One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff: 8 Amazing Bites

When the week is just *beating* you down and you crave that hug-in-a-bowl feeling, only true comfort food will do, right? But who has time for a mountain of dishes afterward? That’s why I became obsessed with streamlining classics. This One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff is my go-to rescue meal because it tastes like you slaved away for hours, but seriously, everything happens in one heavy pan. Cleanup? A dream!

I still remember the first time I made a one-pot dish for my friends. It was a chilly evening, and I wanted to create something comforting without spending hours in the kitchen. I pulled together ground beef, mushrooms, and the last of my pantry staples. As the dish simmered, the smells enveloped my tiny apartment, transforming it into a warm haven. When I served the stroganoff, everyone gathered around the table, sharing stories and laughter, savoring each creamy bite. That night, I realized that good food doesn’t have to be complicated; it just needs to bring people together. This rich, beefy, incredible dinner proves that you can have flavor without the fuss. You should definitely check out my guide on making dinner ideas foolproof if you’re looking for more easy wins!

Why This One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff Shines

Honestly, nobody has time for soaking pans full of pasta and sauce after a long day. That’s the beauty here! You get that classic, nostalgic taste you expect from great comfort food dinners, but with almost zero cleanup.

It’s all about that payoff, isn’t it? You want maximum flavor for minimum effort. This One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff delivers:

• It’s lightning fast—we are talking under 30 minutes total.
• The beef browns perfectly right alongside the mushrooms.
• The final, rich creamy mushroom sauce glazes everything beautifully.

If you are looking for more quick wins in the kitchen, take a peek at my favorite 5 ingredient dinner ideas. This stroganoff proves that speed doesn’t sacrifice flavor. Trust me, you’ll want to check out these dinner ideas in 20 minutes too for other busy nights!

Gathering Ingredients for Your One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Okay, getting the right players on the field is half the battle for any great meal, even when it’s a simple one-pot wonder. For this One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff, we keep things straightforward, but the quality really sings through. You’re going to need a full pound of lean ground beef—don’t skimp here; it’s the star!

We also load up on aromatics: one medium onion, diced nice and small, and two cloves of garlic, minced finely. You absolutely must have a full pound of mushrooms, sliced thinly so they release their flavor into that amazing sauce. Remember, for that truly rich creamy mushroom sauce feeling, we use a cup of beef broth and a cup of heavy whipping cream. Those two bring the richness!

Essential Components for One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Here’s the full shopping list, folks. Make sure your olive oil measures out to exactly one tablespoon so your beef browns instead of steaming. You’ll want to grab one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for that signature tang that brings the classic beef stroganoff recipe flavor profile to life. Finally, don’t forget the all-purpose flour—just two tablespoons—that’s our secret binder to thicken everything up perfectly right in the pan.

Also, make sure you have your sour cream ready, about 1/3 cup, but this gets added right at the very end, off the heat! We finish with salt and pepper, adjusting to taste because beef broth can sometimes be salty already. Don’t skip tasting before serving!

Equipment Needed for This One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

When you’re making a one-pot wonder, the right vessel is everything! You absolutely must have a heavy, deep pan—I mean it. Don’t try this in a flimsy skillet, please! A deep pan is essential because when we add the broth and cream, we need plenty of room so the mixture can simmer happily without boiling over onto your stovetop.

Using a sturdy, deep pot, like a Dutch oven or a nice, heavy sauté pan, helps distribute that heat evenly. That’s how we get that beautiful, gentle simmer needed to develop the rich flavor in our One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff and keep the sauce smooth. Check out my tips on essential cooking temps and equipment if you want to make sure your deep pan is ready for action!

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Perfect One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

This is where the magic happens, and I promise you, it comes together faster than ordering takeout! Since we’re keeping this streamlined, we are not messing around with washing dishes between steps. Every bit of flavor stays right where it belongs—in that heavy pan. This entire process for the classic beef stroganoff recipe should take you about 20 minutes of active cooking time.

Browning the Beef and Aromatics

First things first: get that heavy pan preheated over medium-high heat. Add your tablespoon of olive oil. When it shimmers, toss in the pound of ground beef. Use a wooden spoon or spatula and work quickly to break that meat up into teeny, tiny pieces. We need it browned evenly, not chunky! Once the beef is no longer pink, toss in your diced onion and minced garlic. Let those cook down for just a few minutes until the onion turns soft and smells divine.

Building the Creamy Mushroom Sauce Base

Now, bring in those sliced mushrooms! Let them hang out with the beef mixture for about five minutes until they shrink down a bit. Next, sprinkle on those two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. You need to stir this really well until every bit of meat and mushroom is coated. Don’t panic if it looks a little pasty—that flour is what’s going to give us that beautiful, thick texture! After that little mix, slowly pour in the cup of beef broth and the cup of heavy whipping cream. Whisk it gently as you pour to get rid of any flour lumps you might have missed. Don’t forget to add your Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper now! If you want to see another great take on this dish, Natasha’s recipe is wonderful, check out their version for comparison.

Finishing the One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Bring that concoction up to a simmer over medium heat, letting it bubble gently for about five minutes. This is where everything marries. Then, here’s the crucial part that makes or breaks your sauce: take the entire pan *off* the heat source. Seriously, kill the burner! Now, stir in your sour cream until it melts right into the sauce, turning it unbelievably creamy and luxurious. If you add the sour cream while it’s boiling, you risk getting a grainy sauce, and we don’t want that! Taste it; adjust salt if you need to. That’s it! You’re done with the cooking part of your One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff. For more streamlined cooking methods, you can always look at my advice on making one pot pasta options!

Tips for Success with One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Even though this is super easy, a couple of little tricks make the difference between good and absolutely incredible. My biggest piece of advice centers around that creamy mushroom sauce: temperature control is everything! Seriously, when you add the sour cream, make sure the pan is completely off the burner. If it’s too hot, that sour cream splits, and suddenly your gorgeous sauce looks a little… curdled. We don’t want that textural drama!

Also, when you are browning the beef, take the time to break it up thoroughly while it cooks. It results in smaller meat crumbles that mix better with the sauce later on. My personal trick? I always add just a tiny splash more Worcestershire sauce than the recipe calls for, just a quick dash right before the end. It really deepens that savory flavor profile.

If you’re keen on making sure your beef comes out perfectly browned and juicy—and not just steamed—you might want to look into some fantastic methods for getting that sear, check out my guide on crispy outside, juicy inside tips!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for One Pot Pasta

One of the best things about keeping a recipe simple is how easy it is to swap things around if you’re missing an ingredient or have a specific dietary need. Since this is a foundational one pot pasta style dish—even though we serve it *over* noodles—we can talk about what works best!

If you don’t have sour cream on hand, don’t stress! You can absolutely swap it out for Greek yogurt. It’ll give you a similar zesty tang that cuts through the richness of the heavy cream, though Greek yogurt might be slightly tangier. Just stir it in carefully off the heat, same as always!

Got a mushroom allergy? No problem. You can boost the vegetable content by swapping those out for finely chopped zucchini or bell peppers. You’ll want to sauté those until they release their moisture, just like the mushrooms. If you wanted to turn this into a strict one pot pasta recipe where the noodles cook right in the sauce, you could add about 12 ounces of medium egg noodles when you add the broth, but you’ll need about an extra cup of broth to make sure they cook fully. For more adaptable meals, check out my full list of easy recipes!

Serving Suggestions for This Comfort Food Dinners Dish

This rich, savory goodness deserves the perfect landing pad, right? While mixing the noodles right into the pot is super convenient, sometimes you want to elevate these comfort food dinners just a little bit. I always go for wide egg noodles; they hold onto that thick, amazing sauce better than anything else!

But don’t stop there! If you’re feeling extra cozy, spooning this over a bed of fluffy white rice works like a charm. My husband loves it over creamy mashed potatoes—it makes it feel like a holiday meal. For a low-carb option, serve it spooned over steamed cauliflower rice. However you serve it, make sure you have lots of fresh parsley sprinkled on top for color! For more ideas on turning weeknight meals into balanced suppers, have a look at my simple balanced suppers guide!

Storing Leftover One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

I always hope for leftovers because honestly? Sometimes this One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff tastes even better the next day! Store any extras in an airtight container, but here’s the warning: the sauce might look a little thicker once cold. That heavy cream and sour cream firm up in the fridge.

When you reheat—and I prefer the stovetop for this—you absolutely must add a splash of water or extra beef broth. Stir it constantly over low heat until it warms through and gets that beautiful, silky texture back. You don’t want to aggressively boil it when reheating, trust me! For more great tips on minimizing cleanup after large meals, check out my post on one pan Thanksgiving recipes—same principles apply!

Frequently Asked Questions About One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Okay, let’s tackle some of those questions I always get buzzing around the kitchen when folks try this out for the first time. It’s such a fantastic, versatile beef stroganoff recipe, so I get why people want to tweak it!

Can I substitute the ground beef in this beef stroganoff recipe?

You totally can! If you’re out of beef or just want a lighter option, ground chicken or ground turkey works just fine. Since those meats are leaner, you might want to add that tablespoon of oil a little earlier, or even add an extra pat of butter when you sauté the onions to keep things from sticking. The flavor profile will change slightly, but you still get that wonderful creamy texture for your comfort food dinners experience.

How can I make the sauce thicker without adding more flour to this one pot pasta?

That’s a great question, especially if you want that sauce to cling perfectly to whatever you serve it with! If you’ve already added the flour and it still seems too thin after simmering, the best trick is to let it reduce longer on low heat. However, if you’re in a rush, you can mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water in a separate little bowl until it’s smooth—that’s a slurry. Slowly whisk that slurry into your simmering sauce right before you remove it from the heat. It thickens up almost immediately! Just be careful not to add too much, or it gets a bit gummy. For more general cooking confidence, make sure to browse my collection of helpful tips!

Also, folks often ask about adding instant noodles right in—yes, you can turn this into a true one pot pasta, but just remember to add about an extra cup of broth and increase your cook time to ensure those noodles are cooked through properly!

Nutritional Estimates for One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

Now, let’s talk numbers for my fellow number-crunchers. Because we’re using lean ground beef and heavy cream, we still get rich flavor without going totally overboard on richness. Based on these measurements and serving 8 happy people, you’re looking at roughly 257 calories per serving.

The breakdown shows about 19 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein, and only 6 grams of carbohydrates. Of course, these numbers are just estimates—they change based on how much fat drains from your specific batch of beef, or if you decide to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream! But for a hearty, satisfying meal, I think those numbers are pretty respectable for our lovely One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff.

Share Your Creamy Mushroom Sauce Creations

I just absolutely love hearing from you all! Seriously, when you make this simple, hearty One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff, please let me know how it went. Did the creamy mushroom sauce turn out silky smooth? Were your friends impressed with dinner?

Take a picture and share it! I love seeing your kitchen creations. Don’t forget to leave your rating and any little tips you learned while making it over on my contact page—it helps me keep sharing recipes you actually want to cook!