Why is my stroganoff sauce thin?

It depends on the amount of cornstarch. Use the full 2 tablespoons for more body, then cook the slurry for a minute or two after it goes into the skillet. For a thinner sauce, use 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Mix it into the cooking liquid until dissolved before returning it to the skillet.

Can I use Neufchatel?

Yes, use Neufchatel in the same amount as the cream cheese, and let it melt completely into the sauce.

What beef cuts can I use?

I'd use strip steak or boneless ribeye if top sirloin isn't available. Both are tender cuts for the shorter simmer, but they cost more than sirloin. That's why I reach for sirloin first.

How long do the mushrooms cook?

Add the sliced cremini mushrooms after the sauce has thickened, then cook them for about 10 minutes. They should be tender when the dairy goes in, and adding them late keeps their slices distinct in the sauce.

When should I start the rice?

Prepare rice or egg noodles about 20 minutes before you plan to serve. They'll line up with the final skillet step.

Beef Stroganoff with Sirloin and Cremini Mushrooms

By Helen ParkOct 12, 2026

Prep

20 min

Cook

60 min

Total

80 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

Quick-browned sirloin anchors this beef stroganoff, a skillet dinner where the meat turns fork-tender as it simmers in its own sauce. The browned drippings stay in the pan for wine and broth, and they give the mushroom gravy a deep beef flavor. I like it when the sauce does most of the work.

I use top sirloin cut into narrow strips, then halve those strips lengthwise to make pieces about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long each. I brown it over medium-high heat in batches with salt and black pepper as it cooks, and I use my largest skillet even when the first batch looks small (the strips need the room). A crowded skillet turns the beef pale and steamy.

I bring the sauce to a low boil, cover the skillet, turn the heat low, and simmer until the beef yields easily to a fork before moving on. I dissolve the cornstarch in some cooking liquid before stirring it into the pan, or it won't blend smoothly, and cook until the sauce thickens. Cremini mushrooms go in near the end, and the cream cheese and sour cream melt through afterward.

Rice is my usual choice, though egg noodles work too. Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes are also in the running. Start the rice or noodles about 20 minutes before serving, and finish the skillet with fresh chives once the beef and sauce are ready to eat. I choose green beans on nights when I want a plain vegetable beside the sauce. Roasted asparagus also works here.

Why you'll love this recipe

Browning the sirloin in batches leaves browned bits in the skillet for a sauce with deeper beef flavor.
The covered low simmer gives top sirloin time to become fork-tender without needing a costly cut.
A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce after it has dissolved in the cooking liquid.
Cremini mushrooms simmer only near the end, so they become tender without disappearing into the gravy.
Cream cheese and sour cream melt into the pan for a sauce that clings to the beef.
Fresh chives add a clean onion note over the finished skillet.

Instructions

Trim excess fat from the sirloin, slice it thinly, then cut each slice in half lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long.

Melt the butter with the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Brown the beef quickly in batches, seasoning each batch with salt and black pepper as it cooks.

Transfer each browned batch of beef to a dish.

Add the onion and garlic to the beef drippings and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.

Add the red wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the beef broth, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, then cook and stir for another minute.

Return the beef strips to the skillet and combine them with the sauce.

Bring the mixture to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef is fork tender.

Transfer about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid to a small bowl, add the cornstarch, and mix until dissolved.

Pour the cornstarch slurry into the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes as the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream, then cook for another 5 minutes or until the cream cheese has completely melted into the sauce.

Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve over rice.

FAQ

If the beef still resists a fork, leave it covered over low heat until it yields easily, and remember that sirloin changes a lot during the 45 minutes to 1 hour of simmering in this recipe. A hard boil can tighten the strips, so bring the pan only to a low boil before lowering the heat. Cut the meat into the stated narrow pieces, since thick chunks take longer to soften than the strips called for here.

Beef Stroganoff with Sirloin and Cremini Mushrooms

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Dinner Beef Stovetop

Beef Stroganoff with Sirloin and Cremini Mushrooms

Name: Beef Stroganoff with Sirloin and Cremini Mushrooms
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds boneless top sirloin (trimmed of excess fat and thinly sliced); 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus additional to taste); freshly ground black pepper (to taste, plus additional as needed); 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 small onion (diced, about 1 cup); 1 tablespoon garlic (minced); 1/2 cup full-bodied red wine; 2 cups low-sodium beef broth; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 12 medium cremini mushrooms (sliced, about 2 cups); 1/3 cup cream cheese (or Neufchatel, softened); 1/3 cup sour cream (light sour cream can be used); 2 tablespoons cornstarch (use 1 tablespoon for a thinner sauce); 2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped); long grain white rice or egg noodles (prepared according to package directions)

By Helen ParkOct 12, 2026

Prep

20 min

Cook

60 min

Total

80 min

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Browning the sirloin in batches leaves browned bits in the skillet for a sauce with deeper beef flavor.
The covered low simmer gives top sirloin time to become fork-tender without needing a costly cut.
A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce after it has dissolved in the cooking liquid.
Cremini mushrooms simmer only near the end, so they become tender without disappearing into the gravy.
Cream cheese and sour cream melt into the pan for a sauce that clings to the beef.
Fresh chives add a clean onion note over the finished skillet.

Ingredients

Servings8

•3 pounds boneless top sirloin (trimmed of excess fat and thinly sliced)
•1 ½ teaspoons salt (plus additional to taste)
•freshly ground black pepper (to taste, plus additional as needed)
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 small onion (diced, about 1 cup)
•1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
•½ cup full-bodied red wine
•2 cups low-sodium beef broth
•1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
•2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
•12 medium cremini mushrooms (sliced, about 2 cups)
•⅓ cup cream cheese (or Neufchatel, softened)
•⅓ cup sour cream (light sour cream can be used)
•2 tablespoons cornstarch (use 1 tablespoon for a thinner sauce)
•2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped)
•long grain white rice or egg noodles (prepared according to package directions)

Instructions

1
Trim excess fat from the sirloin, slice it thinly, then cut each slice in half lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long.
2
Melt the butter with the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3
Brown the beef quickly in batches, seasoning each batch with salt and black pepper as it cooks.
4
Transfer each browned batch of beef to a dish.
5
Add the onion and garlic to the beef drippings and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.
6
Add the red wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
7
Stir in the beef broth, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, then cook and stir for another minute.
8
Return the beef strips to the skillet and combine them with the sauce.
9
Bring the mixture to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef is fork tender.
10
Transfer about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid to a small bowl, add the cornstarch, and mix until dissolved.
11
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes as the sauce thickens slightly.
12
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
13
Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream, then cook for another 5 minutes or until the cream cheese has completely melted into the sauce.
14
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
15
Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve over rice.