, store them in a separate container. If you mix them into the gravy, they’ll soak up all the sauce and become mushy.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
- 8 ounces sliced baby portobello or cremini mushrooms (white button mushrooms may be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound lean or extra-lean ground beef (I use 90 or 93% lean)
- 1/2 cup yellow or white onion, finely diced
- 3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (not tomato sauce)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (not yellow mustard)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- Fresh parsley, finely minced, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Cook the wide egg noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Meanwhile, move on with the rest of the recipe.
- To a large, high-sided skillet, add the mushrooms, butter, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minute, making sure to flip and toss the mushrooms as they’re sauteing so that all sides are evenly browned. Remove the cooked mushrooms from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Add the beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the beef has browned and is done, and the onions are soft and translucent. Crumble the beef as it cooks and stir very frequently to ensure even cooking.
- Evenly sprinkle the flour over the beef, stir to combine, and cook for about 90 seconds, long enough to ensure any raw flour has been cooked so there’s no raw flour later. Tip – Flour is added here to help the subsequent sauce thicken up a bit since we’re making this from scratch, not canned or condensed soups.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, Dijon, beef bouillon, and stir to combine.
- Add the mushrooms back in, and add the beef broth.
- Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the sauce begins to thicken up a bit and so it has a gravy type of consistency.
- Turn the heat off and add the tempered sour cream* (see Notes) into the beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Taste the mixture and make any necessary seasoning adjustments, i.e. more salt, pepper, beef bouillon, etc. before optionally garnishing with parsley and serving over the boiled egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
- Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Tip – I highly recommend you store the beef stroganoff and the cooked noodles separately or they will have a tendency to absorb all the sauce, making them seem mushy and gummy, and the beef stroganoff to seem dry and not very saucy.
Notes
*To prevent the sour cream from curdling (i.e. splitting, breaking) in the ground beef stroganoff sauce, you’ll want to temper it before adding it to the pan. It’s a 2 minute step that can save the recipe from disaster so I suggest doing it!
Tempering just means measuring the sour cream into a heat-proof bowl, then stirring in small amounts of the piping hot mushroom gravy until the sour cream is the same temperature as the sauce.
Once you’ve tempered the sour cream, stir it into the stroganoff OFF THE HEAT as added insurance against curdling.
Additional insurance is to use FULL FAT sour cream and that’s AT ROOM TEMP.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 334Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 852mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 29g
More Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes:
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff — Not technically ground beef, but my other Stroganoff recipe! This is a comfort food classic that everyone in the family LOVES! Hearty chunks of beef, rich and flavorful beef gravy, and served over a bed of warm noodles to soak up all that goodness! The EASIEST recipe for beef stroganoff ever because your Crock-Pot truly does all the work! Set it and forget it!
Homemade Hamburger Helper – You can kiss the store bought stuff goodbye because my homemade recipe for classic cheeseburger pasta is EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and made in ONE skillet! There’s saucy cheesy pasta and juicy ground beef in every bite making this a family FAVORITE comfort food recipe. PERFECT for busy weeknights!
Loaded Smothered Beef Burritos Recipe — Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, rice, and smothered with sauce and CHEESE!! Tastes BETTER than from a restaurant, plus these burritos are freezer-friendly and so EASY!!
15-Minute Tex-Mex Ground Beef and Rice Skillet — An EASY comfort food recipe with just 5 main ingredients made with everyday staples!! Juicy beef, tender rice, and just the right amount of kick from the salsa make this an automatic FAMILY FAVORITE!!
One-Pot Taco Pasta – An EASY recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors!! A family favorite that’s great for busy weeknights!!
One-Pot Pasta and Ground Beef Soup — EASY, hearty, comfort food that’s full of flavor!! A FAST and tasty soup the whole family will LOVE! It will keep your warm on chilly winter nights!!
Loaded Skillet Nachos with Beef — EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and LOADED with taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cilantro, and lots of CHEESE!! Great for parties, game days, after school snacks, or a cheat night dinner!!
Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole — Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE!! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly!!
Southwestern Pasta & Ground Beef Skillet — EASY, family friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and COMFORT FOOD at its best!! Ground beef, PASTA, black beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and CHEESE for a Southwestern flair!!
Ground Beef Taco Salad Bowls — Making homemade taco salad bowls is so easy and they’re perfect for holding this family-favorite taco salad including seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese and more! Everything is topped with a creamy lime-cilantro dressing that’ll have everyone finishing their salad!
