Treat your family to this fantastic Salisbury Steak recipe on the table in 30 minutes. Weeknights never tasted so good!
Salisbury Steak is a nostalgic favorite. When I was a kid, my mom would make trays of the frozen family packs on the nights she didn’t have time to cook. She served it with egg noodles, and I just loved it. These days I have a more sophisticated palate, so frozen meals aren’t my thing, but homemade is an easy and delicious upgrade that gives this childhood front-runner a position back on my table.
I still love it served with egg noodles, but my family prefers it alongside mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. Either way, it’s a fantastic, easy meal everyone enjoys.
Why This Recipe Works
- Moistened breadcrumbs keep the meat moist and tender.
- Finishing the patties off in the mushroom gravy keeps them moist and adds flavor.
- Adding vinegar to the mushroom gravy adds brightness and a bit of acidity to enhance the flavors.
What Is Salisbury Steak?
If you’ve never had Salisbury Steak, the best way to describe it is a delicious cross between burger patties and meatloaf. It has a lot of the same ingredients as a meatloaf, like breadcrumbs, egg, and egg, but is cooked like a burger would be in a pan and served in gravy.
This tasty version of that classic comfort food takes less than thirty minutes to prepare! Easy to do just one pan, this hearty dinner recipe will please the entire family, and it’s much better than anything you can get from the shop!
How To Make Salisbury Steak
- Soak the breadcrumbs in milk.
- Combine the ground beef, breadcrumb mixture, egg, onion and salt and pepper.
- Shape into patties.
- Fry patties for 5 minutes each side. Set aside.
- Make the mushroom gravy.
- Finish the patties off in the gravy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: Beef with higher fat content instead of lean meat. The extra fat keeps the patties nice and juicy. I recommend using Ground Beef that’s 80% lean.
- Breadcrumbs: I use plain panko bread crumbs, but regular or seasoned will work.
- Eggs: Use large or jumbo-sized eggs.
- Flour: All-purpose or plain flour
- Shallots: I use minced shallots in the meat mixture instead of onions because they are smaller and will cook with the meat. You can use onions, but if you do, I recommend sauteing them first and then allowing them to cool before adding them to the mixture.
- Mushrooms: I like to use cremini mushrooms, but any brown mushroom works well.
- Onions: I use yellow onions for the sauce, but you can use white or, for a sweeter element, use red onions.
- Soy Sauce – I use soy sauce for a bit of umami flavor. Use low sodium soy sauce. If you only have regular, cut the salt to a quarter teaspoon.
The All Important Taste Test
After making your meat mixture for the Salisbury Steak, it’s worth taking extra time to cook a sample and taste it before forming your patties. Do this by making a tiny hamburger patty and pan-frying it in a bit of oil until fully cooked. Then do a taste test. It should taste delicious! It probably needs salt or a little extra soy sauce if it doesn’t. Season the raw mixture and repeat the test until it meets your expectations.
Step By Step Instructions
Combine the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, add the milk and stir together while adding more milk, one tablespoon to moisten them thoroughly. Let rest while you prep the rest of the ingredients (or leave for at least 5 minutes).
Add the ground beef, bread crumb mixture, salt, pepper, chopped onion, and egg in a large mixing bowl.
Mix until evenly combined. This can be done by hand or if you have a heavy-duty stand mixer, mix it on a low setting until combined.
Shape the beef mixture into 4 oval-shaped patties, about an inch thick. The patties need to be a similar size so they cook evenly and at the same time.
Coat your pan with two tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil (as they have a higher smoke point). You only want a thin layer of oil, so swirl it around to coat the pan’s bottom evenly.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Preheat your pan well -This is important as a higher temperature is necessary to achieve a deep-colored sear on the surface of the patties.
Pan-fry the patties until crisp and browned (about 5 minutes on each side). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Using the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
Add the sliced mushrooms, saute until cooked through and any liquid has evaporated, and mushrooms are browned (about 7 to 9 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Stir in flour so it coats the onions and mushrooms and cooks it for another minute.
Add the beef stock gradually, continuously stirring and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the brown bits that may have stuck to the pan (this adds a wealth of flavor). Add the vinegar, raise the heat, bring to a boil, mix in the herbs, and return the beef patties to the pan.
Finishing the patties in the mushroom gravy adds flavor and moisture to the beef.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the patties are no longer pink in the center. Taste the sauce for seasoning, and season with salt as needed before serving.
Serve and enjoy.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Be sure to mince your shallots instead of chopping them. The finer cut will allow them to cook along with the meat.
- Cook and taste test a little meat before forming the patties to ensure seasoning levels are correct. See the section above titled ‘The All Important Taste Test’ for detailed instructions.
- Preheat your pan well – This is important as a higher temperature is necessary to achieve a deep-colored sear on the surface of the patties.
- Brown the patties until crisp, but don’t cook them all the way through. You want them to finish cooking in the sauce to let their meaty flavor seep into the gravy.
- If the gravy starts to get too thick, add more beef stock or water to thin it out.
- If your gravy isn’t thick enough, don’t try to add more flour (it can cause lumps in your gravy). Instead, make a cornstarch slurry with one tablespoon of corn starch and 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water. Bring your sauce to a boil and mix it in a little until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Let them rest – Just like with roast beef; it’s essential to let Salisbury steak rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to help set the patties and lock in the juices.
- For the best flavored gravy, use homemade beef stock. I promise it makes all the difference!
- Add a tablespoon or two of ketchup to your meat mixture for a sweeter flavor profile.
- Mix a tablespoon of butter into the sauce at the end for extra richness.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
- To make ahead: Allow the Salisbury steak to cool, then add to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- To freeze: Allow to cool, then add to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until warmed through before serving.
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Let’s Make Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
For the beef patties:
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk or water – plus more if needed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons parsley or thyme chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the gravy:
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 teaspoon white or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
For the beef patties:
- Add the breadcrumbs to a small bowl, add the milk and stir together while adding more milk 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten the breadcrumbs fully. Let rest while you prep the rest of the ingredients (or at least 5 minutes).
- Add the ground beef, bread crumb mixture, salt, pepper, chopped shallot, egg, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and parsley to a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly combined.
- Shape the beef mixture into 4 oval shaped patties, about an inch thick.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Pan fry patties until crisp and browned on both sides (but not fully cooked). Remove from the pan and set aside.
For the gravy:
- Using the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until cooked through, any liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned (about 7 to 9 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Stir in flour and cook another minute.
- Slowly add the beef stock while continuously stirring and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the brown bits that may have stuck to the pan. Add the vinegar, raise the heat, bring to a boil, mix in the herbs, and return the beef patties to the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more.
- Taste for seasoning, season with salt as needed before serving.
Tips + Notes
- Be sure to mince your shallots instead of chopping them. The finer cut will allow them to cook along with the meat.
- Preheat your pan well. This is important as a higher temperature is necessary to achieve a deep-colored sear on the surface of the patties.
- Brown the patties until crisp, but don’t cook them all the way through. You want them to finish cooking in the sauce to allow their meaty flavor to seep into the gravy.
Kristi O says
I would give this 10 stars! I haven’t had Salisbury Steak in years and had a craving. This was so delicious. It tasted buttery although it has no butter in it. Great directions in the recipe and easy to follow. Far exceeded my expectations, my kids are going to love it! Thanks Erren 👌🏻
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Kristi! That’s wonderful to hear! We’re so glad you enjoyed the Salisbury Steak recipe. It’s always a great feeling when a recipe exceeds your expectations. Your kids are in for a treat! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! Happy cooking! 👩🍳👨🍳
Chef Gail says
I made this recipe today as part of my Meal Prep Plan for a client. It was the simplest recipe I found, and the dish came out great!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Erren Hart says
You’re welcome! I’m delighted to hear it turned out great for your Meal Prep Plan. It’s always satisfying when a recipe meets your expectations and helps you deliver a delicious meal to your clients. Thank you for trying the recipe and for your kind words. Wishing you continued success with your meal prepping endeavors!