This juicy Salisbury Steak is easy to make from scratch in just one pot and serve with thick and flavorful mushroom gravy. This simple dinner idea is easy to make for the family and serve with mashed potatoes and buttermilk biscuits.

Be sure to try my Cube Steak and Gravy next!

A skillet with Salisbury Steak in a thick mushroom gravy topped with fresh parsley.

Salisbury Steak

Nothing beats a classic (budget friendly) comfort food quite like Salisbury Steak made from scratch. This is something I love to make during the week because I always have the ingredients for it. And if you don’t have mushrooms, (or have some picky eaters), they can be left out!

I’ve spent the last year making some really delicious gravy recipes as well as hamburger steak, cube steak, baked meatballs, and meatloaf. This recipe is basically a combination of all of those things, and has been long overdue here at The Cozy Cook!

Difference Between Salisbury Steak and Hamburger Steak

  • Hamburger Steak is made with simple ingredients that resemble how you would make a hamburger. (My recipe includes a simple chef-inspired secret that will WOW you.)
  • Salisbury Steak often includes an egg that’s used as a binder, along with breadcrumbs, milk, and other ingredients. Basically an individually-sized meatloaf.

👉 This Salisbury Steak recipe is basically a combination of my recipes for Baked Meatballs, Cracker Barrel Meatloaf, and Hamburger Steak , Brown Gravy, and Mushroom Gravy all rolled into one.

Why is it Called Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak was invented by James H. Salisbury in 1888. According to Wikipedia, he was a physician during the American Civil War who “believed the  troops could be controlled with a diet of coffee and lean chopped beefsteak.”

He believed that people were meant to mostly eat meat and limit vegetables and starchy foods. Thus, he invented the original version of this recipe and believed that it could be eaten three times a day. 😬

Panade = The KEY to Juicy & Flavorful Meat

  • A panade is a mixture of starch and liquid that is combined to form a paste. It’s mixed in with meat for meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers to preserve the tender texture of the meat.
  • When meat cooks, the proteins expand and contract and in doing so, moisture escapes. The starch in the panade turns to a gel when cooked and lubricates the fibers in the meat as it cooks.

How to Keep Salisbury Steak From Falling Apart

  • To help the Salisbury steak together, you can refrigerate them for 15 minutes after you’ve formed them.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Optional: Sauté onions/garlic and let cool. This gives them a more subtle flavor/texture in the Salisbury Steak which is ideal, especially for picky eaters.

Make the panade: Combine egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and salt/pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and cooled onions/garlic. Stir to combine, it will form a paste.

Gently combine the panade with the meat until just combined. Don’t overmix or the meat will become tough.

Combining meat with a panade to make mixture for Salisbury steak.

Form into patties and sear 2 at a time in olive oil over medium-high heat, 1 minute per side. Remove and set aside. The middle will still be uncooked.

Molding and searing meat patties for Salisbury steak.

Make the Gravy: Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add gravy ingredients except for the cornstarch/cold water. 

Sauteing onions and mushrooms and adding beef broth to make gravy.

Bring the gravy to a boil. Combine 3 TBS cornstarch + ¼ cup COLD water. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture until desired level of thickness is obtained. Whisk continuously as you add it, you may not need to add it all. Decrease heat to medium.

Add the steaks back and cover. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Spoon with mushroom gravy and serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. They’re done when the internal temperature is 160°

Adding Salisbury Steak to mushroom gravy in a skillet.

Thickening the Gravy

  • To thicken the gravy with a roux (butter + flour), instead of a slurry, (cornstarch + water), melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in the pan after you soften the onions/mushrooms.
  • Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of flour. Continue whisking for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
  • Slowly add the beef broth, whisking continuously as you do so.
  • Add the seasonings, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the Steaks back to the pan. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Pro Tips

  • Set out all ingredients before you start, it really helps the recipe move along quickly and easily.
  • Use a spatula large enough to hold entire meat patty so that it’s fully supported when being handled.
  • Sear 2 patties at a time so that you can easily flip them in the pan.
  • Onions and/or Mushrooms can be eliminated from the gravy if preferred.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 71!

Make-Ahead Method

  • The patties can be mixed/molded and refrigerated overnight before cooking. (I like to wrap mine in saran wrap!)
  • You can also freeze the molded patties for up to 3 months. Wrap them in saran wrap and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to cooking.

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Salisbury Steak

Mashed Potatoes, Buttered Noodles, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Corn Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Buttermilk Biscuits, and more!

Try These Next

Salisbry Steak on top of creamy mashed potatoes with green beans.

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Salisbury Steak in a skillet topped with mushroom gravy and fresh parsley.

Salisbury Steak

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
5 from 60 ratings
Servings: 4 people
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Salisbury Steak is a simple family recipe that you can serve with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. It freezes well and can even be prepared ahead of time.

Ingredients

Salisbury Steak

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
  • ½ cup yellow onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large egg, whisked
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs, can sub Panko
  • 1 lb. ground beef, 80% lean

Gravy

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 ½ cups beef broth
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup cold water + 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

Form and Sear the Steaks

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. This is optional but it makes them more subtle in texture and flavor which is ideal in Salisbury steak, especially for picky eaters.
  • Whisk together the egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to form a paste. Stir in the cooked onions/garlic. This is called a panade, it makes the Salisbury steak juicy and flavorful.
  • Add the ground beef and panade to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix until just combined, don’t overmix or the meat will become tough.
  • Form into 4 oval steaks. Refrigerate them for 15 minutes to ensure they stay together.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown 2 steaks at a time on each side for 1 minute, remove and set aside. Middle will be uncooked.

Prepare the Gravy

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter along with the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 5 more minutes.
  • Add the beef broth, beef bouillon, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Bring the gravy to a boil. Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch + ¼ cup COLD water. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture until desired level of thickness is obtained, you may not need to add it all. Decrease heat to medium.

Add the Steaks

  • Add the Salisbury Steak back and spoon the gravy on top. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, it’s done when the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Set out all ingredients before you start, it really helps the recipe move along quickly and easily.
  • Use a spatula large enough to hold entire meat patty so that it’s fully supported when being handled.
  • Sear 2 patties at a time so that you can easily flip them in the pan.
  • Onions and/or Mushrooms can be eliminated from the gravy if preferred.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 71!
To thicken the gravy with a roux (butter + flour), instead of a slurry, (cornstarch + water):
  • Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in the pan after you soften the onions/mushrooms.
  • Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of flour. Continue whisking for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
  • Slowly add the beef broth, whisking continuously as you do so.
  • Add the seasonings, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the Steaks back to the pan. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 1442mg, Potassium: 834mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 215IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 5mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie