Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I wanted to share my absolute favorite beef recipe that never fails to make my family happy. This Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce is the kind of dish that feels fancy but is actually super easy to cook.

I first tried making this when my Tita Beth showed me how during a Sunday lunch, and let me tell you - it's become my signature dish ever since. The beef turns out so tender it practically melts in your mouth. And that creamy sauce? Perfect for drizzling over rice!

What makes this recipe special is how simple it is. You don't need any hard-to-find ingredients or complicated techniques, just regular pantry staples and one pan.

Whether it's just a regular weeknight dinner or you're cooking for visitors, this dish will make everyone think you spent hours in the kitchen (but it's actually so easy). Once you try this recipe, it'll become your family's new favorite, too.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• One-pan wonder: Everything cooks in a single pan, minimizing cleanup
• Restaurant-quality results: Creates a dish worthy of special occasions
• Versatile serving options: Pairs beautifully with rice, potatoes, or noodles
• Make-ahead friendly: Tastes even better the next day
• Customizable: Easy to adjust seasonings and ingredients to your taste
• Perfect for gatherings: Scales easily for parties and celebrations

Ingredients

Each ingredient in this recipe plays an essential role: beef sirloin provides a tender, flavorful base; mushrooms add earthy depth; butter and cream create luxurious richness; onions and garlic build aromatic foundations; flour thickens perfectly; and beef broth adds savory complexity.

Together, they form a balanced combination that's greater than the sum of its parts, creating that restaurant-quality taste with simple pantry staples.

For the Beef:

• 3 pounds beef sirloin, sliced ¼-inch thick
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

For the Sauce:

• 1 can (8 ounces) whole mushrooms, drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups all-purpose cream

Equipment

• Large heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven: Provides even heat distribution, preventing burning and creating the perfect environment for developing flavors.
• Sharp knife: Essential for cleanly slicing beef to ensure proper tenderness.
• Cutting board: Provides a safe surface for meat preparation.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Ensures accurate ingredient proportions for consistent results.
• Wooden spoon: Allows gentle stirring without scratching your cookware.
• Whisk: Creates a smooth, lump-free sauce.
• Kitchen tongs: Makes handling and turning meat easier and safer.
• Kitchen scale: Helps with precise meat portioning for consistent cooking.

How To Make

1. Prep the beef: Slice your beef sirloin across the grain into ¼-inch thick pieces. For easier slicing, place the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes first. Season the sliced beef generously with salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Cook the mushrooms: Heat your large pan over medium-high heat (350°F). Add 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the mushrooms for about 30 seconds until lightly browned. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
3. Sear the beef: In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil if needed. Turn the heat to high (400°F). Place the beef slices in a single layer and sear for 1-1.5 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Don't overcrowd the pan – cook in batches if needed. Remove the beef and set aside.
4. Start the sauce base: Lower the heat to medium (320°F) and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add your chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
5. Create the roux: Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour. This prevents your sauce from tasting like raw flour.
6. Build the sauce: Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Keep whisking until the sauce is smooth.
7. Tenderize the beef: Return the beef to the pan. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low (285°F). Cover the pan and let it simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the beef is tender enough to cut with a fork. If the sauce gets too thick before the meat is tender, add warm beef broth ½ cup at a time.
8. Finish the sauce: Once the meat is tender, pour in the cream while stirring gently. Add the mushrooms back to the pan. Let everything simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms are heated through and the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
9. Final touches: Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
10. Serve: Ladle over steaming rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

• Slice against the grain: Always cut your beef perpendicular to the muscle fibers for maximum tenderness.
• Proper searing technique: Don't crowd the pan when browning the beef — this ensures a proper sear rather than steaming the meat.
• Temperature matters: Let cream come to room temperature before adding to prevent the sauce from curdling.
• Timing is everything: Let meat rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking for more even results.
• Save those drippings: Keep all those flavorful beef bits in the pan for a more robust sauce.
• Brightness booster: Add a small splash of calamansi or lemon juice at the end to cut through the richness.
• Perfect doneness: For the most tender results, cook until the beef easily pulls apart with gentle pressure from a fork.

Substitutions

• Beef cuts: Don't have sirloin? Try chuck, tenderloin, or ribeye instead. Chuck will require longer cooking (up to 2 hours), while tenderloin will cook faster (30-45 minutes).
• Cream alternatives: Heavy cream, evaporated milk, or even coconut cream can work in place of all-purpose cream. Each will alter the flavor slightly but still create a delicious dish.
• Mushroom options: Fresh button, shiitake, or cremini mushrooms make excellent substitutes for canned. Use about 12 ounces of fresh mushrooms and increase initial cooking time to 3-4 minutes.
• Broth substitutes: Chicken broth or vegetable broth with added beef bouillon can replace beef broth in a pinch.
• Flour alternatives: For a gluten-free version, use cornstarch (half the amount) or a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend.

Troubleshooting

• Tough meat: If your beef is still tough after the recommended cooking time, continue simmering for 15-30 minute increments. Also check that you've sliced against the grain and used the right cut.
• Lumpy sauce: If you notice lumps in your sauce, whisk vigorously off the heat. For stubborn lumps, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve before returning it to the pan.
• Too thick: If your sauce becomes too thick, gradually add warm beef broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, while stirring until you reach your desired consistency.
• Too thin: For a sauce that's too thin, simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If that's not enough, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir into the simmering sauce.
• Curdled sauce: If your sauce begins to curdle after adding cream, immediately lower the heat and whisk vigorously. In the future, ensure your cream is at room temperature and your sauce isn't boiling when you add it.

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Allow the dish to cool completely before refrigerating.
• Freezer: This dish freezes well for up to 2 months. For best results, freeze the sauce separate from any remaining beef if possible.
• Stovetop reheating: Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of beef broth to revive the sauce if it's thickened too much.
• Microwave reheating: Use 50% power and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval to ensure even heating without overheating the cream.
• Quality tip: The flavors actually develop and improve overnight, making this an excellent make-ahead dish for entertaining.

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce (Beef sa Kremang Kabute) is a Filipino-fusion dish that elevates sirloin beef and mushrooms in a velvety cream sauce, combining Western culinary techniques with Filipino comfort food sensibilities. Fork-tender beef slices are seared until golden, then simmered with sautéed mushrooms in a rich sauce made from beef broth and cream, creating a versatile one-pan dish that's equally at home on weeknight dinner tables or holiday buffets.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 6

Calories 428 kcal

Difficulty Intermediate

Equipment

• Large heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven (Makapal na kawali) For even heat distribution and preventing burning
• Sharp knife [Matalas na kutsilyo] For clean cuts of beef
• Cutting board (Sangkalan) For safe meat preparation
• Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat) For accurate ingredients
• Wooden spoon (sandok na kahoy) For gentle stirring without scratching the pan
• Whisk (Panghalo) For creating smooth, lump-free sauce
• Kitchen tongs (Sipit) For easy meat handling
• Kitchen scale (timbangan) For precise meat portioning

Ingredients

 

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For the Beef:

• 3 pounds beef sirloin sliced ¼-inch thick
• Salt Asin at Paminta) to taste
• 3 tablespoons canola oil Mantika

For the Sauce:

• 1 can 8 ounces whole mushrooms, drained (Kabute)
• 1 tablespoon butter Mantikilya
• 1 large onion Sibuyas, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic Bawang, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour Harina
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cup all-purpose cream

Instructions

 

• Before starting, slice your beef sirloin across the grain into ¼-inch thick pieces. For easier slicing, place the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes first. Season the sliced beef generously with salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Heat your large pan over medium-high heat (350°F). Add 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the mushrooms for about 30 seconds until lightly browned. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
• In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil if needed. Turn the heat to high (400°F). Place the beef slices in a single layer and sear for 1-1.5 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Don't overcrowd the pan – cook in batches if needed. Remove the beef and set aside.
• Lower the heat to medium (320°F) and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add your chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft and clear. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell the garlic.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour. This prevents your sauce from tasting like raw flour.
• Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Keep whisking until the sauce is smooth.
• Return the beef to the pan. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low (285°F). Cover the pan and let it simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the beef is tender enough to cut with a fork. If the sauce gets too thick before the meat is tender, add warm beef broth ½ cup at a time.
• Once the meat is tender, pour in the cream while stirring gently. Add the mushrooms back to the pan. Let everything simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms are heated through and the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
• Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
• Serve hot over steaming rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

• Slice beef against the grain for maximum tenderness
• Don't skip the searing step - it creates a rich flavor base
• Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding cream to prevent curdling
• Let meat rest at room temperature before cooking for even cooking
• Save pan drippings for extra flavor
• Add a splash of calamansi juice at the end for brightness

 

Nutrition

Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 51gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 679mgPotassium: 841mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 58IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 5mg

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The Story Behind Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce beautifully showcases how Filipino home cooks have mastered the art of adapting international flavors into our everyday meals. This dish emerged during the American colonial period in the Philippines, when canned cream of mushroom soup and Western-style cream sauces became popular in Filipino kitchens. What started as a simple way to elevate leftover beef has evolved into a beloved special occasion dish that graces many Filipino celebration tables.

In the 1960s and 1970s, this creamy beef dish gained popularity in Filipino restaurants, often served alongside the classic burger steak with mushroom gravy. Home cooks soon began creating their own versions, adapting the recipe to use local ingredients and fresh cream instead of canned soup. The dish perfectly combines Filipino beef cooking techniques - like the slow simmering method we use in mechado and caldereta - with the rich, creamy sauces popularized by American cuisine.

Today, you'll find Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce served everywhere from simple family lunches to elaborate fiestas. Many Filipino families have their own special version - some add carrots and potatoes like in kaldereta, while others include bell peppers for extra color and flavor. What makes this dish truly Filipino is how we serve it: always with heaping cups of steaming white rice to soak up every drop of that luxurious sauce. It's comfort food that bridges the gap between traditional Filipino flavors and modern international cuisine.

This recipe has also become a favorite among busy Filipino home cooks because it's a one-pan dish that's easy to prepare but looks and tastes impressively restaurant-worthy. Whether you're cooking for a regular weeknight dinner or preparing for a special celebration, this creamy beef dish proves that some of the best Filipino recipes are born from creatively combining different culinary traditions.