I made this instant pot beef stroganoff at midnight, that’s how easy it is.
Since meeting Dave and running a pop-up restaurant and then a restaurant, weekends have been a funny thing for me. In that they don’t exist.
At least not on Friday and Saturday. Everyone is working for the weekend but restaurants are working for Sunday and Monday.
Although I’m no longer at our restaurant Loka in the evenings, Dave works the longest hours on the weekends so I’m usually working too.
While most of the world is out dining and drinking, I’m usually at the library writing (tonight was updating where to eat in Playa del Carmen) then running errands or do laundry.
Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Peruvian Chicken
Braised Brisket
Chicken Curry
Maple Glazed Pork Loin
Instant Pot Whole Turkey
I know you’re thinking it’s sad to be doing laundry on a Saturday night.
But on the flip side when everyone else is dreading going back to work on Monday I take the day off.
I grocery shop late on Friday or Saturday night so that we’ll have food for our weekend – Sunday and Monday.
Tonight I picked up stewing beef and wasn’t sure what to do but at midnight I had inspiration to make Dave something hearty when he got home.
It was midnight so it needed to be somewhat quick – Instant Pot beef stroganoff.
An Easy Instant Pot Recipe
Bacon is Magic is not going to become an Instant Pot recipe site but I really like using this pressure cooker.
However, I’m so frustrated with Instant Pot recipes and the Instant Pot Facebook community.
Most people are using pressure cookers like slow cookers and cooking meat far too long.
I’m not sure when “fall off the bone” or “melt in your mouth” meat became some popular.
Yes meat should be tender, but it should not have the texture of oatmeal.
I was shocked by some of the reactions when I shared my recipe for Instant Pot balsamic pork tenderloin with the Instant Pot Facebook community.
So many people were concerned 7 minutes was not long enough for pork tenderloin – which is a meat so lean, really you could just cook it on its own.
You don’t need a pressure cooker.
But this recipe is a classic and I did love how I could whip up Instant Pot beef stroganoff at midnight with Stephen Colbert running in the background.
It doesn’t require a lot of work or time.
It also uses real ingredients.
I don’t think you need to use garlic powder or canned mushroom soup when real garlic and mushrooms are SO much better.
History of Beef Stroganoff
I really struggled with identifying the country for beef stroganoff.
My immediate thought was to label this as a recipe from the United States.
Beef stroganoff has somewhat of a murky history much like spaghetti bolognese, which does not exist in Italy.
Americans loved the dish so much it inspired the American classic spaghetti bolognese.
However, bolognese is never served with spaghetti in Italy
In this case the classic beef stroganoff isn’t served with pasta, or use mushrooms and onions.
Beef Stroganov
Beef stroganov (Stroganoff in French) is a 19th century Russian dish with sauteed beef, sour cream and mustard.
It did not appear in North America until the 1950s and 60s. Americans adapted the recipe and served beef stroganoff on egg noodles.
Much like bolognese, beef stroganoff became popular after the war.
Veterans returned and had a new sense of worldly cuisine and wanted to eat it at home.
But many people think the dish was an adaptation anyway. A French chef created it for Count Pavel Stroganov.
The story is that he adapted the classic French beef fricassee by adding sour cream to please his Russian palate.
This Instant Pot beef stroganoff recipe is the Americanized version with mushrooms, onions and garlic.
I’ve seen many recipes that use convenience food like canned mushrooms soup or French onion soup mix, but you don’t need these sodium laden ingredients.
If you have great beef the recipe will shine.
Some people also use Worcestershire sauce, which Dave says is equally junkie and always substitutes sherry vinegar as vinegar often does the job of salt in a recipe and is much healthier.
Julia Child’s reference bible, Larousse Gastronomique, uses tomato paste, which I also did not have.
But I would have added a tablespoon also been a great addition to add flavour.
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Add a diced dill pickle in at the end. It seems strange but in Sweden they insist that a pickle is part of the recipe. Of course – more acid!
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
An easy beef stroganoff recipe with whole ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 lbs stewing beef cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 whole onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tbsp tomato paste optional
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard or good dijon
- 1 cup sour cream full fat, 14%
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- pasta of your choice
- 1 baby dill pickle, minced
- 1 package egg noodles
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper and toss with all purpose flour to lightly coat.
- Turn Instant Pot on saute and heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil until it shimmers. Brown beef on all sides, you may have to do this in batches so you don't crowd the pot. Ensure it is well browned, it should take 8 minutes. Set aside on a baking sheet so you don't crowd the beef as it will steam while it rests and undo all the beautiful browning work you just did.
- Add butter to pot and melt. Add mushrooms and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute four minutes. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil until it shimmers. Add diced onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook until you smell garlic - about 30 seconds.
- Add beef broth and with a spatula or wooden spoon scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Return beef to pot. Set on manual for 20 minutes with an NPR for 10 minutes. While on NPR cook your pasta according to instructions.
- Open lid and add mustard and fold in mushrooms, sour cream, sherry vinegar and minced dill pickle just before serving. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 494mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 9gNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although BaconisMagic.ca attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Pin it for Later: Easy Beef Stroganov
When do you add the mushrooms back in?
Add them with the sour cream at the end.
I enjoyed it but it was very labor intensive compared to other Instant Pot meals I’ve made.
I agree, there were a lot of steps involved. The flavor was great but the sauce was very thin. I would have liked it to thicken a bit. But again, the flavor was great.
Are you using full fat sour cream for this, that would help make it a thicker sauce.
I guess Americans serve beef stroganoff on egg noodles because the recipe arrived in the U.S. by way of China. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, loyalists to the Tzar fled eastwards and emigrated to cities like Shanghai (my late grandmother who grew up there in the 1930s and 40s remembers a large community of Russians). It’s fascinating to think that this dish traveled to North America the “long way round”, via Asia instead of Europe.
Very cool I didn’t see that fact, do you mind if I add it to the post and credit you?
Sure thing, I don’t mind at all. I grew up eating beef stroganoff at restaurants in Hong Kong – it got there in the 1950s via both Chinese and Russian refugees/émigrés from Shanghai and the dish soon become a staple of menus in Western restaurants. The Hong Kong version differs from American beef stroganoff in that it’s usually served with rice, has a redder tint (I’m guessing more liberal use of tomato paste and paprika), and sometimes comes with less sour cream.
This looks so good. I’m adding to my meal plan for next week!
I am making this tonight for dinner! My husband loves stroganoff, and I love cooking, and just got my IP. I have mostly made rice and potatoes (so perfect!) But want some good recipes that taste like they should. This one looks very promising, and not at all labor intensive. Its still a very fast recipe to prepare and get in the pot, esp since you can just set it and forget it. No babysitting. 🙂 Thanks. I will let you know how it comes out.
Appreciate your comment regarding overcooking in the IP. My #2 reason (#1 being the speed) for having the IP is that you can cook meat dishes without it always being shredded, as with a slow cooker.
So delighted by the addition of the dill pickle! While I often add minced fresh full as garnish, this was an unexpected ingredient. Wonderful recipe and true to its far reaching roots. Thanks much for sharing!
Do you think subbing plain greek yogurt for the sour cream would work in this recipe?
I’d definitely try it, it has a similar tangy flavour as sour cream. You just need to make sure you aren’t using super low fat yogurt as it could split in the heat.
If it works let me know!
This was incredible!! We made it to a “T” using Sherry Vinegar and the Dill pickle. So amazing!!
Great stroganoff recipe!
I’m now gonna try to make it before my GF gets home (I’m in the dog house for forgetting our anniversary!!!) Hopefully this recipe will do the trick.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for a stroganoff recipe that is authentic and doesn’t include powdered soup or gravy mix!
Hi, I am making this for dinner and didnt see where the tomato paste would be added. I am leaving it out ttoday since I already have the pressure setting on.
Thanks for taking the time to ask. I realized it was not included with the garlic. I’ve revised the recipe and I’d love to hear what you thought about it.
I was gung-ho about getting one of the pots to save time making meals [I’m a farmer of heritage pigs and organic vegetables]. But recently I seen a lady severely burned face, arm and chest when the pressure released she opened lid and soup exploded all over her, she was hospitalized. Then a whole bunch of people piped up with similar burns, now I’m afraid to try. Have you or anyone else had similar experiences? THANKS
O. M. G. Heritage pigs and organic vegetables? Can we become best friends?
Have you heard these stories with instant pots of general pressure cookers?
I have heard Horrible stories with pressure cookers but I taught my mother, who hates to cook, how to use an instant Pot and my only safety rule was to never manual release with your hand over the spout as it would indeed cause a steam burn but I’ve never heard the instant pot ever exploding on someone. If anything I think these electric pressure cookers are safer.
You needn’t worry about these newer devices exploding. The newer ‘Multi-Cooker’ design usually employs a lid that is pretty much impossible to puncture, and pressure changes along with temperature are controlled precisely by the electronics. The Instant Pot really is amazing, as it is the product of a Canadian Technologist who (like many others) lost their job at Nortel and did a startup based on their idea. The result is a device that is both sturdy and generally foolproof. My biggest challenge with it is getting used to the short times for pressure cooking (it also works as a crock pot, yoghurt maker and steamer).
The only safety issue is, as others have noted, the manual release of steam (which isn’t necessary unless you are impatient and don’t want to wait while the automatic pressure release takes place over 20-30 minutes or so). Still, I’ve never gotten burnt by doing this, and you learn quickly where the plume of hot steam is spouting when you press against the release valve.
It’s funny how these dishes not only make their way around the globe but continue to evolve over time. My mother made a ‘Hamburger Stroganoff’ dish, which was essentially ground beef, onions, mushrooms and a brown sauce that included sour cream. The ground beef cooked much faster so you could do the whole thing in a skillet, Once again, it was served over egg noodles, with a bit of chopped parsley sprinkled over it (typical for the 1960s). Not a bad budget dish that was very kid friendly.
Such a classic 80s. I remember that as well.
When do you add the flour? How many egg noodles should I cook? I didn’t see these in the instructions.
Flour is in the first step “Season beef with salt and pepper and toss with all purpose flour to lightly coat.”
As for the egg noodles it really depends on how much your family eats. It’s generally one cup of dried egg noodles per person but some people like to eat a lot of pasta.
How could I thicken the sauce up just a little?
Before you add mushrooms. Remove the beef from the instant pot. In a bowl add 1 tablespoon of corn starch to 1/4 cup of water and stir it to mix it completely – the corn starch needs to be completely diluted in the water. Then add that to the sauce and bring to a boil in the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. When it cools it will begin to thicken. Then continue with step 7. Also using full fat sour cream helps.
I too am finding so many recipes for the IP that overcook things. I just got mine as a gift and made a chicken and rice dish that came out mush:(
I plan on trying this recipe as well as your pork tenderloin.
Thanks and keep em coming!