There’s a certain kind of satisfaction that comes from a bowl of something truly comforting, especially as the nights draw in. For me, that ultimate comforting meal is a rich, savoury bowl of creamy beef stroganoff with egg noodles. It’s a dish with Russian roots, a testament to how simple ingredients can come together to create something profoundly delicious. This isn’t just about the tender strips of beef or the earthy mushrooms; it’s about the velvety sauce that coats every single strand of pasta, a sauce balanced with a gentle tang from sour cream and a whisper of mustard.

This particular stroganoff recipe has a special place in my kitchen. I’ve refined it over the years, tweaking the balance of flavours until it reached what my family considers perfection. I make this at least once a week – it’s become a family favourite, requested by everyone from my youngest nephew to my dad. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug in a bowl, ideal for a quiet weeknight when you need something nourishing and restorative, yet special enough for a relaxed weekend dinner with friends. We’re going to walk through how to get that beef meltingly tender and the sauce impossibly creamy without any fuss.

Recipe Overview

This recipe for Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles focuses on building deep, savoury flavours at every stage. We start by searing the beef to create a gorgeous brown crust, then we build the sauce in the same pan to capture all those delicious caramelised bits. The result is a deeply flavourful, mushroom-studded sauce with a luxurious, creamy texture that clings beautifully to the pasta. During testing, I found that letting the sauce simmer for just 10 minutes before adding the sour cream makes a huge difference in deepening the flavour.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles Recipe

• Rich, Layered Flavour: The combination of savoury beef stock, earthy chestnut mushrooms, sweet paprika, and the tangy finish of sour cream and Dijon mustard creates a truly balanced and satisfying sauce.
• Ready in About 40 Minutes: This dish feels indulgent and complex, but it comes together surprisingly quickly, making it a brilliant option for a weeknight dinner that feels a bit special.
• A Forgiving Recipe: You can easily swap the cut of beef for what you have. While I prefer sirloin, rump steak works well, and even bavette can be used if you slice it thinly against the grain.
• Works Beautifully for a Cosy Night In: It’s the kind of meal that’s made for a chilly evening, served in big bowls while you relax on the sofa. It always gets compliments when we have guests over for a casual meal.
• Family Tested and Approved: This is one of those rare dishes that my whole family agrees on. The creamy sauce and tender beef are always a hit, and it feels much more special than our usual Easy Ground Beef Tacos Recipe For Family Dinner.

Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 35 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the best results, I recommend using full-fat sour cream; the lower-fat versions have a tendency to split when heated. It makes all the difference to the final texture of the sauce. I also find that Chestnut mushrooms offer a deeper, more robust flavour than standard white button mushrooms.

• 500g sirloin or rump steak, fat trimmed, sliced into 5cm x 1cm strips
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 150ml dry white wine or brandy (optional, but recommended)
• 400ml good-quality beef stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 150g full-fat soured cream, at room temperature
• 300g dried egg noodles
• A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marcus’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to use cooking steak for this recipe. A tender cut like sirloin or rump needs only a very quick sear, which keeps it succulent. Tougher cuts would need long, slow cooking to become tender.

How to Make Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles

The process for this stroganoff recipe is straightforward. The key is to work in stages, browning the meat properly and then building the sauce layer by layer in the same pan to capture every bit of flavour.

1. Sear the Beef: Pat the beef strips dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or shallow casserole dish over a high heat. Once shimmering, add the beef in a single layer (work in two batches if needed to avoid overcrowding). Sear for 1-2 minutes per side until beautifully browned. What works best for me is using tongs to turn each piece, ensuring a good crust all over. Remove the beef from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are starting to brown.
3. Build the Sauce Base: Add the minced garlic and sweet paprika to the pan and cook for one minute more until fragrant. Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir continuously for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This will form a paste that thickens our sauce.
4. Deglaze and Simmer: If using, pour in the white wine or brandy to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon—this is where so much flavour is hiding! Let the alcohol bubble away and reduce by about half. Gradually pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly to create a smooth sauce.
5. Thicken the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until it has thickened slightly. While the sauce is simmering, it’s a good time to get your noodles on.
6. Cook the Egg Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions, usually around 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, drain well.
7. Finish with Cream: Turn the heat for the sauce down to its lowest setting. In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard into the room-temperature soured cream. Take a couple of tablespoons of the hot sauce from the pan and stir it into the soured cream mixture to temper it. This prevents it from curdling. Pour the tempered cream mixture into the pan and stir gently until fully incorporated. Do not let the sauce boil once the cream has been added.
8. Combine and Serve: Return the seared beef and any of its resting juices to the pan. Stir to combine and allow the beef to warm through for a minute or two. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the creamy beef stroganoff spooned over the hot egg noodles, garnished generously with fresh parsley.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control is Key: The most crucial step for a silky sauce is adding the soured cream off the heat or on the lowest possible setting. Boiling soured cream will cause it to split and become grainy. Bringing it to room temperature and tempering it first provides extra insurance.
• The Secret Step: Deglazing: Don’t skip the deglazing step, even if you don’t use alcohol (you can use a splash more stock). As explained by experts at Serious Eats, scraping up the ‘fond’ (the browned bits on the bottom of the pan) is fundamental for a sauce with deep, complex flavour.
• Make-Ahead Prep: You can slice the beef, chop the onion, and slice the mushrooms a day ahead and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. This makes assembly on the day much faster.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over a low heat, adding a splash of milk or stock to loosen the sauce if needed. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as it can make the sauce split.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large pot for boiling the noodles
• Colander
• Large, heavy-based frying pan or shallow casserole dish
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon or spatula

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the pan: When searing the beef, if you put too much in the pan at once, the temperature will drop and the meat will steam instead of browning. This means no delicious crust and less flavour. Always work in batches.
• Adding Cold Soured Cream: Tipping cold soured cream straight from the fridge into a hot sauce is a recipe for disaster. The shock in temperature will likely cause it to curdle. Always let it come to room temperature first.
• Boiling the Final Sauce: Once the soured cream is in, the sauce should never come back to a boil. Just warm it through gently before serving to maintain that luscious, creamy texture.

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the classic recipe, feel free to get creative. This dish is wonderfully adaptable.

• A Touch of Spice: Add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika along with the sweet paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a gentle, smoky heat.
• Mushroom Stroganoff (Vegetarian): Omit the beef and double the quantity of mushrooms. Use a mix of chestnut, shiitake, and portobello for a really deep, ‘meaty’ flavour, and swap the beef stock for a rich vegetable stock.
• Different Protein: This sauce works beautifully with other proteins. Try it with thinly sliced chicken breast, pork tenderloin strips, or even turkey fillets. Just adjust the searing time accordingly. It’s almost as versatile as our Creamy Chicken And Rice Recipe One Pot Meal.

What to Serve With Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles

While this is a complete meal in itself, a few simple sides can elevate it further.

• Steamed Green Beans: A simple side of steamed or blanched green beans with a knob of butter adds a lovely freshness and a bit of crunch that cuts through the richness of the sauce.
• Crusty Bread: A slice of warm, crusty bread is essential for mopping up every last drop of that incredible stroganoff sauce from the bowl.
• Wine Pairing: A light-bodied red wine like a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais works wonderfully, as its bright acidity complements the creamy sauce without overpowering the delicate beef flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Creamy Beef Stroganoff Egg Noodles

Tender strips of seared beef and sautéed mushrooms in a rich, creamy paprika-spiced sauce, served over classic egg noodles. A comforting and flavourful main course perfect for any night of the week.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 760

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 500 g sirloin or rump steak fat trimmed, sliced into 5cm x 1cm strips
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25 g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 150 ml dry white wine or brandy optional, but recommended
• 400 ml good-quality beef stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 150 g full-fat soured cream at room temperature
• 300 g dried egg noodles
• A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

 

1. Sear the Beef: Pat the beef strips dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or shallow casserole dish over a high heat. Once shimmering, add the beef in a single layer (work in two batches if needed to avoid overcrowding). Sear for 1-2 minutes per side until beautifully browned. What works best for me is using tongs to turn each piece, ensuring a good crust all over. Remove the beef from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are starting to brown.
3. Build the Sauce Base: Add the minced garlic and sweet paprika to the pan and cook for one minute more until fragrant. Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir continuously for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This will form a paste that thickens our sauce.
4. Deglaze and Simmer: If using, pour in the white wine or brandy to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon—this is where so much flavour is hiding! Let the alcohol bubble away and reduce by about half. Gradually pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly to create a smooth sauce.
5. Thicken the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until it has thickened slightly. While the sauce is simmering, it's a good time to get your noodles on.
6. Cook the Egg Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions, usually around 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, drain well.
7. Finish with Cream: Turn the heat for the sauce down to its lowest setting. In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard into the room-temperature soured cream. Take a couple of tablespoons of the hot sauce from the pan and stir it into the soured cream mixture to temper it. This prevents it from curdling. Pour the tempered cream mixture into the pan and stir gently until fully incorporated. Do not let the sauce boil once the cream has been added.
8. Combine and Serve: Return the seared beef and any of its resting juices to the pan. Stir to combine and allow the beef to warm through for a minute or two. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the creamy beef stroganoff spooned over the hot egg noodles, garnished generously with fresh parsley.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of beef stock if the sauce is too thick.

I really hope you give this Creamy Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles a go. It’s a recipe that has brought so much warmth and happiness to my family table, and I’m sure it will do the same for yours. It’s a true expression of how a few good ingredients, treated with a bit of care, can result in something truly special. Let me know how you get on in the comments below – I’d love to hear about it!
– Marcus