Easy 5 Ingredient Beef Stroganoff NO Mushrooms 

Welcome to The Storied Recipe, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe is a little different, however, as it comes from one of my most popular episodes ever - an episode with my 4 sons! This super quick 5 Ingredient Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe is my son Marcus's favorite meal - and one he can make as easily as I do!

This simple one-pot beef stroganoff recipe is a meal you can make in under 10 minutes with 5 ingredients. 

If you like mushrooms, sure - feel free to include them. But if you don't, stroganoff with no mushrooms is comforting, warm, creamy, and full of just rich, filling, meaty goodness. 

Personally, I think this is the best beef stroganoff recipe when you're looking for comforting meals for the whole family on busy fall evenings. It pairs well with a good salad like Appalacian Kilt Lettuce or these hearty spiral Pesto Rolls.  

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5 Simple Ingredients

This creamy beef stroganoff calls for just 5 key ingredients:

Hamburger meat - no need to even go lean on this one. You can go with the cheapest 80% lean if you'd like. 

Montreal Steak Seasoning - the quickest, easiest way to add a lot of flavor. See for substitutions below. 

Cream Cheese - low fat, high fat, up to you.  

Sour cream - same notes as cream cheese!

Beef broth - all the flavor is in here!

Questions

Does your one pot stroganoff include cream of mushroom soup?

No. This is a no mushroom stroganoff! (Unless you want to add them). That includes gloopy Cream of Mushroom Soup!

Does stroganoff have cheese in it?

It does not. You can read more about the origins of stroganoff below, but simply put, there are lots of variations on a traditional stroganoff. But once you add cheese, you've moved into the hamburger or cheeseburger casserole realm. 

Instructions: How to Make Stroganoff from Scratch

Traditional Method (The Béchamel Sauce Method):

• Melt 1tbsp fat (usually butter, but can be oil or beef drippings) over low heat 
• Add an equal amount of flour, whisking constantly
• Add 4 cups liquid (usually beef broth) slowly, while whisking
• Whisk occasionally until the sauce thickens and bubbles around the edges
• Add sour cream

This super easy method: 

• Rather than making a Béchamel Sauce, this depends on the thickness of the cream cheese.
• Add the cream cheese and sour cream together to the beef. 
• Whisk into a thick sauce.
• Slowly add beef broth until desired thickness.

Substitutions & Optional Ingredients

More flavor:

• Add Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon at a time for flavor
• Add Dry Mustard Powder 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to taste
• Add up to a cup of white wine for a more elegant and traditional dish
• In place of Montreal Steak Seasoning, add equal parts salt & pepper and garlic powder to taste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
• For an earthier flavor, replace the beef broth with vegetable broth or add 1 tablespoon tomato paste at a time, to taste.

Can I use something other than ground beef?

Sure! Here are a few ideas:

• Ground turkey. Just make sure to season a little more heavily. 
• Top sirloin for special occasions! Grill for tender chunks of beef or pan fry for succulent thin beef strips.
• Stew meat - If you cook the stew meat in the slow cooker, you can just add the cream cheese and sour cream directly into the crockpot.

More options for creamy sauce:

• Replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt for a tangy flavor or more protein
• Heavy cream can replace sour cream for a super rich version

Equipment

• Large skillet
• Stockpot
• Colander

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

The only thing quicker than this easy ground beef stroganoff recipe is pulling a bag out of the freezer! This is super easy to double/trip/quadruple and freeze for those crazy nights. 

Once you make the sauce, let it cool until it is a little easier to handle

Separate into gallon freezer bags or an airtight container

Store the wet ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onion) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

What is Beef Stroganoff: History and Tradition

• Beef stroganoff traces its origins back to 18th and 19th century
• A chef for the Stroganov family created this dish just for them.
• Stroganoff quickly become popular among mushroom lovers
• Along with the mushrooms, traditional ingredients include thinly sliced beef, onions, sour cream, and sometimes mustard for an extra kick of flavor.

More Super Easy Recipes from Around the World

Pair with a Fresh Salad from My Global Guests

Recipe

Easy 5 Ingredient Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe (No Mushrooms)

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4.5 from 44 reviews

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

A rich, creamy quick one-pot approach to Beef Stroganoff. An even quicker take on what my mom called “Poor Man’s Stroganoff”.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning OR 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz sour cream
• 4 cups beef broth

Optional

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Dry mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, white wine, or tomato sauce for flavor

Rice OR Egg Noodles OR Pasta

• 1 lb noodles or pasta (my favorite is egg noodles!) OR
• 2 cups rice

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

Make sure to check out the episode that features this recipe with Becky and her kids - Bonus Episode: Storied Recipes According to My Kids.

Make The Recipe

Do This First If Using Optional Ingredients

1. Chop onion.
2. Mince garlic.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter on low heat and saute onion.
4. Add crushed garlic with ground beef. Pick up with the basic instructions below.

Basic Instructions (*See notes for advanced instructions)

1. Add ground beef and Montreal Steak Seasoning to the pan. Brown the beef over medium-high heat. Stir frequently until all pink has disappeared.
2. Drain the fat off the mixture using a colander over a container. (Let fat cool and dispose of it later.)
3. Return beef to the pan. Add sour cream and cream cheese and stir until mostly mixed.
4. Add four cups of beef broth slowly, whisking as you go.
5. Let simmer until the sauce is your desired consistency.

Cook Noodles or Rice

1. Cook noodles or rice according to package instructions.
2. Top with the delicious beef mixture and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure to check out the episode that features this recipe with Becky and her kids - Bonus Episode: Storied Recipes According to My Kids.
• For extra flavor, consider adding any of these options:
  • Add Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon at a time.
  • Add up to a cup of white wine.
  • In place of Montreal Steak Seasoning, add equal parts salt & pepper and garlic powder to taste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
  • For an earthier flavor, replace the beef broth with vegetable broth or add 1 tablespoon tomato paste at a time, to taste.
• Traditional Method of Making Sauce (The Béchamel Sauce Method):
  • Melt 1 tablespoon fat (usually butter, but can be oil or beef drippings) over low heat.
  • Add equal amount flour, whisking constantly.
  • Add 4 cups liquid (usually beef broth) slowly, while whisking.
  • Whisk occasionally until sauce thickens and bubbles around the edges.
  • Add sour cream.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Beef Dishes, Main Dish
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Calories: 953
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 811
• Fat: 42
• Saturated Fat: 20
• Carbohydrates: 110
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 34
• Cholesterol: 183