Stroganoff Meatballs are a genius way to combine the comforting flavors of the popular Stroganoff recipe with tender and juicy meatballs.
The creamy mushroom sauce that Stroganoff is so well known for is the perfect match for the meatballs to be cooked in, infusing them with more flavor.
Meatballs are like a nice pair of jeans. They're comfortable and can be dressed up or down. You can go the t-shirt/sweater route or add a blazer, blouse and some accessories, and you look like a million bucks.
These meatballs never let me down. They are so tender and juicy, especially if you let them cook in the sauce for a bit. The gravy is so creamy, the mushrooms add so much great flavor and the sour cream and wine really add depth and just the smallest bit of tanginess.
Just like my favorite pair of jeans, this meal is just as cozy and makes me feel so snug and cheery, but it's good enough for company too.
What is Stroganoff Sauce/Gravy Made From?
Beef Stroganoff is one of the most popular recipes that is credited to have been created by a French chef in Russia. The gravy that the beef cooks in is made with mushrooms and onions, and is rich, creamy and a bit tangy because sour cream is used in it.
I also add a bit of white wine for added flavor. To add some fresh elements to the sauce and make it even more delicious, I also add some fresh herbs at the very end. Parsley and dill are very iconic flavors of Russian food, so I think they are the perfect touch to this recipe.
What Meat Is Best For Meatballs?
I love the combination of ground pork and ground beef. I like using ground chuck for the ground beef, since it isn't too lean, but I also like using ground sirloin, because it has a really great flavor.
Ground pork shoulder is a good choice for ground meat.
You can use any combination of ground meat for meatballs though. Ground chicken, ground turkey, ground lamb - they will all work. For the chicken and turkey, choose meat that has both dark and white meat - all white meat (chicken or turkey breast) is very lean and the meatballs will be dry and tough.
How to Make Homemade Meatballs
1. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and let stand for a few minutes until the milk gets completely absorbed.
2. Place all the ingredients for the meatballs, except the oil, in a large bowl and mix to combine.
3. Shape into meatballs, about 1 Tablespoon each. I like them on the smaller side, so this will make about 50 meatballs.
4. Heat 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons oil into a heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven. Cook the meatballs in two batches, until they are golden brown on both sides. They don't have to be cooked through all the way at this point, since they will finish cooking in the sauce. Set the meatballs aside.
Can You Bake Meatballs in The Oven?
Yes! I actually do this all the time. I really like how easy it is, since you don't have to stand next to the stove and get splattered with oil and it's healthier to bake them in the oven too.
Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven, preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 15 minutes, until cooked through in the center.
Since I am also making a mushroom gravy for these meatballs, for this recipe, I prefer to cook them on the stovetop. Browning the meatballs in the pot first will give more flavor to the sauce. I am also using the same pot for cooking the meatballs and the sauce.
The golden and crunchy meatballs have more flavor and texture when they are cooked on the stove than baked in the oven, but if you want to make the process easier and have a healthier meal, the oven method is a wonderful choice.
How To Make the Stroganoff Gravy
- Use the same pot that you used for the meatballs. Remove most of the oil, except for about 1 ½ Tablespoons.
- Add the onion, season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, until they soften and become translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden brown. At first, the mushrooms will exude a lot of liquid, so use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits that were left over from the meatballs and the onions. Then when the liquid evaporates, the mushrooms will get golden.
- Add the flour, mix to combine until all of the flour is incorporated into the mushrooms. If your skillet is dry, add little bit of butter or oil (up to 3 Tablespoons), enough to coat all of the flour.
- Gradually pour in the white wine and chicken broth, (if you'd rather not use wine, just omit it) using a whisk to mix, which will prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens up, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream and the heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Add the meatballs to the gravy and continue simmering for another 5 minutes or so, just until the meatballs are completely cooked through. Add fresh herbs, such as parsley and/or dill.
Freezing the Meatballs
Meatballs are one of my favorite meals to freeze. Since 50 meatballs is way too much for our small family, this will make several meals for us. I don't like serving the same thing more than 2 nights in a row, so I freeze part of them and that I'll have a really easy dinner some time in the future.
I think the best way to freeze meatballs is to cook them first. Brown the meatballs or bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then freeze in one layer until they are solid. I place the meatballs in one layer on top of a baking sheet or a cutting board and put them in the freezer.
Transfer the frozen meatballs into a freezer ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. You can also freeze them in a airtight container. They will stay fresh, if sealed properly, for about 3 months.
Other Sauces To Pair With the Meatballs
Instead of making the Stroganoff gravy for the meatballs, you can also use these same meatballs with other sauces. Here are some other options:
- Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Tomato, Vegetable and Mushroom Ragu
- Marinara Sauce
- Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs
- Russian Porcupine Meatballs
Stroganoff Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 50 small meatballs 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- ¾ lb ground beef
- ¾ lb ground pork
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons oil
Stroganoff Gravy:
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons white wine
- 4 cups beef or chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- fresh chopped parsley, dill
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients together, except for the oil. Mix to combine.
- Shape into meatballs, about 1 Tablespoon each. I like them on the smaller side, so this will make about 50 meatballs.
- Heat 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons oil into a heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven. Cook the meatballs in two batches, until they are golden brown on both sides. They don't have to be cooked through all the way at this point, since they will finish cooking in the sauce. Set the meatballs aside.
Stroganoff Gravy:
- Remove most of the oil, except for about 1 ½ Tablespoons.
- Add the onion, season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden brown. At first, the mushrooms will exude a lot of liquid, so use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits left from the meatballs and onions. Then when the liquid evaporates, the mushrooms will get golden.
- Add the flour, mix to combine until all of the flour is incorporated into the mushrooms. If your skillet is dry, add a little bit of butter or oil, enough to coat all of the flour.
- Gradually pour in the white wine and chicken broth, (if you'd rather not use wine, just omit it) using a whisk to mix, which will prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens up, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream and the heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Add the meatballs to the gravy and continue simmering for another 5 minutes or so, just until the meatballs are completely cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, such as parsley and/or dill.
Hi Olga
I am new to your blog. I am a big fan of Russian things and love to cook so your blog sounds wonderful,
This looks great and will try soon. I have been to Russia twice and loved it.
I got involved with the curators of the Kremlin Museum when a Russian Art exhibit was on display in Topeka, Kansas where I live.
This a link to a news article written about me.
http://cjonline.com/stories/101302/cza_czarslead.html#1
Thanks for taking the time to write, Debi. Wow, you've been to Russia twice - that's so cool. Usually Russia is not a country that people visit too often. I am so glad to connect with you. I hope you find many recipes that you will enjoy.
I hope this is the start of a new friendship, My friend Irina recently immigrated from Russia, she lives in Seattle now. The following is a link to a news article about me and my involvement with The Treasures of the Czars Topeka, Kansas exhibit.
http://cjonline.com/stories/101302/cza_czarslead.html#.Vt5fyPkrKM9
Thank you for sharing the article, Debi. How interesting and awesome! You are so talented. It seems like such an awesome piece of art.
This dish looks absolutely amazing. Will definitely try this recipe soon! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thank you, Rufina:). I hope you enjoy it.
Looks so good, reading your instructions when do I put 3tb of butter??
Hi Lena,
The butter is for the gravy. After sautéing the onion, mushrooms and garlic, if you don't have enough oil to completely incorporate all of the flour, you would add the butter. I'll try to make the instructions more clear.
I just made this using beef and chicken and oh my goodness, I can't believe how good it is! The flavor is so rich and creamy, I can't get enough! Thank you for the recipe!!!
You're welcome, Diana. I'm so glad to hear your feedback.
Olga,
You post the best recipes, consistently! Thank you for another great one. Do you have a buckwheat recipe? I've made barley but never buckwheat, I think they're the same-ish? ha I'll have to google it.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Christine. Yes, I do have a recipe for buckwheat. Here it is: Buckwheat Kasha
Thanks, Doll!
Delicious recipe! Question: at what stage do you freeze the meatballs: raw, cooked, or with the sauce?
I always freeze meatballs cooked, Yelena. You can actually freeze the meatballs separately and then make the sauce fresh, or freeze the meatballs and the sauce together.
Made this for dinner. Very delish! I had butter (3tblsp) prepared but realized at the end I didn't use it. Did I miss a step ?
The butter is supposed to be used if you don't have enough fat when making the gravy. Usually I have enough oil left behind from sautéing the meatballs and the onions and mushrooms, but sometimes there isn't enough left to absorb all the flour. I'll try to make the instructions more clear.
kind of long list, but I will definitely try it out soon... What i like about it that you have cooked in a pot, not in the skillet, which reduce amount of cleaning after cooking by a lot.
Thank you...
One pot meals are my favorite. I hope you enjoy the meatballs.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My husband and I enjoyed it very much, & I know I'll be making it again soon as the weather gets colder 🙂
That's great, Gabrielle!
I love comforting dishes like this one on colder days too.
I love reading your posts and seeing your happy little man growing, what a cutie he is. and your food never disappoints. the photos are so yummy. i am making this tonight instead of chili. so glad i stopped by and saw this recipe! thanks for your dedication to this awesome blog.
Thank you for your sweet comment, Tanya. I really appreciate it.
Made this for dinner with buckwheat and it was amazing! My hubby and three kids loved it! Thank you!
Buckwheat sounds like a perfect side dish with these meatballs. I'll have to do it next time I make them.
Hi Olga ! I wanted to let you know that I made these delicious meatballs for my family and everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!God bless your family.
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Tanya. Thanks for taking the time to write.
These meatballs look so juicy and delicious. Today was the first day of cold and gloomy weather in Ohio and I am so craving these! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Colder, gloomy weather always makes me crave cozy meals too:).
That looks very delish. I will sure need to try it sometime soon . I do have a question what kind of pan and pots do you use? I'm looking for to buy new set but not sure what I should look for?!
I have links to almost all the pots and pans that I use in my Shop.
Yum! This looks good and mine type of dish. I have to make this. Thanks for the recipe Olga
I'd love to hear what you think once you try it, Valya:).