Salisbury Steak Recipe : Taste of Southern (2024)

Steve Gordon | January 23, 2012 | 277 Comments


We’re cooking up Salisbury Steak with Onions and Gravy. It’s one of those traditional Southern comfort food items you’ll find on the menu at Mom and Pop style restaurants and diners throughout the South. Fresh ground beef, caramelized onions, and rich brown gravy make this one more delicious item to serve to your family and friends. All you’ll need to make it even better are some mashed potatoes. Now we’re talking!

Now, don’t go thinking this will taste like one of those cheap frozen dinners you might find in thefrozen foods section of your local grocer. Those little trays with plastic on top just can’t compare to homemade. This one is just about as quick and easy to prepare…except for making the caramelized onions. That takes a little bit of time but it will be well worth the added effort.

I must admit though, I’ve had my fair share of the imposters. When you can buy a packaged meal with meat, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and a brownie, all for one dollar, it’s difficult to not pop one or two in your grocery cart. Still, I hope you will give this little recipe a try soon.

Some may claim this to be hamburger steak. We’ll be adding a recipe for hamburger steak later. Hamburger steak is usually not served with gravy like the salisbury steak is served. Instead, it’s served as a fried or grilled meat patty and may include some grilled onions on top. You can add your favorite steak sauce to it if you so choose. It’s most often served with mashed potatoes as well, topped of course with…gravy.

This is a pretty straight forward recipe. Just don’t rush the onions too much and it will be quick and easy. We’ll cook up the patties first, caramelize the onions, and then simmer it all together in a rich brown gravy for about 15 minutes. While that’s cooking, we’ll whip up some mashed potatoes and get ready forsome real meat and potatoes Taste of Southern home cooking. Ready?

Let’s Get Cooking!


Here are the ingredients you’ll need. I’m using Ground Beef Round in an 80/15 mixture. I’m showing a two pound package in the photo, but I’m only using half of that in the recipe which will give me four servings.


I just divided the package in half and placed about one pound in a mixing bowl.


Use your handsor a fork to break it up a bit.


Begin by adding 1/2 teaspoon ofBlack Pepper. We’ll justgo ahead and add the first few ingredients, and then we’ll mix it up.


Add 1 teaspoon of Salt.


Add 1/2 teaspoon of GarlicPowder.


Add 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce.


Add one wholeegg, minus the shell of course. (Smile)


Add 1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs. I used bread crumbs like mama always used. I took one slice of white sandwich bread, and crumbled it up in my hands really fine. It’s easier with bread that is a day or two old. Of course, you could use store bought bread crumbs or even saltine crackers if you desire. The bread just serves as a binder for the mixture to help hold things together. We didn’t know anything about store bought bread crumbs around our house.


Now, jump right in with both hands, and mix it all together. I folded it, mashed it, squashed it, and folded it some more. Just mix it all up well and have fun. Cooking should be fun, so go ahead and squish it through your fingers.


Divide the mixture into equal parts. I made four patties from the pound of beef. Shape it into patties, like you would hamburgers, only shape it into more of an oval than something round. For some reason, Salisbury Steak patties always seem to be oval shaped.


Place your “I Don’t Have A Paula Deen,” regular and well used skillet on medium heat. Let it warm up for a minute or so, and then add2 Tablespoons of REAL Butter.Always use the real stuff instead of margarine. It’ll just naturally taste better. Ask Paula Deen, she’ll tell you.


Place the patties in the skillet. Don’t overcrowd them though, give them some space. I could only get three of mine in at the beginning, but once they cook down some, I’ll add number four. Let them cook for about 4-5 minutes.


While the patties are cooking, let’s get started on the onions. Begin by slicing a whole onion in half and removing the outer skin.


Slice each half into about 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.


After about 4-5 minutes, you’ll start to see the bottom edge of the patties start to turn brown like the two in the upper right. Now, you’ll need to flip them over, and brown the other side for about the same length of time. They don’t have to cook all the way through; we’re just browning both sides for now, to seal in the juices.


Even with only a 15 percent fat content, the patties will shrink. After I’d turned all three, I had enough room to add my fourth patty. You just need to watch the first ones and don’t let them burn. Take them out when they have browned completely on both sides.


Removethe pattiesfrom the pan and set aside. Again, don’t worry about them being cooked all the way through. We’re going to continue to cook them some more in just a few minutes.


Don’t discard those brown bits left in the pan. They are full of flavor and we want to save all of them.


Place your sliced onions in the pan, right on top of all those browned bits. Reduce the heat just a little, and let the onions slowly cook until they are clear and caramelized. Don’t rush them. Let them cook low and slow, stirring occasionally, until they turn nice and brown in color. This step may take 20 minutes or longer, but its well worth the time. If they cook too fast, they will burn, and you don’t want that to happen.


The onions will start to turn clear or translucent, and then theywill start to brown. We’ll continue to cook them some more as the recipe continues.


Now, sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of Flour all over the top of the onions.


Stir the flour and onions together. Then, let this cook for about 2 minutes longer to brown the flour. If you don’t allow the flour to cook and brown at this point, you’ll get a rawflour taste in the finished dish. Just keep stirring it for about 2 minutes.


Slowly add 2 cups of warm water. It’s just warm water straight out of the faucet. If you were using a cast iron skillet, you’d never want to add cold water to a hot skillet as it could cause it to crack. Stir the water and onions together.


Add 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon granules. I highly prefer the granules as opposed to the cubes. The cubes always seem to take forever to dissolve. You could certainlyuse about 2 cups of beef broth if you had that instead. This will pump up the flavor of the gravy.


Stir the mixture well, and then bring the heat back up to about medium.


Carefully place the meat patties back into the gravy mixture.


Cover the pan. Let the whole thing simmer on medium or just a notch below medium, for about 15 more minutes. They just needto simmer lightly and not be at a rolling boil. You also might want to turn the meat patties over about half way through.


After about 15 minutes, it’s all ready to serve. Man, I’m hungry right now. I’m a true meat and potatoes kind of guy and love this Salisbury Steak.

We cook a lot of dishes with gravy, or gravy and onions, here in the Taste of Southern kitchen. It seems like most all of them just go best with mashed potatoes served as a side dish. You could also serve them over a bed of rice if you prefer. Add some whole corn or maybe some green beans, and a piece of cornbread, and you’ve got yourself a real meal for lunch or dinner any day….even on Sunday.

Enjoy!

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Salisbury Steak Recipe : Taste of Southern (31)

★★★★★5 from 12 reviews

  • Author: Steve Gordon
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish, Beef
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

We’re cooking up Salisbury Steak with Onions and Gravy. It’s one of those traditional Southern comfort food items you’ll find on the menu at Mom and Pop style restaurants and diners throughout the South. Fresh ground beef, caramelized onions and a rich brown gravy make this one more delicious item to serve to your family and friends.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of Ground Round Beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 whole Egg
  • 1/4 cup of dry Bread Crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons of Butter
  • 1 large Onion, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons of Flour
  • 2 cups of Water
  • 2 teaspoons of Beef Bouillon Granules

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the Beef, Black Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder, Worcestershire Sauce, Bread Crumbs and one whole Egg. Stir mixture together well.
  2. Shape into 4 equal sized patties.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat for about a minute, and then add Butter.
  4. Place meat patties in skillet and brown on both sides for about 4-5 minutes each. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  5. Add the sliced Onion into the skillet, right on top of the browned bits.
  6. Reduce the heat and cook the onions on medium-low heat until the onions turn translucent and brown. Don’t rush this step. Cook the onions low and slow for about 20-25 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour over the onions. Stir. Let cook and brown for about 2 minutes.
  8. Add 2 cups of warm Water. Stir well. Raise the heat back up to about medium.
  9. Add 2 teaspoons of Beef Bouillon Granules. Stir Well.
  10. Place the meat patties back in the pan. Cover. Reduce heat just a little and let simmer for about 15 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.
  11. Enjoy!

Notes

You could certainly use a beef broth as opposed to the granules. Just omit adding the water and granules to the cooked onions and add beef broth instead.

Keywords: Salisbury Steak Recipe, made from scratch, homemade, southern recipes, onions and gravy, pan gravy

Your Comments: Your comments are always welcome. We read each and every one, and look forward to hearing from you. Please place your comments in the section below.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

Tags: beef, main dishes

Category: Beef, Main Dishes

Salisbury Steak Recipe  : Taste of Southern (2024)

FAQs

What is Salisbury steak sauce made of? ›

The patties are cooked to golden brown, and then a simple gravy is made with onions, mushrooms, beef broth and a little cornstarch which is used as a thickener. I typically use white button mushrooms, but other mushroom varieties like cremini mushrooms would also be a great choice.

What is the difference between country style steak and Salisbury steak? ›

What's more, country-fried steak is breaded and fried, whereas Salisbury steak is just pan-fried in a little oil. Breading and frying a cube steak locks in the flavor. It's the best comfort food and a popular Southern-style breakfast, usually served with eggs and biscuits.

How do you keep Salisbury steak from falling apart? ›

Why does my Salisbury steak fall apart? Make sure to mix the egg and cracker mixture well and shape the patties tightly to prevent this Salisbury steak from falling apart. The egg and crushed butter crackers are both meat binders, so they'll keep steaks firm and intact.

What makes Salisbury steak different from hamburger steak? ›

Salisbury steak features a blend of ground beef, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, cooked with a rich brown gravy. Hamburger steak, on the other hand, is a simpler patty made from ground beef, seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices, often served with various toppings.

What is real Salisbury steak? ›

Salisbury steak isn't technically a steak, but more like a patty. In fact, it's similar to meatloaf but usually without as many ingredients, shaped into a patty rather than a loaf, and served with a mushroom and onion gravy. If you like meatloaf, you'll probably love Salisbury steak.

What was the original Salisbury steak? ›

The steak is named after Dr. J.H. Salisbury, who promoted a meat-based diet as the means to optimal health in the mid-1800s. His original recipe called for “the muscle pulp of lean beef (to be) made into cakes and broiled,” and it was served with Worcester sauce, mustard, horseradish or lemon juice.

What ethnicity is Salisbury steak? ›

Salisbury steak is a dish originating in the United States and made from a blend of ground beef and other ingredients, being considered a version of Hamburg steak.

What is school Salisbury steak made of? ›

Salisbury Steak is lean ground turkey and beef combined with fresh vegetables and crushed tomatoes and spices, and then baked.

What is another name for Salisbury steak? ›

On this page you'll find 8 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to Salisbury steak, such as: beefburger, burger, cheeseburger, chopped beefsteak, ground chuck, and ground round.

Why is my Salisbury steak tough? ›

Be careful not to over-mix the patty mixture, as this will result in tough patties. If the patties are falling apart during cooking, chilling them about 30 minutes next time will help them hold their shape. The best fat content for the ground beef in this recipe is 85/15 or 90/10.

What do you eat Salisbury steak with? ›

25 Savory Sides For Salisbury Steak
  1. 01 of 25. Homemade Mashed Potatoes. ...
  2. 02 of 25. Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts. ...
  3. 03 of 25. Crispy Potatoes. ...
  4. 04 of 25. Best Homemade Macaroni And Cheese. ...
  5. 05 of 25. Glazed Carrots. ...
  6. 06 of 25. Southern-Style Collard Greens. ...
  7. 07 of 25. Buttery Yeast Rolls. ...
  8. 08 of 25. Slow-Cooker Green Beans.
Aug 21, 2023

Why do people eat Salisbury steak? ›

Did you know that Salisbury Steak got its start as a famous food in America, when it was used as stand-by high-protein meals for soldiers during the American Civil War? It makes sense, when you think about it, because of the nutritional content of the meat and the fast preparation time.

What's the difference between Swiss steak and Salisbury steak? ›

What Is the Difference Between Salisbury Steak and Swiss Steak? A Salisbury steak is made from ground beef that's formed into a patty, and Swiss steak is actually steak. Additionally, Salisbury steak usually has a gravy that consists of beef broth, and Swiss steak is known for being cooked with tomatoes and onions.

What does Salisbury mean in Salisbury steak? ›

This hamburger steak dish was named after Dr. James Henry Salisbury, a doctor who studied nutrition in the 19th century and was a big proponent of minced beef as a health food, according to Smithsonian magazine.

What meat is banquet Salisbury steak? ›

Salisbury steak is supposed to be beef but the first ingredient listed on the box is mechanically separated chicken! And then the other main ingredients are pork and beef, followed by textured vegetable protein. Beef is the last meat listed and mechanically separated chicken is the the first.

What is Salisbury steak similar to? ›

Hamburger steak is similar to Salisbury steak in that both are covered in an onion and mushroom gravy.

Where did the recipe for Salisbury steak come from? ›

James Salisbury, a germ theory pioneer, invented Salisbury Steak to combat illness among Civil War troops. Best known in our time as a staple of TV dinners and bargain buffets, the Salisbury Steak actually has its beginnings as a proposed cure for digestive illness during the Civil War.

What is in the IHOP Salisbury steak? ›

Sirloin Salisbury Steak: Chopped sirloin steak with freshly sautéed mushrooms and onions and beef gravy.

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