Salisbury Steak has a long history of being an economical meal that still manages to feel indulgent. (Not to mention super comforting too!) It’s an easy enough stovetop meal to throw together, but sometimes the crockpot makes things even easier. That’s the case with this Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak — same meaty, hearty taste you know and love, with a delicious savory onion gravy, but it’s a set-it-and-forget kind of operation. And we all need those once in a while.

To start, you’re going to make a ground beef mixture kind of as you would for meatloaf or meatballs. It’s just two pounds of ground beef, some breadcrumbs, milk, and some onion soup mix and thyme for easy seasoning. Mix that well (but don’t overmix it) and shape it into eight patties. Now, you probably don’t want to hear this but there is a little bit of stovetop work. I love a slow cooker recipe that only uses the slow cooker but searing the patties here imparts flavor that you can’t replicate with slow cooking and it only takes a minute anyway.

You dredge the patties in flour before searing. This gives them a nice crust but also helps to thicken the sauce in the long run so you have a velvety gravy that’s delicious spooned over anything on your plate. Place those patties over a pile of sliced onions in your slow cooker, then top them with
cream of chicken soup, a bit of water, and a packet of au jus mix, and then cook.

It’s a shortcut version of a comfort food classic but it turns out excellent results every time. We love this spooned over mashed potatoes — it’s the perfect combination!