Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff cooks much faster in the Instant Pot. The beef is really tender with a creamy mushroom sauce. It’s perfect over noodles or mashed potatoes.
Beef Stroganoff is a great example of a technique that the Instant Pot excels in. I really love cooking tough cuts of meat in it because it’s cooked in a fraction of the time and just melts in your mouth. I don’t think anyone would argue that Beef Stroganoff is one of the most comforting meals.
The combination of hearty, tender chunks of beef, slices of mushrooms and a creamy, decadent sauce – so good. Not only is it delicious, but there’s even more to appreciate – this is a meal prepper’s dream. You can prep most of the ingredients in advance or even cook the whole thing early and just reheat.
This is a great option for holiday meals or simple family dinners. I often will make this for guests or special occasions because I can do all the work ahead of time and have more time at the last minute. This dinner is also great as a leftover, so make extra and get the night off from cooking the following day.
Ingredients:
- beef
- I used top sirloin. You can also use beef chuck, but you will need to adjust the time and cook the beef much longer to get tender results.
- oil (for sauteing)
- onion(s)
- garlic
- dry mushrooms (porcini mushrooms are my favorite)
- fresh mushrooms
- Use any fresh mushrooms that you like or a combination of different varieties of mushrooms. I am using the most basic white mushrooms that can be found in any grocery store.
- all purpose flour (for thickening the gravy/sauce)
- chicken or beef broth
- For the broth, you can certainly use store bought broth, or use homemade.
- Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe – Stovetop Recipe or Instant Pot Recipe
- Homemade Beef Broth Recipe
- heavy cream – perfect creaminess and sweetness in the sauce and mellows out the sour cream
- sour cream
- Stroganoff wouldn’t be Stroganoff without sour cream. It’s rich, tangy and adds a nice deep flavor to the sauce.
- fresh herbs (dill and parsley)
- salt, pepper, dry herbs and spices to taste
Mushrooms in Beef Stroganoff
Mushrooms play a big part in this recipe. They create such a delicious, hearty flavor that you can’t beat. I like using a combination of fresh and dry mushrooms. The dry mushrooms have a much more concentrated, rich flavor. You don’t need a lot of them, but they make a big impact. Porcini mushrooms are the ones I use most often. I also like to use the mushroom liquid in addition to the broth. You can omit them and just use fresh mushrooms, if you can’t find the dry mushrooms.
Fresh mushrooms give you the lovely slices of mushrooms with the beef as well as another dimension of mushroom flavor.
Saute the Fresh Mushrooms Separately
I found that adding the mushrooms right away and cooking them for a long period of time wasn’t great. The mushrooms didn’t have much flavor, were way too overcooked and fell apart.
Sauteing them separately on the stove while the rest of the ingredients cook in the Instant Pot is the best option. The mushrooms get so much more flavor when sauteed, they get brown and golden and retain that flavor and texture and add that freshness to the Beef Stroganoff later.
How to make Beef Stroganoff from scratch
Time needed: 1 hour
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Recipe
- Prep all the ingredients.
Chop the onions, slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic. Cut the beef into 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Pour boiling water on the dry mushrooms and set aside for 5-10 minutes until softened. Wash the mushrooms really well, then mince. (Save the mushroom liquid – strain first.) - Brown the beef.
Turn on the “Saute” function on the Instant Pot. Heat the oil, then add the beef in a single layer. Don’t crowd the beef. Saute until the beef is golden brown on both sides. Cook the beef in batches. Set the beef aside.
- Saute the onions.
Add more oil (or butter) to the Instant Pot, if needed. Put all the beef back in, then add the onions and garlic, season with salt, pepper and any dry herbs and seasonings that you like. Cook until the onions are soft.
- Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
Pour in the broth (and mushroom liquid, if using). Add the dry mushrooms. Close the lid, making sure the sealing ring is in place. Turn the sealing valve to “Sealing”, turn it on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
- Saute fresh mushrooms.
While the beef is cooking, saute the mushrooms in a large skillet (12 inches) until golden brown.
- Release the pressure manually or naturally.
For this beef stew, you can release the pressure both ways. If you want to release it naturally, let it rest for at least 5 minutes before carefully and slowly releasing the pressure. Check the beef for doneness.
- Thicken the sauce.
Whisk the flour in water until smooth, then pour in to the beef. Mix to combine. Turn on the “Saute” function and bring to a boil, letting it cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Stir in the sour cream, heavy cream, sauteed mushrooms and fresh herbs.
Mix everything together and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Helpful Tips
When cooked in the Instant Pot, I recommend top sirloin. It has a great flavor and is tender, so you don’t have to cook it too long. You can also use chuck, but it needs much longer to get tender. Instead of 20 minutes on High Pressure, cook it for 50-65 minutes.
I do not recommend beef round. It is way too tough and doesn’t have a lot of flavor.
I have only tested this recipe with all purpose flour, but you could also use cornstarch or other thickeners, but you’ll have to experiment with them.
The Instant Pot inner chamber is really small. You don’t have a lot of surface area, so you will need to cook the beef for a long time, in multiple batches. The surface will start to get scorched quickly, so you will also have to wash it multiple times in between batches.
I like to do one batch in the Instant Pot and at the same time use my large 12 inch skillet to cook more of the beef at the same time on the stove. This really helps to make it faster. Braising the beef in the Instant Pot is my main objective anyway. If I cooked the whole thing on the stove, the braising time would be about 2 hours, plus all the other time for prepping and sauteing.
Can you freeze Beef Stroganoff?
Yes, it reheats really well as a leftover and freezes great too. That is why I like to make a big batch.
Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
What to Serve With Beef Stroganoff:
Serve it over mashed potatoes, noodles/pasta or rice.
It’s wonderful served with a fresh garden salad and a Lemon Vinaigrette or a Crunchy Cabbage Cucumber Salad.
PrintInstant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff where the beef is really tender with a creamy mushroom sauce. It’s perfect over noodles or mashed potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Ingredients
3 lbs beef (top sirloin)
3–5 Tablespoon oil, divided, for sauteing
salt, ground black pepper to taste
1–2 onion(s), chopped
3–5 garlic cloves, minced
1 oz dry mushrooms, (porcini mushrooms) rehydrated in boiling water, then finely chopped
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour (mixed with 2–3 Tablespoons water until smooth)
2 cups chicken or beef broth
dry herbs and spices, to taste (use any combination of flavors that you enjoy)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley and dill)
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Cut the beef into 1 – 1 1/2″ cubes. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, season on both sides with salt and pepper. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, slice the fresh mushrooms.
- Pour boiling water over the dry mushrooms, set aside for 5-10 minutes for the mushrooms to rehydrate. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly, then mince the dry mushrooms. (You may wish to strain the mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or paper towel and use it in addition to the broth.)
- Turn on the “Saute” function on the Instant Pot, pour in enough oil to lightly cover the entire surface of the Instant Pot, heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the beef, putting it in a single layer and leaving room room on the sides. Don’t crowd the beef. Don’t turn the beef over until it is golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden on the other side as well. Cook the beef in multiple batches, setting the sauteed beef aside in a large bowl. (If the bottom of the Instant Pot starts getting too scorched, clean it between batches.) Add more oil, as needed between batches.
- When all the beef is browned, add the onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and dry herbs and spices. Saute until the onions are starting to get golden and are tender.
- Pour in the broth, add the dry mushrooms. Close the lid of the Instant Pot (making sure the sealing ring is in place). Turn the sealing valve to “Sealing” and turn it on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, on the stovetop, saute the fresh mushrooms. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet (since we are making a lot of mushrooms, I recommend using a 12″ skillet), add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown.
- When the Instant Pot turns off, you can release the pressure manually, just make sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes, then very slowly and carefully release the pressure. You can also let the pressure release manually.
- Whisk together the all purpose flour with water until smooth. Open the Instant Pot lid, check the beef to make sure it is as tender as you like. You can cook it longer it needed. Add the water/flour mixture, mixing it into the sauce. Turn on the “Saute” function and bring the sauce to a boil, mixing frequently and cook just until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, add the sour cream, heavy cream and fresh herbs.
- Serve hot. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe makes a big batch. Feel free to halve the recipe to make less, however, it reheats well as a leftover and also freezes well.
2 Comments
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imsen
This clever recipe looks and sounds delicious AND healthy. I love the idea of using just one pan for everything!Soooo delicious! Healthy comfort!
Julle
Hi Olga, can you please share the dry herbs you used here? Thanks!