Salisbury Steak

These juicy Salisbury Steaks are quick and easy comfort food for busy nights. Make the patties ahead, then sear them off and finish the mushroom and onion gravy in 30 minutes or less.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings Patties

Calories 534kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs (see note 1)
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter divided
1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
1 pound mushrooms thinly sliced (see note 2)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced, plus more for garnish (optional)
1 3/4 cups beef broth (see note 3)
1/4 cup red wine (see note 4)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a plate with parchment or wax paper. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and bread crumbs. Add beef and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper) and knead until combined.
Using wet hands, shape the mixture into four 1/2-inch thick oval patties and transfer to lined plate. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until foaming. Add patties and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve fat in skillet.
To the skillet, add onion and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in beef broth and red wine, and bring to a simmer.
Return patties to the skillet and cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper (personally I don't think it needs more at this point). Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Video

Notes

Bread crumbs: Homemade bread crumbs or plain store-bought work well.
Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are good, or substitute baby portobellos or your favorite wild mushrooms.
Beef broth: I always keep a jar of “Better than Bouillon” beef base in the fridge, a paste which is similar to bullion cubes and you dissolve it in boiling water. It is widely available and tastes delicious. You can substitute chicken broth, too.
Red wine: Just a basic, unfussy red wine for the sauce: cabernet, merlot, or pinot noir. Buy what you like so you can enjoy the rest with dinner.
Ground beef cooking temperature: The patties are cooked through when they register 160 degrees on the inside.
Wet hands: To keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands while you form the patties, wet your hands with water (this works for cookie dough too).
Make ahead: This recipe comes together fast, but you can form the ground beef into patties beforehand, store in the fridge, and break them out when you're ready to cook. It's important to chill the patties so they hold their shape while you fry them.
Cream of mushroom gravy: If you prefer a creamy gravy instead of onion gravy, use cream of mushroom soup. I make homemade condensed mushroom soup out of easy-to-find pantry ingredients, but you can grab a can at the store, too. Add a half can (or a whole can if you want extra sauce) to the recipe as written, but omit the flour in this recipe because the soup already has thickeners in it.

Nutrition