One Pan Ground Beef Stroganoff

This Ground Beef Stroganoff is a weeknight-friendly take on the classic, made with tender mushrooms, a savory beefy sauce, and a tangy finish of sour cream. The egg noodles cook right in the pan with the beef and sauce, making it a comforting, one-pan dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes.

How to Make Ground Beef Stroganoff

Step 1: Brown the Beef

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of vegetable oil (or another neutral sautéing oil). Add the ground beef and season it with salt and pepper.

For the best flavor, let the beef sit undisturbed at first so it can develop a good crust. Once it’s well-browned on the bottom, break it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon or spatula and continue cooking until it’s no longer pink.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate or bowl, leaving the fat and drippings in the pan.

Step 2: Cook the Mushrooms and Onions

You’ll need enough fat in the skillet to cook the vegetables, so if you’re working with leaner ground beef and there isn’t much left behind, add a bit of butter or oil to make up the difference.

Add the chopped yellow onions and sliced mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

Sauté until the onions are softened and the mushrooms begin to brown. As the mushrooms cook, they’ll release liquid into the pan—let this moisture cook off completely.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook just until it’s fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. Avoid overbrowning the garlic, which can give it a bitter flavor.

Step 3: Build the Sauce

With the beef and vegetables cooked, deglaze the skillet with a little cognac, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Those bits add great flavor to your Ground Beef Stroganoff. 

The cognac adds warmth and depth to the sauce, with light caramelized, fruity notes. (Don’t worry, the finished dish won’t taste boozy.) Let the cognac simmer for a couple of minutes, until it’s fully evaporated.

Return the browned ground beef to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, stirring to distribute it evenly with the vegetables. Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the mixture and stir to coat the beef and vegetables.

Cook the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes to eliminate any raw flour taste. Then, stir in the following ingredients to finish building the sauce:

• Beef Broth or Stock: Different brands of egg noodles absorb liquid at different rates. Start with 3½ cups, and add up to an additional ½ cup as the noodles cook if the pan starts to look dry.
• Dijon Mustard: Adds tang and brightness to balance the sauce’s deeper, savory flavors.
• Worcestershire Sauce: For savory umami and depth.
• Paprika: I use sweet Hungarian paprika. Because ground spices vary in strength depending on age and brand, I give a range in the recipe card. Start conservatively and adjust to taste.
• Fresh Thyme Leaves: Adds earthy herbal flavor that pairs perfectly with the beef and mushrooms.

Step 4: Cook the Noodles

Once the sauce is well combined, add dried extra-wide egg noodles to the pan. Submerge them in the liquid as evenly as possible.

Bring everything to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook the stroganoff until the noodles are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Keep the pan covered while simmering, but give it a gentle stir every couple of minutes. This helps the noodles cook evenly and prevents them from sticking or scorching as the sauce thickens.

As the noodles cook, the flour in the sauce and the starch released from the egg noodles work together to thicken it.

Results can vary slightly depending on the brand of noodles, but I’ve tested this recipe with Manischewitz (pictured), Pennsylvania Dutch, and Light ’n Fluffy, all with consistent results.

Step 5: Finish the Dish

When the noodles are just tender, stir in sour cream to make the sauce creamy and add tang.

While this Ground Beef Stroganoff turns out creamiest with full-fat sour cream, I’ve also used reduced-fat sour cream with good results. (We didn’t love it with fat-free, and I have not tested the recipe with non-dairy sour cream substitutes.)

I also like to stir in a little extra fresh thyme and chopped parsley before serving for freshness.

Season the stroganoff with salt and pepper to taste. The amount you’ll need will depend on how salty your broth or stock is.

If the sauce seems a little thin at this point, let the stroganoff stand for a few minutes; it will continue to thicken as it rests. If it’s thicker than you’d like, loosen it with a splash of additional beef broth.

Serving Ground Beef Stroganoff

Finish the pan with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley and bring it straight to the table. This dish is best served right away. As it sits, the egg noodles will continue to absorb the sauce and become softer.

Depending on the brand of sour cream you use—some are tangier than others—you might want to add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness. I either stir a little into the pan just before serving or add it directly to my bowl to taste.

Ground Beef Stroganoff is hearty enough to serve on its own, but for a complete meal, I like to balance the richness with something crisp or fresh on the side. A simple green salad, steamed green beans, or roasted broccoli are all great choices.

More Recipes Using Ground Beef

• Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Spicy Chili Recipe with Three Meats and Beans

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4.93 from 13 votes

Ground Beef Stroganoff

by Amanda Biddle

This easy Ground Beef Stroganoff cooks egg noodles right in the sauce for a comforting, one-pan dinner with tender mushrooms and a tangy sour cream finish—ready in about 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef (85/15 or 80/20)
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil (if needed), plus 2 to 3 teaspoons oil for browning the beef
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion , chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
• ▢ 12 ounces cremini mushrooms , sliced 1/4-inch thick
• ▢ 2 large garlic cloves , minced
• ▢ ¼ cup cognac (can also use dry white wine)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika , to taste (see Note 1)
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves , divided
• ▢ 3½ to 4 cups beef broth or stock (see Note 2)
• ▢ 8 ounces dried extra wide egg noodles (see Note 2)
• ▢ ½ to ⅔ cup sour cream (depending on how creamy you like your stroganoff)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
• ▢ Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions 

• Lightly-oil a large nonstick skillet or saute pan (12.5 to 13" diameter by 2.5" high, or a 4-quart cocotte) with vegetable oil (2-3 teaspoons, depending on the percentage of fat in your ground beef; chuck will need less than round).
• Brown the ground beef with a few small pinches of salt and black pepper over medium-high heat. Let the beef develop a good crust before you start to flip and break it up with your spoon or spatula. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
• You'll need 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan–if the beef hasn't released this much fat, add enough butter or oil to make up the quantity.
• Add the onions, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pan. Sauté until the onions and mushrooms are softened, beginning to brown, and most of the released mushroom liquid has evaporated.
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.
• Stir in the cognac and simmer for 1-2 minutes, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until almost completely evaporated.
• Stir the ground beef back into the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and mushroom mixture, stir it in to evenly distribute, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the beef broth, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves. Stir until well combined.
• Stir in the uncooked egg noodles, submerging them in the broth as much as possible, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the noodles are cooked through.
• Remove from the heat and add the sour cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, and 2 tablespoons of parsley to the pan, gently stirring to combine (see Note 3). Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The amount of salt you need will depend on the beef broth you used.)
• If desired, stir in lemon juice to brighten the sauce (whether you need it will depend on the tanginess of the brand of sour cream you're using and your personal taste), or serve the dish with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over your bowl.
• Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top of the pan and serve immediately.

Notes

1. Paprika: Use sweet (Hungarian) paprika; adjust the amount to taste, as ground spices vary in strength.

2. Broth and Egg Noodles: Different brands of egg noodles, as well as the type of pan you’re using, might require a varying quantity of liquid, within the range of 3-1/2 to 4 cups. The noodles shown in the blog post and video are Manischewitz Extra Wide, and they always cook to al dente within this range, without making the dish too liquidy. I’ve had consistent results with Pennsylvania Dutch and Light ‘N Fluffy extra-wide noodles as well.

If you prefer your skillet stroganoff to be less saucy, start with 3-1/2 cups of beef broth and watch it closely. If it’s starting to look dry as the noodles are cooking, add up to an additional 1/2 cup broth. 

3. Sauce Thickness: The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands. If the sauce seems too thin after the noodles are al dente and you’ve stirred in the sour cream, let it stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes. If it’s too thick, thin it out with an extra splash of beef broth.

For pantry swaps, see the “Substitutions” section in the article above.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 0.166recipe | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 730mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About our recipes

Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.

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Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on Striped Spatula in July 2020. We have updated the blog post with expanded copy to address reader questions we’ve received.

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