Salisbury Steak With Mushroom Gravy

Be sure to try my Cube Steak and Gravy next!

Salisbury Steak

Nothing beats a classic (budget friendly) comfort food quite like Salisbury Steak made from scratch. This is something I love to make during the week because I always have the ingredients for it. And if you don’t have mushrooms, (or have some picky eaters), they can be left out! I’ve spent the last year making some really delicious gravy recipes as well as hamburger steak, cube steak, baked meatballs, and meatloaf. This recipe is basically a combination of all of those things, and has been long overdue here at The Cozy Cook!

Difference Between Salisbury Steak and Hamburger Steak

Hamburger Steak is made with simple ingredients that resemble how you would make a hamburger. (My recipe includes a simple chef-inspired secret that will WOW you.) Salisbury Steak often includes an egg that’s used as a binder, along with breadcrumbs, milk, and other ingredients. Basically an individually-sized meatloaf.

👉 This Salisbury Steak recipe is basically a combination of my recipes for Baked Meatballs, Cracker Barrel Meatloaf, and Hamburger Steak , Brown Gravy, and Mushroom Gravy all rolled into one.

Why is it Called Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak was invented by James H. Salisbury in 1888. According to Wikipedia, he was a physician during the American Civil War who “believed the troops could be controlled with a diet of coffee and lean chopped beefsteak.” He believed that people were meant to mostly eat meat and limit vegetables and starchy foods. Thus, he invented the original version of this recipe and believed that it could be eaten three times a day. 😬

Panade = The KEY to Juicy & Flavorful Meat

A panade is a mixture of starch and liquid that is combined to form a paste. It’s mixed in with meat for meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers to preserve the tender texture of the meat. When meat cooks, the proteins expand and contract and in doing so, moisture escapes. The starch in the panade turns to a gel when cooked and lubricates the fibers in the meat as it cooks.

How to Keep Salisbury Steak From Falling Apart

To help the Salisbury steak together, you can refrigerate them for 15 minutes after you’ve formed them.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Optional: Sauté onions/garlic and let cool. This gives them a more subtle flavor/texture in the Salisbury Steak which is ideal, especially for picky eaters. Make the panade: Combine egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and salt/pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and cooled onions/garlic. Stir to combine, it will form a paste. Gently combine the panade with the meat until just combined. Don’t overmix or the meat will become tough.

Form into patties and sear 2 at a time in olive oil over medium-high heat, 1 minute per side. Remove and set aside. The middle will still be uncooked.

Make the Gravy: Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add gravy ingredients except for the cornstarch/cold water.

Bring the gravy to a boil. Combine 3 TBS cornstarch + ¼ cup COLD water. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture until desired level of thickness is obtained. Whisk continuously as you add it, you may not need to add it all. Decrease heat to medium. Add the steaks back and cover. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Spoon with mushroom gravy and serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. They’re done when the internal temperature is 160°

Thickening the Gravy

To thicken the gravy with a roux (butter + flour), instead of a slurry, (cornstarch + water), melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in the pan after you soften the onions/mushrooms. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of flour. Continue whisking for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste. Slowly add the beef broth, whisking continuously as you do so. Add the seasonings, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the Steaks back to the pan. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Pro Tips

Set out all ingredients before you start, it really helps the recipe move along quickly and easily. Use a spatula large enough to hold entire meat patty so that it’s fully supported when being handled. Sear 2 patties at a time so that you can easily flip them in the pan. Onions and/or Mushrooms can be eliminated from the gravy if preferred. This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 71!

Make-Ahead Method

The patties can be mixed/molded and refrigerated overnight before cooking. (I like to wrap mine in saran wrap!) You can also freeze the molded patties for up to 3 months. Wrap them in saran wrap and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to cooking.