Comfort food like this old fashioned Salisbury steak recipe have brought families around the dinner table for generations. Tender seasoned hamburger patties are cooked to perfection then topped with a flavorful onion gravy.
This is a great recipe to please the whole family! Not only is this an inexpensive meal to make, but this classic meal also requires very little cleanup as everything can be made in one skillet.
What is Salisbury steak?
Salisbury steak is a hamburger steak topped with a rich brown gravy. Most commonly this is an onion or mushroom gravy. This classic recipe, which was invented by James Henry Salisbury, was particularly popular in poor rural areas due to the inexpensive ingredients required to make it, as well as its hearty nature, making it perfect to refuel a hard-working family after a long day.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef - I use a 85/15 lean ground beef for this, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Breadcrumbs - This helps to make your hamburger steaks more tender.
- Egg - Eggs are needed as a binder.
- Worcestershire sauce - Adds depth to the flavor.
- Garlic - Fresh is best, but garlic powder can be substituted.
- Seasonings: Ground sage, black pepper, salt.
- Yellow onion - If you prefer mushrooms instead, try my Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy. It is made with a secret ingredient - onion soup mix!
- Flour
- Butter
- Beef Broth - You can also substitute beef stock if you have it on hand.
How to make it
There are two steps to making your homemade Salisbury steak. First, you need to prepare the hamburger steaks. Then you need to make the gravy. Begin by mixing together all of the ingredients for the hamburger patty in a large mixing bowl, just as though you are making meatloaf.
Once the bread crumbs, eggs, and seasonings are added into your meat mixture separate it into 4 equal patties. These can be added in a single layer to a hot skillet set over medium heat. Cook on both sides until almost heated through and a brown crust forms (they will finish cooking later).
Removed the steak patties and set them aside, then add sliced onions into the drippings. Cook onions until tender and translucent, then set aside.
With the heat on low, melt butter in the skillet and sprinkle in flour. Whisk to combine and cook for five minutes to allow the roux to darken in color. Begin adding splashes of beef broth a little at a time, whisking them in as you go. Continue until all of the beef broth has been added, then return onion and ground beef patties to the skillet.
Let the gravy cook on a slow simmer until thickened and hamburger steaks have been warmed through, then serve.
What to serve with this meal?
Saucy meals with gravy are perfect for serving with mashed potatoes, and all of the fixins. Try any of these ideas!
- Classic mashed potatoes
- Steakhouse mashed potatoes
- French onion mashed potatoes
- Cornbread
- Herb Stuffing
- Mushroom and Swiss Stuffing
- Roasted green beans
- Green bean casserole
- Egg noodles
FAQs
Both Salisbury steak and hamburger steak is made from ground hamburger formed into a steak patty. The difference is in the additives. A hamburger steak is typically just hamburger and seasonings, whereas Salisbury steaks contain binders like breadcrumbs to make it more tender.
Leftover Salisbury steak should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
Salisbury Steak
- 1 lbs ground beef (85/15 recommended)
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Gravy
- ½ large yellow onion sliced
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups beef broth
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crumble ground beef into a large bowl and mix in breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, sage, black pepper, and salt.
- Once well combined, form the hamburger mixture into four equal oval patties.
- Set a 12" skillet over medium heat and add the hamburger patties. Cook until a brown crust forms, then flip and repeat. Remove the patties from the skillet before they are completely cooked through.
- Add onion slices to the drippings in the skillet and saute until tender and translucent. Then remove and set aside.
- Turn the heat to low and prepare the gravy by melting butter into the skillet and sprinkling in flour. Continue to whisk this mixture for 5 minutes to prevent burning and allow the raw flour taste to cook out.
- Slowly add dribbles of beef broth to the mixture while continuing to stir.
- Once all beef broth has been added return the onion and hamburger steaks to the skillet. Let simmer until steaks are cooked though and gravy has thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed prior to serving.
- Serve the cooked patties topped with sauted onions and a generous helping of gravy.
Maharba
Great recipe..however instead of using flour I used a cornstarch slurry. 5 Tbs of cornstarch to every cup of water. And since I made more than 4 my recipe called for 15Tbs just to make sure I had extra gravy. Everything else I followed and my fancy loves it!!!!
Andrea Bauchan
I tried your recipe for Salisbury Steak tonite. It was easy and very tasty. I will make it again. Even my fussy husband liked it.
Colettec
Made this for supper with mashed potatoes and yellow beans. Left out garlic to avoid heartburn. Turned out just like illustration, great taste. Will be making this recipe often.
Diane Turner
Garlic doesn't give you heartburn
jCNana
Maybe it does for her!
Mike Wallen
I'm making this tonight I have all the ingredients on hand.
Actually making this recipe, and the one with the mushroom gravy. I can't go wrong.
Randy Dingman
Really awesome recipe that turned out great as advertised. The only change I made was to use 1 teaspoon of 'better than bouillon' sauteed onion for a teaspoon of beef bouillon in the broth.
Tina
Surprised how easy this was to make and had to change a few ingredients as didn't have everything. Used crackers instead of bread crumbs and used a garlic dill dip package instead of onion soup packet. Was delicious.
STEVEN
Thank You yet again...for so many wonderful recipes!!!
All the Best!