Flavorful Salisbury Steak Deluxe

Growing up, Salisbury steak meant those frozen TV dinners with the watery gravy and mushy vegetables. That’s all I knew until my grandmother showed me her homemade version one Sunday afternoon. It was nothing like those freezer meals I remembered.

Turns out, real Salisbury steak is just a dressed-up hamburger patty with some simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. And the gravy? It’s rich, smooth, and actually tastes like gravy should. No more of that thin, artificial stuff from my childhood memories.

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

For salisbury steak, you’ll want to strike a balance between lean and fatty ground beef – an 80/20 or 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio is ideal. This mix provides enough fat to keep your steaks juicy and flavorful, but not so much that they become greasy. If you use meat that’s too lean (like 93/7), your salisbury steaks might end up dry and less tender. When shopping, look for freshly ground beef that’s bright red in color and feels slightly firm but not hard. For the best results, bring your ground beef to room temperature about 15 minutes before mixing it with the other ingredients – this helps everything combine more evenly.

Options for Substitutions

This classic comfort food recipe can be adapted with several easy swaps if you’re missing ingredients:

• Cream of mushroom soup: You can swap this with cream of celery or cream of onion soup. If you’re out of canned soup completely, mix 1 cup of beef broth with ½ cup of sour cream or heavy cream.
• Minced beef: Ground turkey or a mix of pork and beef works well here. Just keep in mind that turkey will give you a lighter colored patty and slightly different texture.
• Breadcrumbs: Out of breadcrumbs? Crushed crackers, rolled oats, or crushed cornflakes make good alternatives. Use the same amount as called for in the recipe.
• Horseradish: If you don’t have horseradish, try 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard or ½ teaspoon of wasabi paste for that nice kick.
• Fresh parsley: You can use 2 teaspoons of dried parsley instead, or skip it altogether. Dried chives or fresh cilantro can also work as garnish.
• Canola oil: Any neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or even light olive oil will work just fine.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making Salisbury steak is overmixing the meat mixture, which can lead to dense, tough patties – instead, combine ingredients just until they’re evenly distributed, using gentle hands. Another common mistake is cooking the patties on heat that’s too high, causing the outside to burn before the inside is done – maintain a medium heat and give them time to brown properly, about 4-5 minutes per side. To avoid dry, flavorless results, don’t skip the resting time after cooking (about 5 minutes), and make sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan when making the gravy – they’re packed with flavor. For the best texture, shape your patties with slightly wet hands and create a small dimple in the center of each patty to prevent them from puffing up during cooking.

What to Serve With Salisbury Steak?

Since Salisbury steak comes with such a rich mushroom gravy, it pairs perfectly with sides that can soak up all that delicious sauce. Creamy mashed potatoes are probably the most popular choice – just make a little well in the center for the gravy to pool. If you want to keep things simple, egg noodles or white rice work great too. For some green veggies on the side, try steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or sautéed mushrooms (because you can never have too many mushrooms!). And if you’re feeding a hungry crowd, warm dinner rolls are always welcome at the table for mopping up any extra gravy.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Let your Salisbury steak cool down, then place it in an airtight container with the gravy. It’ll stay good in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The gravy actually helps keep the meat moist, making leftovers just as good as the first day!

Freeze: This is a great meal to freeze for later! Place the steaks and gravy in a freezer-safe container or bag and they’ll keep well for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual portions – it makes for such an easy dinner on busy weeknights.

Reheat: To warm up your Salisbury steak, heat it slowly in a covered pan on the stovetop with its gravy, or pop it in the microwave at 50% power. If the gravy seems too thick, just add a splash of water or beef broth while reheating. Give it an occasional stir to make sure it heats evenly.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	35-50 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1300-1500
• Protein: 90-100 g
• Fat: 80-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-50 g

Ingredients

• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, not diluted
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper for seasoning
• 1 1/2 pounds minced beef
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, more if needed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Step 1: Prepare the Soup Mixture

In a small bowl, combine the soup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish.

Stir well to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly blended, forming a smooth sauce base.

Step 2: Mix the Patty Ingredients

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg.

Add the breadcrumbs, onion, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the prepared soup mixture to the beaten egg.

Mix well to form a cohesive mixture.

Then, crumble the beef into this mixture and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the beef.

Step 3: Shape and Brown the Patties

Take the beef mixture and shape it into six equal-sized patties.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, place the patties in the skillet and brown them on both sides.

If you are working in batches, make sure to add additional oil to the pan before cooking the next batch of patties.

Step 4: Simmer in Sauce

Once all the patties are browned, drain the excess fat from the skillet.

Combine the remaining soup mixture with water and pour this over the patties.

Cover the skillet and cook the patties over low heat.

Allow them to simmer until the meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 160 degrees F in the center of each patty, which should take about 10-15 minutes.

Step 5: Serve the Patties

Once the patties are cooked through, transfer them to a plate.

Serve hot with the sauce from the skillet drizzled over the top, and garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of color and added flavor.

Enjoy your hearty meal!