This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Salisbury Steak Recipe is a comforting, stick-to-your-ribs meal that everyone will love. This is the recipe your mom used to make. It’s guaranteed to send you straight back to your childhood kitchen table. SO delicious served with buttery mashed potatoes, maple glazed carrots, and peas for good measure! For a healthier version, try my Healthy Turkey Salisbury Steak Recipe.
Salisbury Steak | A Classic TV Dinner
I’ve been working on this easy-to-make, family-favorite meal for a while and I’m thrilled to share this Salisbury Steak Recipe with you all!. It’s inexpensive, time-efficient, and delicious! If you’re looking for an easy but impressive weeknight dinner, this is a winer. You can feed this to your family and win mother (or father) of the year award or save it for the fanciest of dinner parties. It will absolutely deliver rave reviews.
But First, What is Salisbury Steak?
Salisbury Steak is an American dish made from ground beef, onion and breadcrumbs, formed into patties and cooked in a brown gravy. Mushrooms are traditionally added in as well.
Hamburger Steak Vs. Salisbury Steak?
Salisbury Steak is a version of Hamburger Steak (technically Hamburg Steak, as the Germans would say). Salisbury Steak differs from Hamburger Steak by incorporating other fillings and ingredients (much like meatloaf), whereas Hamburger Steak is just meat and seasonings.
What is Salisbury Steak made of?
Since Salisbury Steak can incorporate many ingredients, I included ones that add flavor while ensuring these babies stay moist. Here’s everything you’ll need to make the steaks:
- Ground Beef – the main ingredient.
- Onion – adds some subtle onion flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t like onions; you’ll barely notice them.
- Eggs – bind all the ingredients together.
- Garlic and Herb Breadcrumbs – you can achieve a similar flavor by using plain breadcrumbs with added garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds savory flavor and moisture.
- Whole Milk – keeps the Salisbury steaks tender and adds moisture. You can use any kind of milk.
- Salt and Pepper – seasoning while you go is essential for flavor, so don’t skip out on these two.
- Olive Oil – to cook the onions and steaks.
Mushroom Gravy for the Best Salisbury Steak Recipe
This Salisbury Steak gravy is a classic, made with butter and mushrooms, thickened with flour, and flavored with beef consomme, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Sounds like a weird combination, but I PROMISE you’ll love this Salisbury Steak recipe!!
- Butter – to add flavor and to saute the mushrooms.
- Mushrooms – the earthy flavor really lends itself to the gravy mix and is the perfect addition to Salisbury steak. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, omit them.
- All-Purpose Flour – thickens the gravy. Cornstarch is a good substitute.
- Beef Consomme – basically clarified beef broth with concentrated flavor! It’s one of my favorite ingredients.
- Beef Broth – also contains beef flavor but is thinner than the consomme.
- Worcestershire Sauce – for extra umami.
- Dijon Mustard – gives a teeny tiny kick to the gravy.
- Salt and Pepper – season to taste.
WATCH: How to make this recipe for Salisbury Steak
How to make this Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe
This recipe’s biggest challenge is the time it takes to make. However, I purposely made this a big recipe so you’ll be able to enjoy leftovers days later! Use a large, deep skillet, like this cast iron one, to have enough room for all that gravy!
1. Form Salisbury Steak Patties
Combine ground beef, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, milk, salt, and pepper. Divide mixture into portions and form into oval patties. I made 8 patties.
2. Brown the Formed Salisbury Steaks + Cook the Mushrooms
Brown the formed steaks in olive oil in a hot skillet. Just brown each side, don’t cook completely. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Cook the mushrooms in the remaining juices. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.
3. Make the Gravy
Make the gravy by making a roux (butter and flour melted together) and whisking in the beef consommé and broth. Add in Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard.
4. Add Steaks + Mushrooms Back Into the Pan
Add Salisbury steaks and mushrooms back into the pan to coat in gravy and cook until steaks are completely done. Serve hot with any desired side dishes.
Salisbury Steak Recipe – Easy tips for success
How Thick to Make the Steaks:
Your steaks’ thickness determines how long cooking them takes. Aim for no more than 1 inch thick.
Why does Salisbury Steak Fall Apart?
The two main reasons Salisbury Steaks don’t hold their shape are:
- They aren’t formed well and/or,
- They’ve been overcooked.
If the patties aren’t staying together or firm enough, consider adding another egg. Freezing them for 10 minutes before pan-searing will also help them hold their shape.
The eggs in the Salisbury Steaks help hold them together and keep their shapes. The egg white protein holds all the ingredients together, but overcooking breaks down that protein. So, once they’re done, just keep them warm until serving.
For a thicker gravy:
Use 1 cup of beef broth. For thinner gravy, add additional beef broth until desired consistency is reached.
How do I know if my steaks are done?
When Salisbury steaks reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe Variations
The beauty of this recipe is you can make it your own by adding in additional spices or playing around with different meats and aromatics. Here are some ideas:
- Use ground turkey, veal, pork, a fuller fat ground beef, etc. in place of 93/7 ground beef. Or a combination of a couple different meats.
- Add in more dried or fresh herbs to your liking. A packet of Lipton Onion Soup is a popular addition for many people.
- Use homemade bone broth in place of store bought broth for a nutrition boost!
What to pair with the Best Salisbury Steak Recipe
Here are some family favorites to serve with this recipe!
- Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes complement the dish’s comforting aspect and combine perfectly with leftover gravy.
- Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Cauliflower – Healthier options that can be oven-baked while the Salisbury steaks are cooking. Top with a little parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Dinner Rolls or Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls – Consider some carbs to accompany this meaty dish. Spread soft butter over warm rolls and scoop up some of the gravy while you’re at it.
How to store Salisbury Steak
Store leftover Salisbury Steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This dish is the perfect make-ahead meal since the gravy keeps everything moist.
Freezing + Reheating
To freeze, allow steak to cool and transfer to a airtight freezer safe container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months! To reheat, transfer to an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.
More Ground Beef Recipes To Try
- Hamburger Soup
- The Best Lasagna Recipe Ever
- Hungarian Goulash Recipe
- *BEST* Sloppy Joe Recipe
- Simple Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
If you liked my Salisbury Steak recipe, you’d love my other ground beef recipes! Try them and let me know what you think. Printable recipe card below. Enjoy, friends!
Easy Salisbury Steak Recipe
Ingredients
Salisbury Steaks
- 2 pounds ground beef as lean as you can find 93/7
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
For the Gravy
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 10.5 oz beef consomme 1 can
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, measure and combine the ground beef with the onion, eggs, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, milk, salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 8 even portions and form into oval patties.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Brown four patties evenly, about 4-5 minutes each side and remove. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and repeat browning the next four patties. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In remaining pan juices, cook mushrooms until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan. (If there isn't enough grease left, add in another tablespoon of olive oil.)
- For the gravy, melt butter in same hot pan. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to create a paste. Cook one minute. Whisk in beef consommé and beef broth and bring to boil to thicken. Reduce heat to simmer and stir in Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Add in mushrooms and cooked steaks. Coat in gravy, cover and cook on low until salisbury steaks are cooked completely through, 15 minutes or so. Serve hot with any desired side dishes.
I would never, ever use the leannest ground meat I could find. That would make the worst salisbury steak you can find! So much of the flavor is in the fat, and we have been lied to for so long about the dangers of fat. It just isn’t nearly as bad as they said. And proof has come out in recent years that they deliberately misled us, because there was evidence that SUGAR was the culprit, and the sugar lobby didn’t want that to come out, so it was deliberately pushed that fat was the problem. And now, what do we finally know about sugar? How bad is it? Okay, you eat only super lean meat that’s tough and has no flavor and lots of sugar; I’ll eat juicy meat with tons of flavor and forego dessert. I’m 70 and in good shape, haven’t had a cold or the flu in 20 years, am unvaccinated and have been exposed to covid — my son, who lives with me — and did not catch it.
I’m sure it’s going to be delicious
Thank-you debbie
Why should you use both broth and consommé together? Why can’t you just use one? It’s not logical
golly, why would you be so LOGICAL?
Want to add to my comment: after making many Swedish meatballs, which we love, I now add nutmeg and allspice to all ground meat dinners, such as Salisbury steak. We just love it. And I use half pork and half beef. There is so much good quality, grass-fed ground beef available these days, I can’t wait for that to happen to pork too. (I am horrified to hear that they are using mRNA vaccines on pigs. Unlike so many who are triple vaccinated and sick, I am unvaccinated and healthy — and I want to stay that way.)
Needed an easy ground beef recipe. I don’t even like gravy but this sauce was soo delicious and less fat than regular gravy. Fussy eaters in my family loved it. I used margarine & whole wheat flour. Broiled instead of fried in pan. Definitely a keeper in the recipe file.
What a wonderful dinner this made! The meat patties were moist and flavorful–made even more tasty when smothered in that wonderfully seasoned sauce with mushrooms. I did increase the measurements for the thickening agents by one Tbsp. each to achieve the consistency I wanted in the sauce. For sides, we had mashed potatoes covered with the mushroom sauce and steamed green beans. An excellent meal for a rainy evening in the Pacific Northwest.
Fabulous!!! Really great flavor. The hamburger “steaks” make it really tender and delicious.
Thank you for sharing.
Cannot wait to make this. It sounds amazing. Thank you for this.
Easy step by step guides. This is a delicious recipe and one I’ll make again.
This is the first recipe I have made from your website and my family LOVED it. It was a perfect hearty dinner for a cool fall night. I am looking forward to making more of your recipes soon!
I’m not a huge meat person but my husband is, so I made this just for him! I cut the Salisbury steak recipe in half because it’s just the two of us but left the gravy recipe alone. Major win! The steaks were perfectly moist and flavorful while the gravy drenched it all. Plus we made some mashed potatoes to go along with it all, so that helped too! Highly recommend this recipe!
This sounds amazing and love the idea of leftovers. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!
This recipe was amazing! It’s rare to find a recipe that everyone in my family loves. Thank you Lauren. This will definitely be going in our regular rotation.