This easy Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe with gravy has hearty, tender patties and rich flavorful gravy. Make it from scratch in one pan and 40 minutes.
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Old-fashioned Salisbury steak is a classic American comfort food with tender seasoned patties and served with rich brown onion gravy (or mushroom gravy) over mashed potatoes or noodles. Salisbury steak like grandma would make in the 50s—unlike TV dinners.
This recipe 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 and used Pioneer Woman Salisbury Steak Meatballs to fill in our memory. We give it an A++.
You may also like these other comfort food recipes, like Pot Roast with Gravy, Oven Fried Chicken with Gravy, Beef Tips with Gravy, and Fried Pork Chops with Gravy. Or ground beef recipes like Old Fashioned Meatloaf or Meatloaf Burgers.
🥣Ingredients
- Ground beef—80/20 or leaner. But ground turkey or chicken will work.
- Pantry ingredients—garlic powder, onion powder, Panko breadcrumbs, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce
- For the gravy—flour, beef broth, plus onion or mushrooms
👨🍳How to Make Salisbury Steak
- Start by preparing and browning onions or mushrooms, then move to a bowl.
- Combine ground beef with breadcrumbs, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder, then make into patties.
- Fry the patties in a frying pan with oil over medium-high heat until an internal temperature of 165°, then tent.
- Whisk 4 tablespoons flour with 1 cup beef broth—set aside.
- Bring some beef broth to a light boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour slurry and add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt to taste.
- Whisk until nicely thickened, 3-4 minutes. If using the browned onions or mushrooms, add them to the gravy and mix well.
- Add the patties back into the mixture, and simmer for a few minutes until everything is hot.
✔️Tips
- Ground beef is most commonly used. The standard 80/20 ground meat is most commonly used, but you can also use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- 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 your 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.
- Do not add raw onion or mushrooms to the gravy.
❓FAQs
Yes, but please don't. It is easy touse, but gravy made with cornstarch can turn jello-like when refrigerated.
The recipe uses a very easy slurry method 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 served with gravy. Some Salisbury steak contains eggs 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 a basic seasoning of salt and pepper.
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, like oven-baked 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.
How to store leftover Salisbury steak
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.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Note that while the pictures are for five servings, the discussion and the recipe are set for four.
If you want caramelized onions or mushrooms in your gravy, start by thin-slicing a small onion or about 5 oz of mushrooms. Cook with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until nicely brown onions or cooked mushrooms. About 7-8 minutes for the onion or saute the mushrooms until cooked. Set aside in a bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef with ⅓ cup Panko 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°. It takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness, the pan, and 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. 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 Panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard - regular yellow or dijon
- 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 or mushrooms in your gravy, start by thin-slicing a small onion or about 5 oz of mushrooms. Cook with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until nicely brown onions or cooked mushrooms. About 7-8 minutes for the onion, or saute the mushrooms until cooked. Set aside in a bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef with ⅓ cup Panko 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°. It takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness, the pan, and the 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. 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.
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. They will cook faster than the onion. Do not add either to the gravy raw.
- 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.
Sharon
Do I use ground mustard or prepared mustard?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Sharon,
Prepared yellow mustard.
Dan
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".