We love this one pan meatball stroganoff in our house and it’s a regular in our dinner rotation. With juicy, tender meatballs, sauteed mushrooms and a creamy sauce all loaded with flavour and it couldn’t be easier.

  • Quick and easy to make – just 30 minutes, including making the meatballs.
  • All made in one pan!
  • Two kinds of mince for ultimate flavour – beef and pork.
  • It’s so versatile – use pre-made meatballs or use chicken or turkey mince instead.
  • The meatballs taste delicious on their own and can be used in other meatball dishes

This recipe is adapted from my slow cooker beef stroganoff – it’s great with chicken thighs too, but I wanted a weeknight and family friendly version. Enter, meatballs.

If you love a rich but super quick dinner like this, try my stuffed pork tenderloin too.

This recipe was first published here on 8th March 2020 and has been updated with new information and images.

A large skillet filled with meatball stroganoff with a wooden spoon.

What is stroganoff?

Stroganoff is a popular dish of beef and mushrooms in a rich sour cream sauce. Traditionally it is made with beef strips and is cooked on the stovetop, but it has become so popular that the beef is often swapped for other meats.

Ingredients you’ll need

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Meatballs: The meatballs are made up of beef and pork mince (ground beef and pork), breadcrumbs, egg and salt. You can swap for pre-made and even frozen meatballs or swap the mince for turkey, lamb or chicken.
  • Onion: I just use a brown onion for this.
  • Mushrooms: Here in Australia, I find swiss brown mushrooms are perfect for this. Cremini would be great but truly just about any mushrooms will work!
  • Butter: A little butter adds to the richness and silkiness of the sauce as well as adding great flavour
  • Garlic: Please use fresh garlic for the very best flavour.
  • Spices: Mustard is a classic ingredient in traditional stroganoff – I use mustard powder here. That along with paprika adds a great depth of flavour. Of course, freshly cracked black pepper never goes astray when beef or mushrooms are involved.
  • Flour: Just a little plain flour / all-purpose flour helps to thicken the sauce.
  • Beef stock / beef broth: Beef stock adds a wonderful flavour boost to the sauce. If you can find a salt-reduced variety, use that, then add salt to your taste toward the end.
  • Soy sauce: Here’s where I deviate a little from a traditional strog. I add a twist by adding soy sauce both in place of using salt and for adding extra depth and umami.
  • Sour cream: Sour cream is what gives stroganoff it’s creaminess. You can add more to your taste in this recipe.
  • Herbs: I can’t tell you how amazing stroganoff is with fresh dill – seriously good – but it’s great with some parsley for freshness too.

How to make it (step-by-step)

A collage of 6 images showing how to make meatball stroganoff.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

Make the meatballs: these are just a simple mixture of pork and beef mince, breadcrumbs, egg and salt (photo 1). Mix it all up, then portion (photo 2) roll into balls.

Cook the meatballs: Sauté the meatballs in a large skillet or frypan (photo 3), in a little oil until browned all over – they don’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Set them aside.

Onions and mushrooms: Sauté some onions and mushroom (photo 4). Let them cook, stirring until the moisture they release has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelise.

Sauce time: Add some butter, garlic, paprika and mustard powder and follow that by some flour. Cook stirring for about 1 minute before pouring in some beef stock, water and soy sauce (photo 5).

Combine everything: Add the meatballs back, bring it to a simmer and add the sour cream (photo 6).

Taste it for seasoning and serve immediately. Add some fresh dill and / or parsley to level up this delicious meatball dinner.

Tips and tricks

  • The easiest way to portion meatballs: Shape the meat mixture into 2 even rectangles about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut each of those rectangles into 6 even pieces. Cut each of those again in half to get 12 even pieces. You’ll have a total of 24 meatballs.
  • When first cooking the meatballs, you just need them to brown on the outside and not necessarily cook all the way through. This is just to seal the meat and get some caramelisation.
  • When cooking the mushrooms, make sure the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms begin to turn golden – this little step adds so much flavour.
  • Dill is the classic herb served with stroganoff and it’s fresh flavour works really well against the richness of this dish. I serve with both dill and parsley but feel free to substitute one for more of the other, if you prefer.
A bowl filled wiht pasta noodles and meatball stroganoff.

What do you serve with stroganoff?

While my hubby is a staunch rice advocate when it comes to stroganoff, in my opinion you can’t beat pasta (and egg noodles like those in these pictures). The rule in our house: the cook chooses. It’s also fantastic with mashed potatoes.

As for greens, add some brussels sprouts or broccoli on the side for a well-rounded meal.

Yield and storage

The meat for this recipe makes 24 meatballs. It’s perfect for serving 4 people but could stretch to 6 if you want a lighter serving.

The meatballs themselves can be made 1-2 days ahead of cooking time and can even be frozen for up to 3 months. These meatballs are a good, simple all-round meatball recipe and can be used in other recipes. They’re great just served with a simple gravy and mash too.

The meatballs can be made ahead, can be used in other dishes too or as appetisers, can be frozen for later and can be subbed for other ground meats or even sausages.

Leftover stroganoff with meatballs can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat it in a pan on the stove or in the microwave until hot again.

It freezes well for up to 3 months though, if you know ahead of time that you’ll be freezing a whole batch, leave the sour cream until you reheat it when you want to serve.

A bowl filled with pasta noodles and meatball stroganoff.

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A large skillet filled with meatball stroganoff.
4.9 from 14 ratings
Rich and flavourful meatball stroganoff in 30 minutes,this is the perfect weeknight dinner. Mushrooms and meatballs bathed in acomforting creamy sauce and it's all made in one pan.

Ingredients

  • 250 g beef mince (ground beef) (notes 2)
  • 250 g pork mince (ground pork) (notes 2)
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ medium brown onion, thinly sliced
  • 300 g swiss brown mushrooms (or cremini), sliced (notes 3)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (notes 1)
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons mild or sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard powder (or dijon mustard)
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose flour) (notes 1)
  • 1 cup beef stock / broth
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (notes 1)
  • ¾ cup sour cream (notes 1)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • Dill & parsley to serve

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, mix together both minces, bread crumbs, egg and salt then roll into 24 balls (split into 2 disks, cut each into 6, then 12).
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil then cook the meatballs, in two batches over medium-high heat, just until browned on the outside. Set aside.
  • Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan with a little more oil if needed. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened and the moisture released has evaporated. Let the mushroom caramelise a little. .
  • Add the butter, garlic, mustard powder and paprika. Cook, stirring for one minute.
  • Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
  • Combine the beef stock, water and soy sauce in a small jug, then slowly add it, while stirring.
  • Return the meatballs to the pan and bring to a simmer. If the sauce gets too thick, just add a little water to loosen it.
  • Add the sour cream and cracked pepper and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Taste and season with salt if needed.
  • Serve over al dente pasta with dill and or parsley.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. I use an Australian 20ml tablespoon
  2. You can use a combination of beef and pork mince like I have here or use all beef, all pork or even try lamb, turkey or chicken. This recipe also works with pre-made or frozen meatballs.
  3. Most mushroom types will work in this recipe though I’d steer away from shitake mushrooms or anything that doesn’t have a meaty texture. 
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Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Meatball Stroganoff - ready in 30 minutes!
Amount Per Serving (258 g)
Calories 633 Calories from Fat 423
% Daily Value*
Fat 47g72%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 17g
Cholesterol 176mg59%
Sodium 920mg40%
Potassium 971mg28%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 1011IU20%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 131mg13%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.