Healthy Beef Stroganoff
When I was a recipe developer in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine my favorite challenge was making over classic comfort food recipes. Back in the early 2000s making a healthy beef stroganoff recipe was one of my first challenges. From there I went on to develop hundreds of lower calorie, veggie loaded versions of old classics both at the magazine and here on the pages of my blog.
Some fan favorites include Healthy Chicken Divan, Healthy Chicken Piccata, Healthy Chicken A La King, Healthy Chicken Paprika, Healthy Shepherd’s Pie and Healthy Beef Lasagna. What these share in common with today’s Beef Stroganoff are delicious flavors with lower calories, more veggies and less unhealthy fats. Read on to find out the six keys to making Beef Stroganoff healthy!
Table of contents
The 6 Keys To Making Beef Stroganoff Healthy
- Use Light Sour Cream: You will save 22 calories and 3.5 g of fat per serving from this swap alone!
- Choose Lean Beef: I tested this with a variety of beef cuts and our favorite was beef tenderloin, which also happens to be the leanest and lowest in calories.
- Add Extra Veggies: Bulk up the serving size with veggies and boost the nutrients!
- Skip the butter: I opt for cooking oil instead of butter for a great sear and to reduce saturated fats
- Use cornstarch: When you use cornstarch instead of butter and flour to thicken the sauce you will save 66 calories per serving! Plus using cornstarch instead of flour makes this recipe 100% gluten-free!
- Add big flavor: Reduce excess fat and (full-fat) sour cream and opt for boldly flavored ingredients like onion and thyme, and deglaze with a little sherry to boost flavors and make the stroganoff taste great!
Ingredients for Healthy Beef Stroganoff
- Steak: I tested this recipe six times and I liked it best with beef tenderloin for its tender buttery texture. Our second choice was and New York strip which had great flavor but was a little more chewy. Feel free to choose another tender piece of beef if you prefer another.
- Beef Broth: For the sauce. You could also use bullion or even chicken broth plus a glug or two of Worchestershire.
- Mushrooms: I like using white mushrooms for the best color. You can also use cremini or baby bellas but they will darken the sauce a little.
- Onion: You’ll need a large, diced onion; I used a sweet onion but if you just happen to have a yellow onion or white they’ll work too.
- Sour Cream: To reduce the calories in the dish, we opted for light sour cream but a smaller amount of regular sour cream will work just as well. You can also use full-fat or reduced-fat Greek Yogurt.
- Sherry: Helps enhance the dish’s flavors and helps to deglaze the pan.
- Cornstarch: Used to create a slurry to help provide a nice, thick sauce. Feel free to use potato starch if you are unable to consume cornstarch.
- Seasonings: Thyme, salt, pepper, parsley, dill
How To Make Healthier Beef Stroganoff
Step 1: Sear the Beef
Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the skillet is hot, add half of the beef in a single layer. Sear, turning until browned, only about 30 seconds on each side. Move to plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
Chef Katie’s Tip: The key to great texture is to wait until the skillet is screaming hot. Then sear the beef for just a flash. Literally, seconds! Sear it only to brown it but do not let it cook through or you’ll wind up with chewy beef stroganoff.
Step 2: Sauté Onions and Mushrooms
Reduce heat to medium and in the skillet, add the remaining oil. Add mushrooms, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are soft, and their juices evaporate, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
To the skillet, add the sherry. Cook, stirring until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in 1 cup of broth and increase the heat to high. Bring to a simmer, stirring often.
Step 4: Make the Cornstarch Slurry
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and the remaining broth. Drizzle into the simmering sauce, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and cook the mixture until it is thickened.
Step 5: Add the Seared Beef to the Mushroom Sauce
Return the beef and all juices to the skillet with the mushroom sauce and bring to a simmer. As soon as it simmers, remove immediately from the heat. (Do not overcook or the beef will be chewy.)
Step 6: Whisk in Sour Cream
Sir in the sour cream. Scoop servings over buttered egg noodles or rice and serve it garnished with dill or parsley.
What Goes With Beef Stroganoff?
- Serve beef stroganoff with egg noodles, whole wheat pasta, veggie spirals or cauliflower rice
- Pair with our roast garlic mashed potatoes, steamed potatoes with butter and herbs, mashed red skinned potatoes or go lighter with low carb mashed cauliflower.
- Our simple garlic herb cooked Baby Carrots or cooked peas are two comfort food veggie dishes to pair with this healthified classic.
- Our steamed cauliflower with herbs, sauteed green beans or roasted green beans are three other ideas that come to mind.
Leftovers and Make Ahead
- Storage: Store any leftover healthy beef stroganoff in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers on the stove, over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture is steaming hot and just beginning to bubble along the edges. Do not overheat or bring to a boil or the beef will be rubbery and dried out.
- Freezing: Leftover beef stroganoff can be stored in the freezer, once it’s been completely cooled, for up to 3 months.
Substitutions and Variations To Try
- Greek Yogurt: I tested this with full-fat and reduced fat Greek yogurt and they both worked; however, they have a grainy appearance as if the dairy broke.
- Regular sour cream: You can use regular sour cream. You will need slightly less- try with ½ cup and you will get about the same creaminess, and it will have the same calories as light sour cream.
- Other cuts of beef: Depending on availability and budget you can choose another cut of beef. For example, my EatingWell stroganoff used flank steak. Sirloin would be another good option.
More Healthy Comfort Food with Beef
If you love this healthier beef stroganoff then you might also like these other healthy beef comfort food dishes
Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter for healthy recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Healthy Beef Stroganoff
Ready in just 35 minutes, this delicious healthy Beef Stroganoff is creamy and flavorful. You would never guess it is lower in calories! We've used six signature techniques for making this comfort food classic healthier!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil divided
- 1 lb beef tenderloin or New York strip steak sliced into bite sized pieces
- 1 8-oz pkg white or Baby Bella mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
- 1½ cups reduced-sodium beef broth divided
- 5 tsp corn starch
- ¾ cup light sour cream
- chopped fresh dill, parsley or chives for garnish optional
Instructions
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Swirl 1 tablespoon oil inside the bottom of a large skillet and over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add about half of the beef in a single layer. Working quickly, sear the beef until just browned, about 30 seconds. Turn with tongs and sear second side. [NOTE: It will continue cooking in a later step, so it is okay if it is still pink in spots. Do not overcook.] Transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, reducing heat if necessary if the skillet is smoking excessively.
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Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add mushrooms, onion, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring and scraping up any fond from the pan, until the mushrooms are softened and release their juices, and the juices evaporate, 6 to 8 minutes.
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Add sherry, and cook, stirring until the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup broth, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
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Stir cornstarch and the remaining ½ cup broth in a small bowl. Drizzle into the simmering sauce, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
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Add the beef and any accumulated juices to the mushroom sauce and return to a simmer. As soon as it simmers, immediately remove from the heat so the beef does not overcook and get chewy.
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Whisk in sour cream and serve garnished with dill.
Recipe Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover healthy beef stroganoff in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers on the stove, over medium heat, stirring often. Heat until it just starts to bubble and is warmed through. Do not boil or overcook or the beef will get chewy and dried out.
- Freezing: Leftover beef stroganoff can be stored in the freezer, once it’s been completely cooled, for up to 3 months.
This looks wonderful! But I’ll stick with regular sour cream.
Thanks.