Simple and affordable, Salisbury steak with onion mushroom gravy is not, in fact, steak! You could say these ground beef patties are the midweek lovechild of mother meatloaf and papa hamburger. These juicy babies are served tucked up in a cosy and deliciously earthy mushroom and onion gravy, best devoured with a fluffy mashed potato pillow.
Did ‘hamburger’ stop you in your tracks? With barbecue season almost on the horizon, save this epic smash burger recipe for the sunnier days and get comfy with Salisbury steak while it’s still cold out there.
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Simple Salisbury steak recipe
This all-American ground beef recipe takes its name from a Dr. Salisbury, a physician of the 1800s. Salisbury advocated eating ground beef as a solution to digestive disorders.
He believed that meat in this form was more easily digestible than joints or cuts and encouraged Americans to eat more meat. Living into his 80s, Dr. Salisbury’s theory might just have had something to it!
Salisbury steak was the food that soldiers marched on during the Civil War, so the recipe needed to be simple and inexpensive. I’ve stayed true to the frugal nature of the original.
Simply, the patties are ground beef and grated onion bound together with egg and breadcrumbs with a smattering of seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
These juicy beef patties are somewhere between a classic meatloaf and juicy homemade burgers, but drenched in a subtly sweet but earthy sauce.
Or, if you are familiar, Russian meat patties kotlety. These adorable mini patties incorporate ground beef and pork with milk-soaked bread and are also smothered in a rich and foresty wild mushroom sauce.
Mushroom and onion gravy
If it doesn’t come with mushroom and onion gravy, it ain’t Salisbury steak! It’s meatloaf. The gravy is an essential component to this dish, and really, why would you skip it?
Sautéed sweet and soft red onions, golden nutty mushrooms, rich beef stock and a dash of Worcester sauce make this gorgeous gravy a great all-rounder. It blankets beef patties in this recipe but could happily offer the same comfort to pork meatballs, and chicken breasts or thighs.
Or serve on the side with genuine classic meatloaf, creamy mushroom stuffed meatloaf or ground beef Wellington.
Recipe tips and notes
- Usually, I opt for very lean ground beef, 5% fat. However, for this simple Salisbury steak recipe it is better to go for 10% or even higher. The fat brings the rich beefy flavour and keeps the meat moist.
- The acidity in the apple cider vinegar used to deglaze the pan sharpens the gravy and contrasts with the sweet meat. If you like a bit of bang though, deglaze with either a ¼ cup of whisky or brandy instead for boozy bottom note.
- It’s so important to sear the patties. It truly intensifies the flavour of the finished dish. They will not be cooked all the way through at this point. But don’t worry! They finish cooking while bathing in the gravy.
- Your Salisbury steaks will puff up in the pan. Resist the temptation to squash them back down with your spatula. This will squeeze all the juice out and leave them on the dry side.
- Finally, chop some parsley and scatter over the mushroom gravy-smothered steaks. A flash of bright green lifts the dish.
Serving suggestions
This honest and pared back fare calls for honest and pared back sides. No fanfare or fuss.
I just serve mine with mashed potato and veg. Irish mashed potatoes are buttery with a ping of green onions, or super easy instant pot mashed potatoes with cream cheese. If you’re not a potato person, a pile of pasta will work too.
Traditionally, Salisbury steak would have come with peas and sweetcorn from a tin. Go soldier-style if you have a couple of cans to hand. I quite like mine with carrots, either maple glazed roasted carrots or easy roasted parmesan brussels sprouts and carrots.
Storage and leftovers
A popular tv dinner recipe, we all know Salisbury steak is a good freezer. This homemade version has plenty of storage options:
- TV dinner style: prepare the whole dish, gravy and all, cool and portion out into freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Freeze for 2-3 months and take out to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking on the stove top.
- Get ahead: prepare the patties up to the point of cooking and either keep in the fridge for a day or in the freezer for 2-3 months. When freezing, separate each patty with parchment paper first. Thaw the frozen patties in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as per the recipe instructions.
- Leftovers: leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top. If the gravy is looking a bit gloopy, add a splash of water or more stock.
More recipes to try
Salisbury Steak with Onion Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 500g/1 lbs ground beef
- ½ onion grated or 1 tsp onion powder
- 75g/1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ tbsp This is an affiliate link.Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme optional
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
For the mushroom gravy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 300g/4 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 500ml/2 cups beef stock or chicken stock
- ½ tsp This is an affiliate link. Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef, grated onion, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, water and an egg. Mix to combine. (I recommend using your gloved hands to combine the mixture. Then divide into 4 parts, rolls into balls, then flatten them lightly to 4cm/1.5 inch thickness.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and once sizzling hot add the patties and brown on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until golden. While the patties are cooking, slice the onions and mushrooms. Remove the browned beef patties to a separate plate, they will not be cooked all the way through at this point.
- To the same pan add 1 tbsp of butter and mushrooms, saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until they’ve got good colour on then, then lower the heat and push the mushrooms aside to free some space on the pan, add another tablespoon of butter and sliced onion, cook the onions for 5 minutes. Don’t forget to stir both onions and mushrooms to avoid burning.
- When the onion are slightly coloured and have softened add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then deglaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar and let it evaporate, sprinkle the pan with the flour and mix so the vegetables are evenly coated with the flour. Slowly add the beef stock while stirring to avoid lumpy gravy, then add the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the beef patties back to the pan and spoon some gravy oven them, simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the beef is cooked all the way through and the gravy has thickened.
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