Everything’s better with gravy, right? Try this Salisbury Steak with Gravy for dinner tonight!
Salisbury Steak: what’s in a name? The Salisbury part comes from a noted Civil War-era physician and dietician, Dr. James Salisbury. He came up with this dish as a way to nourish soldiers and prevent GI issues which plagued the troops. What was originally called “hamburger steak” became known as “Salisbury Steak” and grew from a plain meat dish to one smothered in mushroom gravy. The Steak part is a little misleading – it’s really just seasoned ground beef, but we won’t begrudge a little glow-up, right? Salisbury Steak peaked in the early twentieth century and is mostly a cafeteria food or diner dish these days. But it’s worth a revisit, and update with the fresh ingredients in this version.
Salisbury Steak is worth a second look because it’s a comforting, satisfying dish that is similar to meatloaf but way quicker to prep and cook on a weeknight. It’s stovetop, so the cooking time is not long, and your oven will be freed up for warm bread or a substantial side dish like roasted potatoes, if you so desire.
Plus, the flavors of the tender ground beef, onions, garlic, and mushroom gravy are a wonderful mixture of savory goodness. The gravy especially adds a salty (but not too salty), rich topping that envelopes the patties and creates an extra-tender, meaty main dish. No steak knife is needed for this “steak!”
Top Tips For a Perfect Salisbury Steak
- Use a lean ground beef. Either 90% lean or actual ground sirloin are best. They’re healthier without sacrificing taste, and make for less mess in the skillet.
- Use your hands: as mentioned above, using your hands to shape and form the patties is easiest. If handling raw meat weirds you out, slip on some clean plastic gloves first. After thoroughly mixing the ingredients, gently form into patties–don’t smash or overwork the meat and other ingredients.
- Searing step: In step 4 above, the 3-minute sear is super important – that quick sear not only makes the browning happen but ensures that the patties won’t just fall apart when cooking later. Turn on your exhaust fan and sear away!
- Don’t stop stirring! When adding the cream mixture to the hot skillet, stir continuously, to avoid any curdling. If you can try to have your cream at room temperature, that will help with the incorporation as well.
What’s the difference between Salisbury Steak and Swiss Steak?
Salisbury Steak is made with hamburger, while Swiss Steak is made with actual steak, even though the meat portion looks similar. The sauces differ as well: Salisbury Steak always has a brown gravy, sometimes with mushrooms, while Swiss Steak is topped with a tomato and onion-based sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Classic comfort food like Salisbury Steak almost always involves a starch of some kind. I love this dish with mashed potatoes, which can soak up that yummy mushroom gravy. Roasted potatoes are also delicious with Salisbury Steak. Other starches that work well include buttered egg noodles or just rice. To add some color to your plate, steam some broccoli or thin green beans as well.
How to Store Salisbury Steak (with Mushroom Gravy!)
The patties for the steak can totally be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen. Let them come close to room temperature before searing. The rest of the recipe is best made the day you’re going to serve it. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you’re freezing, you may want to store the gravy separate from the steak portion.
Salisbury Steak (with Mushroom Gravy!)
Ingredients
For the steak
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and Pepper
For the Mushroom Gravy
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ onion sliced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- ¼ cup cream
Instructions
- Start by making the Salisbury steaks, in a nonstick pan over medium heat drizzle in half the olive oil and toss in the onions and garlic to saute for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set them aside.
- In a bowl use a whisk to beat the egg, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and rosemary together. Then add in the ground beef, cooked onion and garlic, and breadcrumbs and mix it all. I like to use my hands to get it all well combined.
- Divide the meat mix into four equal parts and then shape them into patties with your hands.
- Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and then brown the patties for 3 minutes on each side over high heat. Once they are browned carefully take them out of the pan and set them aside.
- To make the gravy start by adding the butter to the pan over medium heat then add in the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the Italian herbs, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and cream, stir it together, and then let it simmer, stirring for 8-10 minutes until it starts to thicken. Remember to give the gravy a taste to see if the salt is right, it will probably not need any salt as the beef stock can be quite salty.
- Gently place the steaks into the mushroom gravy, cover with a lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and serve.
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