Old-Fashioned Salisbury Steak is comfort at its peak. A seasoned mixture of ground beef sears up in a cast iron skillet and then simmers in a from-scratch mushroom gravy until it melts away into meaty perfection.
Salisbury steak is one of those dishes that has interesting Civil War nutrition origins and graduated into a TV dinner and diner dinner plate classic. Here, this from-scratch mixture takes ground beef and fortifies it with eggs, herbs, and breadcrumbs, creating a flavorful patty through and through.
Giving the patty indentations gives it the classic “grill marks” but also adds great variety in texture on the outside of the patties.
After the patties get a good sear, sliced mushrooms and onions make their way into the skillet. Flour, ketchup, broth, and Worcestershire sauce provide savory notes to the gravy and create a great smooth thickness.
The steaks have a great tenderness thanks to the addition of egg and breadcrumbs, which make the ground beef extra soft and moist.
Gravy coats every inch of the patties, creating a sauce that you won’t want to leave behind on the plate!
You can serve this straight from the skillet or piled onto a mountain of mashed potatoes. The savory gravy and tender meat, those earthy mushrooms…should be salivate stake, not salisbury steak.
Old-Fashioned Salisbury Steak
For the Steaks:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Form the mixture into 4 oval patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Using your fingertips, press 8-10 dimples in each patty.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until they form a nice golden crust on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, then whisk in flour. Cook, stirring to prevent burning, for 2 minutes.
- Pour in beef stock, whisking continuously, then add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to a simmer, then cook until gravy thickens to your liking, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Nestle patties in the gravy and continue cooking until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Serve with gravy spooned over the top. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes, Belly Full, and Delish.