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This Salisbury steak recipe is a comfort food classic with ground beef patties smothered in a delicious mushroom and onion gravy. It’s made with everyday ingredients and tastes amazing from scratch!
I think you’ll also enjoy this homemade Easy Meatloaf recipe or Simple Filet Mignon.
Why you’ll love it
Salisbury steak is an American staple that has ground beef patties paired with a rich brown gravy. It’s been around since the late 1800s when Dr. James Salisbury invented it. He was a big fan of meat, and I think we’re all glad he dreamed up this recipe!
My version is made totally from scratch. It’s an inexpensive skillet meal and so simple. Picky eaters love it as well. It was actually one of the first meals I learned how to cook all by myself after college! You’ll never go back to the stuff from the frozen foods aisle after trying mine.
What you’ll need
For the patties
- Ground beef – try to get lean, at least 90%
- Garlic, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper – for infusing delicious savory flavor right into the patties
- Breadcrumbs – we’re using ones with Italian seasoning
- Egg – to bind everything together
- Olive oil – for pan frying
For the mushroom gravy
- Onion – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions, but yellow onion works too
- Mushrooms – cremini mushrooms are my go-to for this recipe
- Butter and flour – to create a roux to thicken the gravy
- Broth – we’re using beef broth for its deep flavor as the base
- Worcestershire sauce – it adds that umami, savory quality that’s the hallmark of a great gravy. Don’t skip it!
- Garlic powder – adds even more savory flavor
Tips for success
- As with any ground beef recipe, try not to overwork the meat. You want to gently form patties that aren’t too dense but will still hold together. Don’t over-handle them too much, or they will end up tough.
- Don’t rush through cooking the mushrooms and onions. They get so much more flavor as they brown!
How to make Salisbury steak
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Add the beef patty ingredients to a large bowl. Combine using your hands without overworking the mixture.
Form four equally sized oval patties. Fry them in a skillet with the olive oil until they’re nicely browned. Transfer patties to a plate. To the same skillet add the mushrooms and onions, sauté until golden, then transfer to a plate.
Make a roux with the butter and flour in the skillet. Whisk in the beef broth, and then add in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Return the beef patties and mushrooms and onions to the skillet. Cook until the gravy has thickened and the patties are cooked through!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use these tongs to easily flip the hamburger patties.
- It’s very handy to have a splatter guard for easy clean-up in skillet recipes.
- It’s worth investing in a Le Creuset enameled cast iron skillet!
- Ground beef is safe to eat at 165F. Using an instant read meat thermometer is the easiest way to tell when it’s done.
Substitutions and variations
- Don’t have Dijon? Try mustard powder instead. Or use yellow mustard, adding a bit extra since it’s milder.
- You can use panko breadcrumbs in place of regular ones. I’d add a little extra since they’re less dense, though. If you don’t have seasoned breadcrumbs, add 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning to the beef mixture for additional flavor.
- Use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic if you don’t have any.
What to serve with Salisbury steak
- Mashed Potatoes go well, as do my Garlic Butter Noodles or another kind of pasta. Rice would work too!
- I’ve also enjoyed it with a thick slice of crusty bread to mop up all that gravy.
- For veggies, try broccoli, Easy Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, or my Easy Glazed Carrots.
Leftovers and storage
- Salisbury steak leftovers taste great and will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Simply reheat it in a saucepan over low until warmed through, or you could microwave it.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Since it’s not a cream sauce, it should turn out just fine when thawed!
More tasty ground beef recipes
If you made this homemade Salisbury steak, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
Beef patties:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying)
Sauce:
- 1 medium onion sliced or chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 3/4 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients prior to getting started.
- Add all the beef patty ingredients (except for the olive oil) to a fairly large prep bowl. Using your hands, mix it together and then form 4 patties (oval shape and aim for the same thickness of about 1/2-3/4" or so for each patty).
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes.
- Fry the beef patties for 5-6 minutes/side or until they're nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Leave the fat in the skillet.
- Add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the water has cooked out and they're nicely seared (about 7-9 min). Transfer to a plate (the same plate as the beef patties is fine).
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter to the skillet, and once it's melted, sprinkle in the flour. Cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes so the flour taste is cooked out.
- Whisk in the beef broth slowly, ensuring the flour has dissolved into the sauce.
- Whisk the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder into the sauce.
- Add the onions, mushrooms, and beef patties (and any juices from the plate) back into the skillet. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or so until the beef patties are fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. If the gravy gets too thick, add a splash of water or more beef broth. Serve immediately with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Haven’t had Salisbury steak in years. Made this tonight (less mushrooms wife don’t like them.) Boy liked it. I really enjoyed it. Had it with bake potatoes.
Definitely make it again. Even got momma’s approval. Must a been ok then!
Glad to hear it, Matt!
Very tasty
Thank you!!
This was fabulously easy and so delicious. I used my homemade beef bone broth so the gravy was lick-your-plate good! I will definitely make it again
Fantastic!! 😀 Thank you!
Made this last night. It was delicious! Just like mom used to make (and that’s a high compliment)! My husband loved it. Good advice to do all the prep in advance, which I like to do anyway, then it comes together very easily. I did add some green bell pepper and put a slice of provolone on top of each patty and served with mashed potatoes. This is now in our meal rotation! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
That’s awesome to hear!! You’re very welcome, Charlotte! 🙂
Living in Minneapolis means I am constantly looking for healthy-ish comfort food recipes in the winter. Not only was it easy to make, it was absolutely delicious! The sauce is so good! It was wonderful with mashed potatoes and along side roasted vegetables. It was just as good as a leftover the next day. Thank you for this recipe!
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for your 5-star review, Susan!
Very easy and delish. Gravy wasn’t too heavy (did add a little more broth). Seems like something I could make over the weekend for a quick weekday dinner.
I’m so glad you liked it, Robin!! Thanks for your review!
Excellent recipe! I added red bell pepper (‘cause I had it) and 1/4 cup of red wine. Delicious and an hour later, the house still smells amazing.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Tillie! 😀 Thanks for your review!
I made this tonight for my in-laws and it was a hit. I almost cried. Thanks for sharing such a delicious and well written recipe.
Aw that’s wonderful to hear, Jamie!! Thank YOU. 🙂
I wanted to make Salisbury steak for dinner last night, and then perfect timing-this showed up in my Instagram feed! Delicious! I used a red onion because I love their flavor and the gravy was so good.
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I really appreciate your review, Amanda!
This is probably the best Salisbury Steak recipe I’ve made. It went together pretty quickly after I prepped everything before I started cooking. Has zero problems with the gravy thickening up which is usually ALWAYS a problem for me. Super flavorful recipe all around.
The only problem I had was with the beef. I was using my Staub skillet:pan and I had it on medium high heat. The beef cooked too fast on the sides and took forever to cook in the inside. I don’t know if I need to make skinny beef patties or figure out my new oven more with my Staub and temps.
Any suggestions? Thank You!
That’s so nice to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 I have some Staub cookware too, and it retains heat big-time once it’s warmed up. I’d say to cook it at a slightly lower heat than indicated and/or make the patties thinner. Also, don’t be afraid to adjust the stove temperature as needed… like if it the pan seems too hot, turn it down and then if needed turn it up again. I find myself doing this a lot since I have a gas stove and cook with Creuset/Staub so it often gets very hot. You could also try making a little depression in the patties with your thumb so that they don’t puff up in the middle (that’s also a trick I use with homemade burgers).