Classic Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy! Ready in under an hour, cooks all in one skillet. Learn how to make Salisbury Steak just like mom used to make. Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.
How to Make Salisbury Steak
Salisbury steak is such a satisfying skillet dinner! Did you grow up eating it?
The name is a little misleading — these “steaks” are actually ground beef held together with egg and breadcrumbs. They’re basically single serving patties of meatloaf that are seared and then braised in a savory mushroom gravy.
We eat a lot of ground meat in my house, so it’s nice to have a variety of dishes in rotation. When we’re tired of pasta with meatballs, Joe’s Special, chili, and our other standbys, that means it’s time to circle back to Salisbury steak.
This recipe is a little (okay, a lot) retro, but it totally hits the spot. It’s also much more economical than actual steak, especially since we prefer to buy grass-fed beef in our house and dinner for two can get spendy.
While the steaks are cooking, I like to boil up a pot of egg noodles or mashed potatoes. I also either microwave some bagged frozen vegetables or throw together a quick salad to round out the meal.
Whether you enjoyed homemade Salisbury steak growing up, or you have only glimpsed it among the frozen TV dinners at the grocery store, I urge you to give this version a try!
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
For the steaks:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil cooking oil (I use avocado oil)
For the mushroom sauce:
- 8 ounces crimini or brown mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Method
1 Make the beef patties: In a mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and pepper.
Divide the mixture into four equal pieces, then use your hands to gently shape each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
2 Sear the patties in a skillet: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, sear the patties on one side for 3 minutes, then flip them with a thin, flexible spatula. Sear them on the other side for another 3 minutes.
Transfer the patties to a plate.
3 Cook the mushrooms, onions, and garlic: There should be a few teaspoons of fat left in the pan from cooking the patties, but add additional oil if needed. Still over medium heat, add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the skillet.
Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and just begun to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4 Stir in the liquids and braise the patties: Stir the tomato paste, mustard, and beef broth into the mushrooms and onions. Use a spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the skillet.
Return the patties to the skillet, spooning a bit of the cooking liquid, mushrooms, and onions over each one. Cover the skillet turn the heat down to low. Let the patties braise in the covered skillet for 30 minutes.
While the patties are simmering, you can boil a pot of noodles, make mashed potatoes, and/or prepare any other vegetable quick side dishes.
5 Thicken the cooking liquid into a gravy: Uncover the skillet and use a spoon to nudge the patties to the side of the skillet. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and let it boil for about a minute, until the gravy has thickened, then turn off the heat.
6 Serve the Salisbury steaks: Transfer the patties to plates and ladle the gravy over top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if you like, and serve hot with egg noodles or mashed potatoes alongside.
