Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak with onion or mushroom gravy is delicious classic comfort food. Homemade from scratch like grandma would cook, this is a quick and easy dinner the whole family will love.
Introduction
Salisbury steak is a classic American dish with tender and favorable seasoned patties and served with brown gravy over mashed potatoes or noodles. Comfort food from out of the past.
This is another request by my wife, but this time, she even remembered the recipe for Salisbury steak and gravy she made, but details like exact measurements were missing. We both had the same vision.
After searching for an old-fashioned Salisbury steak recipe, she found one at Cincyshopper based on Pioneer Womans Salisbury Steak Meatballs. Most of the right ingredients but not quite—now I had a plan. I made some changes to the ingredients and technique. We both felt it was just right—the recipe we both remembered—5-star comfort food for us.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- If using, prepare the onions by thinly slicing a onion and clean and trim the mushrooms. Cook in a large skillet wit oil over medium-high heat until nicely brown—about 7-8 minutes. Move to a bowl.
- Combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Divide the hamburger mixture into equal portions of ¼ to ⅓ pound each. Form into burgers and compress a quarter-size indent in the middle of one side to prevent puffing up of the patties and make cooking evener.
- Fry the patties in a frying pan with oil over medium-high heat. Flip about every 5-6 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°-about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness, the pan, and your burners.
- Whisk 4 tablespoons flour with 1 cup beef broth—set asided.
- Remove the Salisbury steak patties to a plate and lightly tent. Pour out most of the liquid in the fry pan, leaving about 3-4 tablespoons of liquid. Allow the pan to cool some. Add 1 cup beef broth and bring to a light boil over medium heat.
- Slowly add the flour-broth mixture while continuing to whisk. Add 1 teaspoon ketchup and ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk until nicely thickened, 3-4 minutes. If using the caramelized onions, add them to the gravy and mix well.
- Add steak back into the mixture, simmer for a few minutes until everything is hot.
🥣Ingredients
Meat
Ground beef is most commonly used. The standard 80/20 fat mixture works well for this recipe. But lean ground beef also works well due to the bread crumbs helping keep the patties moist and tender. You can use substitute other ground meat like ground turkey or chicken.
Onions and Mushrooms
Use one, both, or neither in the gravy.
Onions: Caramelized onions are one of the primary flavors in this recipe. The onion should be cooked entirely in the first phase of the recipe. Do not add raw onion to the gravy and think you can cook it well.
I like to use vegetable oil to caramelize the onion since I use higher heat and butter can smoke.
Mushrooms: Precook the mushrooms similar to the onions since they will not have time to cook later in the recipe.
Other pantry ingredients
- garlic powder
- onion powder if no onion in the gravy
- breadcrumbs
- ketchup
- mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- flour and beef broth for the gravy
✔️Pro Tips
- Do not use high heat to cook the meat patties. The outside will be done before the center is safe to eat.
- Do not make you meat patties over ⅓ pound. They will be too thick to cook well on the desktop.
- When browning the onions and mushrooms, cook to a darker brown for more caramelization flavor.
❓FAQs
Yes but please don't. It is easy use, but gravy made with cornstarch can turn jello-like when refrigerated.
The recipe uses a slurry method which is an easy way to make gravy at home. Flour is whisked into a liquid and dissolved completely, which is then slowly added to a boiling fluid, usually a broth with meat drippings, while mixing continuously. After a few minutes, it will thicken into gravy.
Please see How to Easily Make Gravy from Scratch for more details on doing the gravy with the slurry method.
No. Swiss steak is made with real steak but usually a tougher cut like round or sirloin and then braised in liquid to tenderize.
Salisbury steak is made with ground meat and is similar to meatloaf but is fried and is served with gravy. Some Salisbury steak contains egg but not all.
The term hamburger steak is sometimes used for Salisbury steak but incorrectly. It will not have starch as bread crumbs added. Hamburger steak is usually just a big hamburger with basic seasoning with salt and pepper.
Salisbury steak with gravy is best stored in the refrigerator sealed in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
To freeze, seal the leftovers airtight in your freezer for 3-4 months.
How to serve Salisbury steak?
Salisbury steak with gravy is usually served over or next to a starch. Mashed potatoes are the most common, but pasta, like egg noodles, is also an excellent combination. Rice is a third option.
I like to combine with a standard simple vegetable that compliments this old-fashioned dish—peas, carrots, green beans, or corn are my everyday choices. A plain old-fashioned dish demands a basic side dish.
📖Comfort Food Recipes
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Note while the pictures are for five servings, the discussion, and the recipe is set for four servings.
If you want caramelized onions in your gravy, start by thin slicing a small onion. Cook with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until nicely brown. About 7-8 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef with ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. If not doing the onions, then add ½ teaspoon onion powder.
Divide the hamburger mixture into 3-4 equal portions. A quarter-size indent in the middle of one side prevents puffing up of the patties and makes cooking evener.
Place steak patties in a large frying pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Flip about every 5-6 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°. About 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness, the pan, and your burners.
Whisk 4 tablespoons flour with 1 cup beef broth. Remove the Salisbury steak to a plate and lightly tent. Pour out most of the liquid, leaving about 3-4 tablespoons of liquid. Allow the pan to cool some. Add 1 cup beef broth and bring to a light boil over medium heat.
Slowly add the flour-broth mixture while continuing to whisk. Add 1 teaspoon ketchup and ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk until nicely thickened, a few minutes. If using the caramelized onions or mushrooms, add them to the gravy and mix well.
Add the steak back into the mixture and simmer for a few minutes until everything is hot.
Serve mashed potatoes or as you wish.
📝Recipe
Homemade Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder - optional, use if not doing onion in gravy
Gravy
- 1 onion - small
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms - optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you want caramelized onions in your gravy, start by thin slicing a small onion. Cook with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until nicely brown. About 7-8 minutes. You can cook the optional mushrooms instead or in addition with the onions. Set aside in a bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef with ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. If not doing the onions, then add ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- Divide the hamburger mixture into 3-4 equal portions. A quarter-size indent in the middle of one side to prevent puffing up of the patties and make cooking evener.
- Place steak patties in a large frying pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Flip about every 5-6 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°. About 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness, the pan, and your burners.
- Whisk 4 tablespoons flour with 1 cup beef broth. Remove the Salisbury steak to a plate and lightly tent. Pour out most of the liquid, leaving about 3-4 tablespoons of liquid. Allow the pan to cool some. Add 1 cup beef broth and bring to a light boil over medium heat.
- Slowly add the flour-broth mixture while continuing to whisk. Add 1 teaspoon ketchup and ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk until nicely thickened, a few minutes. If using the caramelized onions or mushrooms, add them to the gravy and mix well.
- Add steak back into the mixture, simmer for a few minutes until everything is hot.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use the ground meat you like. Make the patties ¼ to ⅓ pound. ½ pound will not cook well
- Don't chop the onion. Cut into rings and maybe cut the larger ones in half.
- You can easily use mushrooms in place of or in addition to the onions in the gravy.
- Use the depression in the center of the patties. It will help prevent them from puffing up during cooking, and they will cook more evenly.
- Be sure to cook the patties to 165° minimum.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published September 25, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Britt
I have enjoyed your recipes for several years, rate most of them A or A+, and have recommended your site to many friends. I must have “goofed” on this one as it was rather disappointing.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Britt,
Welcome to the blog.
Do you mind elaborating on what was wrong? Taste, texture, instructions? Did you change or substitute anything.
dan
Britt
Did everything as written. Used ground chuck. Did not add mushrooms. I plan to try it again as ALL of your items have been great.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Britt,
That is exactly how I usually make this recipe. My only thought is some ground chuck varies—it seems drier. If it was falling apart, add an egg to the mix.
Keep me informed.
Dan
Ralph
Looks and sounds delicious. However as with a lot of your recipes we will not be able to partake of it as per your directions as my wife is celiac.
We are going to give it a try using King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
Celesti
Made your Homemade Salisbury Steak for supper tonight. Your recipe was delicious and it's a winner with my family. The photos and detailed explanations were easy to follow and the end result was spot on. I followed the advice from one of your reviewers regarding adding the extra Worcestershire sauce in the raw meat mixture and on using 3 tbsp of flour in the gravy. Also, I added the onions into my gravy mixture. Thanks for sharing your recipes..
Tonya Eaton
Made this for dinner my family loved it. I used more beef broth than the recipe called for and added mushrooms and onions. I will be making this again.
Anne
This was an easily prepared and economical dish. The meat patties were certainly moist and fluffy in texture. I did saute some onions and mushrooms for use in the gravy. Unfortunately, the gravy was a little pasty tasting and lacked significant flavor or essence. I did double the Worcestershire and ketchup, plus adding onion and garlic powder with a little Emeril's Essence (in hopes of adding some zip). When I make this again, I probably will use beef Bouillion, consomme, or French onion soup for the liquid and triple the Worcestershire and ketchup. Thank you for another great recipe to add to my collection.
My husband and I do enjoy the pictures of your "furry family".