It’s time to reframe the way you think about Salisbury Steak. These delicious beef patties are browned and then simmered in a rich brown gravy with mushrooms and onions. Super easy to make, Salisbury Steak is perfect for weeknights!
There’s something so nostalgic about good old-fashioned Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy.
Whether you’ve eaten it as part of a TV dinner, at a school cafeteria, or a diner, this dish harkens back to when things were a little simpler; and Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy truly is a simple, no-frills meal.
Through my recipe, I aim to spotlight a dish that often gets a bad rap but doesn’t deserve to.
These mini-meatloaves, or “steaks”, are lightly browned and then simmered in a rich brown gravy with mushrooms and fresh thyme.
Salisbury Steaks are great with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese, and a side of buttery green peas or sauteed garlicky green beans.
The best part is they can be ready in about 45 minutes making this a weeknight go-to!
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Ground beef. Use 80/20 chuck if you can since much of the flavor and moisture comes from the fat content in the beef.
- Milk (not pictured). To keep the “steak” patties moist.
- Onions. Onion is used in both the “steak” mixture and the brown mushroom gravy.
- Dijon mustard. This is also used for added flavor in both the meat mixture and gravy.
- Worcestershire sauce. An important part of the flavor profile of Salisbury steak, this is used in both the meat mixture and the gravy.
- Eggs. I used two eggs, although only one is pictured above. These help to bind the patties and prevent them from falling apart during the browning process.
- Beef stock. Use homemade beef stock if you can, or opt for a quick stock made from beef base, such as Better Than Bullion brand.
- Wine. Use a dry red wine such as cabernet, syrah, or Sangiovese. If you can’t have alcohol, simply omit the wine entirely.
- Flour. To thicken the gravy.
- Mushrooms. I love cremini mushrooms but white button mushrooms or other varieties would be just fine.
- Thyme. I used fresh thyme for the gravy (2 teaspoons worth) but you can use dried thyme as well. Just reduce the amount to 3/4 teaspoon of dried, and go up from there if you’d like more bearing in mind that dried herbs are more powerful than fresh.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Grate 1/3 of a cup of onion, and 4 cloves of garlic taking care to stop before your hand gets close to the grater. Slice 1 pound of mushrooms, and 1 large onion and set aside (Photo #1).
- In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of milk, and the grated onion and allow to sit for 5 minutes to form a panade (Photo #2).
- After 5 minutes, add 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck, the grated garlic, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 2 large beaten eggs. Gently mix the ingredients together and use your hands to form 4-5 equal-sized oval 1-inch thick patties (Photo #3).
- Heat a large cast iron or other heavy skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and begin to sear the patties (Photo #4).
- Sear the patties for 3-4 minutes per side, or until well browned, then remove them from the pan, place on a plate, and tent with foil to stay warm (Photo #5).
- Add the sliced onions and mushrooms to the same pan along with a pinch of salt and saute until the mushrooms release their water and begin to brown (Photo #6).
- Add 1/2 cup of dry red wine to the pan and turn the heat to high. With a wooden spoon, gently scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge the brown bits and cook until the wine almost entirely evaporates, about 2-3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium (Photo #7).
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and once melted, add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes or until golden (Photo #8).
- Slowly whisk 2 cups of homemade (or low-sodium) beef stock to the pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and whisk until the gravy is smooth (Photo #9).
- Add 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves and mix to combine, then turn the heat down to a simmer (Photo #10).
- Add the steaks to the pan and spoon the gravy on top of them. Allow them to simmer for 5-7 minutes flipping at the halfway point (Photo #11).
- Once the steaks are cooked through, test the gravy and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve the Salisbury steaks and enjoy! (Photo #12)
Top tips
- Mixing the meat. When you’re mixing the ingredients for your Salisbury steaks, mix just enough until the patties come together, and take care to not overmix. If you find your mixture is too moist, add a touch more breadcrumbs. If your mixture is too dry, add a touch more milk.
- Cooking the mushrooms. Be sure to cook the mushrooms long enough so they begin to release their water. At that point, they’ll start to brown and their flavor will intensify, so be patient with them.
- Use homemade stock. Whenever possible, I suggest using homemade beef stock or chicken stock. It not only elevates the flavor of the dish but also allows you to control the sodium level of your dish; my homemade stock recipes do not include any salt.
More old-school comfort food recipes
If you love a good retro recipe like this Salisbury Steak, I think you’ll enjoy these other classics!
- Classic Meatloaf – with mushrooms and brown gravy.
- Beef Stroganoff – seared steak with mushrooms in a tangy cream sauce.
- Classic Pot Roast – tender braised beef with carrots and potatoes.
- Steak Diane – tender medallions in a cognac cream sauce with mushrooms.
- Swedish Meatballs – perfectly seasoned meatballs in a tangy creamy gravy.
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Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy is a tasty stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that tastes like it's cooked for hours but can be on your table in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
For the steaks
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup onion grated
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
For the mushroom gravy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the steaks
- Combine the breadcrumbs, milk, and grated onion in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and gently mix together. Form 4 equal-sized oval patties approximately 1-inch thick.
Sear the steaks and make the gravy
- Heat a large cast-iron or heavy skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and sear the patties for 3-4 minutes per side or until well browned on both sides. Remove the patties to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Saute until the mushrooms release their water then let them brown for a few minutes.
- Add the wine to the pan and turn the heat to high. With a wooden spoon scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine almost entirely evaporates (2-3 minutes) then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the butter to the pan. Once in melts add the flour and cook for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Slowly pour the stock into the pan while whisking. Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk until the gravy is smooth. Mix in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme then turn the heat down to a simmer.
- Add the steaks to the pan and spoon the gravy on top of them. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, covered, flipping at halfway point. Once the steaks are cooked through, test the gravy and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Homemade beef stock is recommended so that the flavor is very intense and beefy. If using storebought, opt for beef base (Better than Bouillon) instead of boxed stock since it is much more flavorful.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 591kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.5g | Protein: 59.8g | Fat: 24.7g | Saturated Fat: 11.8g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 1200mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 7.3g | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 37mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe looks great, but my wife doesn’t like mushrooms. Can you suggest a good substitution? (Not carrots either.) Thanks!
Hi Larry, you can just omit the mushrooms if you can’t use them.
I am wanting to know if this can be totally prepared but finished off in the oven instead of stove top
Hi Lisa, yes, you can finish this in the oven.