When you’re in need of a comforting dinner, this hearty gnocchi beef Stroganoff is the answer. The Stroganoff is subtly flavored with cinnamon and clove and is out-of-this-world delicious! It’s perfect when served with light and fluffy nutmeg potato gnocchi.
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Why make this recipe?
This gnocchi beef Stroganoff is a truly fantastic meal. The meat is flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender and the combination of red wine, broth, oyster mushrooms, spices and cream creates amazing flavor in the sauce. The fluffy homemade nutmeg gnocchi have the perfect flavor and texture to contrast the creamy sauce.
Ingredient notes:
- beef – the cut of beef really matters for this recipe and I highly recommend you use tri tip steak. Tri tip steak is nicely marbled, tender and retains its great flavor even after the long cook time.
- dry red wine – I like to use Merlot but any decent-quality dry red wine will work for this recipe.
- potatoes – you have to use Russet potatoes for the gnocchi, no other type of potato will work.
How to make beef Stroganoff:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Cut the beef into bite-sized strips or chunks, making sure to slice against (which means across) the grain. (See how to cut beef against the grain for instructions.) Trim off and discard excess fat as you go along.
Step 2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil to a Dutch oven or a cast iron pan to which you have a lid. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides (add more oil as needed).
Transfer the cooked meat and any accumulated juices to a bowl and set aside.
Step 3. Add more oil if needed, then add onion, mushrooms and cinnamon.
Step 4. Saute for 5 minutes.
Step 5. Add chicken broth, dry red wine, cloves and the cooked beef (with accumulated juices) back to the Dutch oven or pan.
Bring the mix to a boil, then put on the lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes.
RECIPE NOTE: At the beginning of the 45 minutes, complete the first step of the potato gnocchi recipe below.
After 45 minutes, turn the heat off.
Step 6. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in all-purpose flour and keep whisking until well combined. Add heavy cream and whisk the roux until no clumps remain.
Step 7. Pour the roux into the Stroganoff, bring the mix back to a boil, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Continue to simmer until the mix is smooth and has thickened a bit.
Turn the heat off and let the Stroganoff cool a bit, then take out the cloves. (You’ll have to search for them with a spoon but I’ve found that they are pretty easy to find because they are very dark against the light sauce.)
Stir in sour cream and with that, the Stroganoff is done. Set it aside, finish making the nutmeg gnocchi, then serve the two together.
How to make gnocchi:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a small paring knife, poke a few holes into the potatoes, then roast them in the oven until tender (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
Step 2. Peel the potatoes and squeeze them through a potato ricer into a bowl.
Step 3. Let the riced potatoes cool a bit. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg and black pepper. Stir the flour mix into the potatoes using a large fork, then stir in the egg.
Step 4. Knead the dough gently until it comes together into a ball.
Step 5. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and cut into four quarters.
Step 6. Roll each piece of dough into a rope, then cut the gnocchi. Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, then drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. The gnocchi are cooked when they float to the surface.
Serve the gnocchi with the Stroganoff and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley (optional).
Recipe notes & tips:
- Be sure to brown the meat for the Stroganoff in batches rather than all at once. That’s because if you add too much meat in one step, the meat will steam rather than fry.
- When ricing the potatoes for the gnocchi, don’t try to press entire potatoes through the ricer, instead cut each potato into thirds and put the pieces through the ricer one by one. It’s much easier that way.
How to cut beef against the grain:
To get nicely tender beef in your resulting dish, be sure to slice meat perpendicular to the grain. (The grain is the direction in which the muscle fibers of the meat are running.)
Frequently asked questions:
Homemade gnocchi are much more delicious than store-bought ones, in my experience. Homemade gnocchi have a wonderful consistency, they are fluffy and textured and not at all dense or rubbery and chewy. In addition to that, you can flavor homemade gnocchi to your liking, as I did in this recipe with freshly grated nutmeg, which is fantastic with the cinnamon clove Stroganoff.
Absolutely. You can serve the Stroganoff with rice instead of gnocchi. It is delicious that way too!
Store the beef Stroganoff and the gnocchi in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Consume within 3 days.
More hearty soups and stews:
See more main course recipes →
Did you make this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Homemade Gnocchi with Cinnamon Clove Beef Stroganoff
Equipment
- measuring spoons and cups
- kitchen scale
- knives and cutting board
- paper towels
- cast iron pan with lid or Dutch oven
- mixing bowls
- kitchen tongs
- small saucepan
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- potato ricer
- nutmeg grater
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
For the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff:
- 1 ½ pounds tri tip steak
- ~2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
- 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more if desired
For the gnocchi:
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of fresh black pepper
- finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
For the cinnamon clove beef Stroganoff:
- Cutting against the grain, cut the beef into thin strips or chunks, trimming off excess fat as you go.
- Pat the beef dry using paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or a cast iron pan to which you have a lid and brown the meat on all sides. Do this step in batches (adding more oil as needed) so you don’t overcrowd the pan or pot. Sear the meat well but watch out not to burn it.
- Transfer the meat and accumulated juices to a bowl and set aside.
- Add more oil to the pot or pan if needed, then add onion, mushrooms and cinnamon and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add broth, red wine, cloves and beef (with accumulated juices), bring to a boil, then put on the lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes. (At the start of the 45 minutes, get the potatoes for the gnocchi in the oven (see instructions below.))
- Turn the heat off and make the roux.
- To make a roux, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Add the flour to the butter and whisk until well combined.
- Add the cream and whisk until well combined with no clumps.
- Add the roux to the Stroganoff and stir well.
- Bring the Stroganoff back to a boil and simmer, stirring continuously, until saucy.
- Turn the heat off and let the stew cool a little. Take out the cloves. (You need to search for them with a spoon but they are fairly easy to find in the light colored sauce.)
- Stir in the sour cream.
For the gnocchi:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Poke a few holes into the raw potatoes with a fork or a knife (watch your fingers while you are doing that…).
- Bake the potatoes until a knife goes through easily (1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes).
- Peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer into a bowl.* Let the riced potatoes cool for a few minutes.
- Add egg, flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper to the potatoes and distribute them evenly by stirring them around with a fork.
- Carefully knead the ingredients by hand just enough to let them come together into a ball.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ½-inch-thick rope.
- Cut the rope into 1-inch-long gnocchi.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add half of the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface (1 – 2 minutes).
- Transfer the gnocchi into a bowl using a slotted spoon and cook the remaining half in the same fashion.
- Serve the gnocchi with the Stroganoff and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley (optional).
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