This is the perfect easy dinner when you want something fancier than a burger, but more casual than a steak. I used to struggle with what I could make for dinner with ground beef that the whole family would love. This does the trick every time! I’ve even learned a chef-inspired secret for extra-juicy patties, (no one likes brick meat!). I approached it differently than I would if I were to make meatloaf, cube steak, or salisbury steak, because I wanted this to be true to its name: “Hamburger” Steak. Read on!
Hamburger Steak vs. Salisbury Steak
Hamburger Steak is made with simple ingredients that resemble how you would make a hamburger. In this case, it’s served with gravy over mashed potatoes. It could be served with a bun if preferred. Salisbury Steak often includes an egg that’s used as a binder, along with breadcrumbs, milk, and other ingredients. Basically an individually-sized meatloaf. (Try Salisbury Steak or Cube Steak recipes next!)
Using Shredded Butter in Burger Meat
Incorporating butter into the beef is a chef secret to keep the patties nice and juicy. When meat cooks, the proteins tighten and contract and in doing so, moisture escapes. This can result in tough bricks of meat. The butter in the patties steam as they cook which helps maintain the moisture of the protein. It’s important that the butter is about the same temperature and shape as the ground beef pieces are. The best way to achieve this is to shred frozen butter. This way, even a very well-done burger can still be juicy!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Combine the hamburger steak ingredients and form into oval steaks. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Heat in olive oil over medium-high heat for 4 minutes/side. Remove and set aside.
Add 2 Tablespoons butter to the pot and soften onions. Add brown gravy ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Whisk in cornstarch + cold water.
Add the patties back to the pan and spoon onion gravy over the top. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until cooked through, the internal temperature should be 160°. Swirl in the remaining 1 TBS cold butter at the end. This is a chef-inspired finishing technique that adds a velvety finish to the gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes!
Pro Tips
Don’t overwork the meat, mix ingredients until just combined for a juicy consistency. Carefully form tight patties to help them stay together. Refrigerating for 15 minutes also helps with this. Form them flatter than you might think, as they do expand as they cook. Mince the onions very fine for a nice smooth texture. The longer you cook the onions, the better. The more they caramelize, the more flavorful the gravy will be. Use high-quality butter such as Cabot for best results.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Try These Next
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
