Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

My easy Salisbury steak is my family’s favorite. The tender juicy beef patties are simmered in a rich and flavorful homemade brown onion gravy. Make this recipe your no fuss anytime meal! Perfect a side of mashed potatoes!Salisbury SteakWHAT IS SALISBURY STEAK?

Salisbury steak isn’t a steak, it’s basically fancy version of a bun-less hamburger that is simmered in gravy and traditionally served with mashed potatoes. I hated it as a kid, but now I can’t get enough of it.

Brown foods scared me back then. The tv dinner version scared me even more. However, I loved the teeny brownie that came with it. That sure was a good brownie.  I make salisbury steak at least a couple times a month. It’s one of our favorite classic meals. It’s the best comfort food ever! 


salisbury steakWHAT ARE SALISBURY STEAKS MADE OF?

This recipe uses everyday staple ingredients which include, ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic powder, onions, Worcestershire sauce a pinch of celery salt and chopped parsley. 

You can’t have salisbury steak without a rich and flavorful gravy. You need a gravy that comes together quickly with big flavor. The rich gravy ingredients includes my trusty, Better than Bouillon beef base, flour, heavy whipping cream and butter, salt and pepper is all you need to make it. Oh and A pinch or two of seasonings.  

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salisbury steakHOW TO MAKE SALISBURY STEAK

You won’t believe how simple it is. It may seem like a lot of, so I broke down the steps so you can make salisbury steak easily. 

1. Dice the onions and saute over medium high heat (pic 1-2)   *See notes  

2. Add white bread to the food processor and process into bread crumbs.
(pic 3)   
   

3. To a large bowl add the ground beef, onions, eggs, seasonings, onions, breadcrumbs and combine gently.   Do not overwork the beef, it will become tough. Shape the beef mixture into a round or oval shaped patty. (pic 4)   FYI, If you noticed the pics show the circular patties and the oval shaped ones. I make this so much, I figured I’d snapped two different photos.

4. Sear each side of the beef patty until it’s browned with a nice crust. Remove beef patties from the skillet and drain the fat. *See notes in the recipe. (pic 5) 

5. To make the slurry which thickens the gravy, Whisk the beef broth and flour in a small bowl until lump free. Over medium- high heat add the slurry to the skillet. Add the heavy whipping cream and the rest of the butter. Mix well. Add the beef patties and the remaining diced/sliced onions into the skillet with the gravy.  

Let it come to a boil and cook for 5-15 minutes or until cooked through. Add two small pinches of onion powder and garlic powder to the gravy.  Then add very small pinch or two of crushed red peppers, salt and pepper to the gravy for taste.  Mix well. I use a spoon to stir the gravy in between the patties. Serve with smashed potatoes.
(pic 6-7)

How to make salisbury steak step with pictures. A picture of bread crumbs, sauteed onion cooking in a skillet, seasoned beef mixture and beef patties cooking in the skillet.

TIPS TO MAKE HOMEMADE SALISBURY STEAK

  • This recipe makes a good amount of gravy. You can half the recipe or make it as is then store leftovers. 
  • Ground beef.….to make flavorful patties use 80% ground beef which equates to ground beef with 20% fat. 
  • Better than Bouillon base is my favorite ingredient in my Salisbury steak recipe. I absolutely love it. It’s full of flavor and it tastes homemade because it’s made from real meat.  It’s a great addition to this and many recipes.
  • Don’t over-mix the beef mixture or it will become tough.
  • Sear: To achieve a great flavorful brown crust, you need to let the steaks cook (sear) until the meat is no longer grey. This means no touching or moving the steaks around. 
  • I updated the post and the recipe just a tad to make it more efficient. 
Salisbury Steak

Easy Salisbury Steak Recipe

April Boller Wright
My easy Salisbury steak is made with ground beef and simmered in a rich and so flavorful homemade brown onion gravy. This recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner! 
4.98 from 34 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Beef
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • Beef patties
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 red onions 1 onion diced the other two sliced into rings
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • salt for taste I used 1 1/4 tsp
  • pepper for taste I used 1 tsp
  • 1 Pinch of celery salt

Beef Gravy

  • 4 cups beef broth I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp heavy whipping cream optional
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt for taste
  • Pepper for taste
  • pinch onion powder 1-2 small pinches
  • pinch garlic powder 1-2 small pinches
  • pinch crushed red pepper 1 small pinch of crushed red peppers

Instructions
 

  • Dice the onions. FYI, you should have one diced onion and the other two onions should be sliced into rings. 
    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of butter or vegetable oil, once sizzling add the onions. Add more butter if needed. Add the diced onions to one side of the pan and the onions cut into rings on the other side. Saute until softened about 3 minutes. If your pan is not big enough then saute the onions separately. 
    Remove half of the diced onion and put to the side to cool off. Do the same with the onions cut into rings. Make sure to keep the diced and the rings separate.  You should have two separated onions, the diced ones and the rings. FYI, in a moment you will be adding the diced onions to the beef mixture and use the rings for the onion gravy. 
  • Next, add two slices of white bread to a food processor and process until you get bread crumbs.
  • To a large bowl add the ground beef, onions, eggs, seasonings, onions, breadcrumbs and combine gently. Do not overwork the beef, it will become tough. Shape the beef mixture into a round or oval shaped patty.
  • Add another tbsp of butter or vegetable oil (add more if needed). Once the skillet is nice and hot add the beef patties. Sear each side until browned about a minute or two. Remove and drain the fat. *See notes in the recipe.
  • To make the slurry which thickens the gravy, Whisk the beef broth and flour in a bowl until lump free. Over medium- high heat add the slurry to the skillet. Add the heavy whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, and the rest of the butter. Mix well. Lastly, add the beef patties and the remaining diced/sliced onions into the skillet with the gravy. 
    Let it come to a boil and cook for 5-15 minutes or until cooked through. Add two small pinches of onion powder, garlic powder and crushed red peppers to the gravy.  Mix well. Add salt and pepper for taste and use a small spoon to stir between the gravy and patties. Serve with smashed potatoes. 

Notes

QUICK TIPS: 
  • Ground beef.....to make flavorful salisbury steak use 80% ground beef which equates to ground beef with 20% fat.  
  • Better than Bouillon base is my favorite ingredient in this Salisbury steak recipe. It's full of flavor and it tastes homemade It's a great broth substitute.
  • Don't over-mix the beef mixture or it will become tough
  • Sear: To achieve a great flavorful brown crust, you need to let the steaks cook (sear) until the meat is no longer grey. This means no touching or moving the steaks around.  
  • This recipe makes a good amount of gravy. You can half the recipe or make it as is then store leftovers. The Kitchn has a great detailed post on the best way to store it.  
  • People love this recipe but a couple readers said they had to cook the patties for a while, so I updated the recipe to make it quicker and more efficient.  
Tools used to make this recipe: Cast iron skillet, Nordic Ware Sheet Pan, Hamilton 8 Cup Food Processor, Mixing Bowl Set Pyrex 4 Measuring Cup 
Feb 15th  2019. Recipe and post has been updated slightly. 
Keyword classic dinner food, comfort food, vintage food
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72 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    Love this recipe! Thank you! I’ve made it three times now and it’s always delicious

  2. My husband compliants are expressed by ok’s and yes, if he saids good that’s like everyone else’s 4 or 5 stars. When he ate this Salisbury steak he stated, “ this is really good” and then he ate seconds! That is awesome review of your recipe in my book and it was a pretty simple recipe! Will be a regular in our house!

    1. Yay! I’m so happy this recipe worked out for him! Thank you so much!

  3. I’ve been making Salisbury Steak for years by just guessing what to put in it. I decided to actually use a recipe, and chose this recipe due to the ratings, and I’m so glad I did 😊. I actually made it to the recipe, and it was delicious 👍. Actually, it was the best my family has ever had! Thank you for posting this, this will be go to favorite for my family 🥰5 stars

    1. Coni, Yay happy to hear the recipe is now your family fav! Thank you for trying it out!

  4. NORMA RENI says:

    I MAKE SALISBURY STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY AND FREEZE THEM. IF I AM GOING TO MAKE A MESS I MAY AS WELL MAKE A BIG ONE AND THEN FREEZE SOME. BUT BECAUSE I AM FREEZING THEM,
    I USE MOHIKO RICE FLOUR TO THICKEN THE GRAVY/SAUCE. IT IS FREEZE-THAW STABLE AND WILL NOT SEPARATE OR BREAK WHEN THAWED. ADD LIQUID TO A LITTLE MOHIKO, THEN ADD TO SAUCE. IT ALSO MAKES GREAT THICKENING FOR ANY DISH THAT NEEDS THICKENING.

  5. The ingredients list says 1/2 cup bread crumbs but the instructions say 3/4 cup. Which is correct?

    1. Use two slices of bread which is equivalent to 1/2 cup bread crumbs. I’ll update the recipe. Thanks!

  6. I am going to try this because it sounds delicious. What store do u find the Better Than Bouillon? I shop Walmart & Publix & have never seen anything but Knorr brand bouillon cubes. If I can’t find BTB I will have to use Swanson’s Liquid Broth or Knorr Beef Broth cubes. Do u know what I could add to give the same taste or what would u suggest I could add to the Swanson/Knorr broth to give it more taste – both of those are pretty bland. Thanks!

    1. I usually buy BTB from Walmart. If you can’t find it, you can also order if from Amazon. I’ve dropped the link in the recipe notes. Right, most store broths are pretty bland and not rich in flavor like BTB, so if you use it the store broths, add more salt etc. I hope you enjoy it Denise!

  7. Do you add the better than bouillon to water to make the 4 cups of broth for the gravy?

      1. Thank you…making this tonight and can’t wait to try it!

      2. Robert Michael says:

        Hello my names mike : love the recipe made once before like last wk lol , made a double batch had it twice that wk the wife loves it, she was looking forward to having the next night as well made something different big mistake lol she said I was thinking about all day lol oh well you live and learn , it’s a great recipe it’s a keeper and I’m making it again another double batch again just wanted to let you know it’s a good recipe on a scale from 1-10 it’s a 9 so there you go just wanted to let you know :))

        1. I’m so flattered Mike. Thank you so much! Yes don’t disappoint your wife next time lol..jk! Glad you guys liked it! 🙂

    1. Anonymous says:

      How many better then bouillon did you use

      1. Use 4 cups of water and 4 tsps of Better than bouillon. You can also find the measurement instructions on the jar.

  8. Looks yummy… going to try this tonight! Read the recipe 3 times and still totally confused about the onions though… some diced, some sliced, some sauteed, some not, etc, etc… but going to wing it and hope it turns out.5 stars

    1. Thank you Julie! Sorry. I’ve updated the onion part of the instructions. I hope I clarified everything! Hope you like it!

  9. This looks delicious!! So comfy and perfect for winter. I haven’t had this in so many years – but you made me crave it! In Sweden we call it “Sailor Steak” but it’s the same concept. Love it with heaps of gravy on top…5 stars

    1. Oh okay wow! I learn something new every day! Thank you so much Emmeline!

  10. This looks great meal I like those homemade gravy and perfectly cooked beef patties, that too with full of flavor. Mashed potatoes sounds make it whole meal.5 stars

  11. I’m so making this next week for dinner. It looks absolutely delicious. So flavorful with all that gravy and onions. Just yum! I bet my boys will love this.

  12. Seriously sooo good steak. It sounds and looks incredible, i’m drooling over your steak. And your photography is mind blowing!5 stars

  13. This looks like the perfect winter comfort dish! I would win major brownie points if I put this on the menu while it’s still nice and cold. I appreciate you tip about Better than Bouillon. It would be great to have a bit of that on hand when I run out of stock.

  14. My boys would love this recipe! Such a perfect hearty meal for this time of year when it gets cold and all I want is comfort food!5 stars

  15. I’ve never cooked Salisbury steak but it looks delicious. Love the sound of the gravy too! Going to pin for later!5 stars