Beef stroganoff is a rich and creamy dish that is bound to be a winner when you serve it up to your expectant family for a special treat. If youāve made beef stroganoff in a batch and have some leftovers, you might be wondering how best to preserve it?
Can You Freeze Beef Stroganoff?
Yes, you can freeze beef stroganoff for up to 3 months. Once ready, leave the stroganoff at room temperature until it has cooled completely before adding it to suitably sized containers. You can then label the lids and place the beef stroganoff in the freezer.
Do Does Beef Stroganoff freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Beef Stroganoff? No
How to Freeze Beef Stroganoff
The good news is that freezing beef stroganoff is nice and simple, and it freezes really well. No matter the recipe that youāve followed, you can be sure that it will freeze well, providing you follow the steps below:Ā
- Cool: When your beef stroganoff is ready, remove it from the stove and place it in a bowl or dish at room temperature. You will need to leave it for at least an hour until it has completely cooled. You can then proceed to the next steps.Ā
- Portion: As soon as the stroganoff has cooled, decide how you want to portion it up. This is entirely up to you, but itās probably best to split it into individual serving sizes, as this will make your life a little bit easier when defrosting what you need at any given time.Ā
- Add to Containers: Place each portion of stroganoff in an airtight container before attaching the lid.Ā Ā
- Label and Freeze: Write todayās date and the use-by date on the lid of each container and place your beef stroganoff in the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Beef Stroganoff
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing beef stroganoff to have the best results:
Defrost Before Reheating
Although you might be tempted to reheat your beef stroganoff directly from frozen, itās best to thaw it first, as this will ensure the delicious sauce retains its desired consistency. We explain how to defrost beef stroganoff further down this page.
Freeze Other Types
If youāre rustling up a delicious veggie or mushroom stroganoff, you can freeze them in precisely the same way as you freeze beef stroganoff.
Only Freeze Once
Beef stroganoff is a somewhat delicate dish, and it doesnāt respond particularly well to freezing and thawing more than once. If you attempt to freeze beef stroganoff several times, the creamy sauce might split, and the beef may even become tough. Itās best to only freeze stroganoff once.
How Long Can You Freeze Beef Stroganoff?
You can freeze beef stroganoff for around three months. Itās best to freeze your leftovers as soon as you can to ensure your stroganoff is super fresh when you freeze it.
If you leave it sitting in the fridge for a few days, it wonāt taste as great in the future when you come to reheat it.
If youāre planning to use your leftovers in a few days, you can simply store your beef stroganoff in the fridge and reheat it as and when needed.
How Do You Defrost Beef Stroganoff?
The only way to defrost beef stroganoff is to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan to reheat it.
Because stroganoff contains meat and dairy, you should never defrost it at room temperature, or it is likely to spoil.
Although this requires a little bit of forward planning, thawing beef stroganoff in the fridge is the best way to go about it and ensures the dish will be safe to reheat and enjoy.
Can You Refreeze Beef Stroganoff?
While thereās nothing wrong with refreezing beef stroganoff that you have thawed in the fridge, itās best not to freeze it more than once. This is because the beef may become tough when itās refrozen, and the sauce might also split.
As such, itās better to freeze stroganoff in smaller portion sizes, so you can then easily remove however much you need at any given time.
Does Beef Stroganoff Freeze Well?
Beef stroganoff freezes really well.
Provided you follow the steps weāve introduced above and only freeze it once, you wonāt notice any difference between fresh stroganoff and a serving that has been frozen and reheated.
Beef Stroganoff Freezer Recipe
Here we have our simple beef stroganoff recipe. It’s not full of fancy flavours or complicated spices. And this is why it works well in the freezer.
Our recipe does include some creme fraiche which can split a little in the freezer. However, when the stroganoff is reheated and stirred, most of this will be fixed.
Freezer-Friendly Beef Stroganoff
4
servings15
minutes40
minutes55
minutesRich yet quick, and easy are not words that can all be used to describe one recipe… Except in the case of stroganoff!
Keeps the screen of your device ON
Ingredients
1tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1tbsp Butter
250g Chestnut Mushrooms, Sliced
1tsp Nutmeg, Grated
1tbsp Plain Flour, Seasoned
1tsp Smoked Paprika
500g Fillet Steak, Sliced
150g Creme Fraiche
1tsp English Mustard
100ml Beef Stock
Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then add the onions and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes until it has wholly softened before adding in the garlic and butter to cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and nutmeg to the pan, give it a quick stir to coat the mushrooms in the foaming butter then cook for 5 minutes. Once everything is soft, tip the contents of the pan into a bowl.
- Coat the fillet steak in the seasoned flour and paprika, then fry for 3 to 4 minutes until it is coloured on the outside. You don’t need to cook it through!
- Once the steak has taken on a deep colour, tip the bowl of cooked ingredients back into the pan.
- Combine the creme fraiche, mustard, beef stock, and seasoning in a jug, then tip this into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes until the beef is perfectly cooked.
Notes
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing beef stroganoff or stroganoff in general, then these may help:
Although it’s possible to freeze beef stroganoff with sour cream, you will find that the texture can become grainy as the sour cream splits. It’s better to add the sour cream after defrosting and reheating.
Yes, you can freeze stroganoff made with mushrooms in much the same way as you would one that contains beef. Once cooled, portion it into airtight containers, seal and freeze.
