This easy Salisbury Steak Recipe is ready in just 30 minutes! It has juicy and tender beef patties smothered in the most delicious homemade mushroom gravy. It’s so incredible over Creamy Mashed Potatoes that even picky eaters will approve of this one-pan dish.
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What is Salisbury Steak?
Salisbury steak originated in the United States and is a popular dish made with seasoned ground beef patties smothered in gravy with mushrooms (often accompanied by caramelized onions). It got its name from an American physician, Dr. J. H. Salisbury. He encouraged a meat-centered diet and so this dish was named in his honor.
We love ground beef recipes like our popular Meatloaf or this easy Stovetop Beef Chili. If you have some ground beef and don’t know what to do with it, this Salisbury Steak is a must-try, because homemade Salisbury Steak is perfect for busy weeknights. It comes together quickly, it’s inexpensive, uses pantry staples, and is flavor-packed!
How to Make Salisbury Steak
- Beef Patties: In a large bowl, combine beef patty ingredients and then shape into 4 oval or round patties flattening the center for even thickness. Saute in a skillet until golden brown on both sides, remove from the skillet and set aside. (NOTE: You will want to use lean beef, and 90% works best.)
- Mushrooms: Sauté ½ the onion in the same skillet just until tender, then stir in garlic and butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned, mixing frequently. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Gravy: In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for the gravy and add to the skillet with the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until gravy thickens. Return the patties to the pan, cover with mushroom gravy, and cook just until patties are heated through.
Tips for the Best Salisbury Steak
This easy Salisbury Steak recipe is simple to make and a family favorite, so here are some tips to ensure you have the juiciest patties and savory gravy.
- Avoid Overmixing – Work the beef just until its well combined. Too much mixing can make the patties tough.
- Form Equal-sized Patties – keep them an even thickness for even cooking
- Create a Rich Gravy – make the sauce in the same skillet to utilize the tasty pan drippings from cooking the patties
- Searing the Patties – Allow the skillet to get hot before placing the patties inside to give them a great sear and seal in the juices.
Can I Substitute Ground Beef?
Salisbury Steak is classically made with ground beef, but this recipe is versatile. You can substitute ground meats that you have on hand. Try ground turkey for a Turkey Salisbury Steak or even a combination of meats such as ground beef and ground chicken.
What to Serve with Salisbury Steak
Though you can serve the beef patties in gravy over steamy rice or even egg noodles, the most classic side dish is mashed potatoes (our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes make dinner faster). You can add a vegetable to the side and any of these will work great:
- Green Bean Almondine
- Baked Asparagus
- Easy Roasted Vegetables
- Roasted Carrots
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Caesar Salad
- Marinated Tomatoes
Make-Ahead
This Salisbury Steak recipe is a great mid-week meal because it cooks quickly. If you make the patties ahead of time, it’s even faster to serve to a crowd. Leftovers also keep really well; just cool them to room temperature and store them.
- Prep the Patties Ahead: You can form the patties and store them covered in the refrigerator up to a day ahead.
- Refrigerate Leftovers: Once cooled, store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag, remove excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then transfer to an oven-safe pan or dish, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 20-30 minutes (depending on thickness) or until heated through.
With this traditional Salisbury Steak recipe, you are in for a treat. If you have picky eaters who don’t like mushrooms, just serve their patties without them. To the children, it’s like enjoying a juicy hamburger in gravy, and they love it!
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
For the Salisbury Steak:
- 1 lb ground beef, 90% lean
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 ½ tsp milk, (whole milk or any kind)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, to sautee
For the Mushroom Gravy:
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz brown mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth, + 1/2 cup water
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp ketchup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl combine all of the ingredients for the beef patties (except the oil). Mix until well incorporated and shape into 4 oval or round patties flattening the center for even thickness throughout.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, once hot, add patties to the skillet and cook until patties are golden brown on both sides and fully cooked. Remove the patties from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Sauté ½ onion (you can also slice onion into thin slices, whatever your personal preference is) in the same skillet. Once the onion starts to become tender, add the garlic and butter and mix.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, mixing frequently. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, whisk together all of the remaining gravy ingredients: 2 Tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp dijon, 2 tsp ketchup, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Pour into the mushrooms and cook until the gravy thickens.
- Add the patties back to the pan and completely cover with the gravy and mushrooms and cook just until patties are heated through.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Once you try this Salisbury Steak recipe, try these other quick and easy dinner recipes your family will enjoy any night of the week.
- Beef and Broccoli
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Baked Salmon
- Monterey Chicken
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Baked Chicken Fajita
- Lemon Garlic Chicken and Mushrooms
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
This was outstanding. Meat was very tender and followed the instructions as given. I was hesitant on mayo, but put it in. I would say I don’t think it needed the added water for the gravy as it didn’t thicken as much as we like. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so glad you found a new favorite, Debra!
Very yummy recipe my husband and I loved it however it took much longer to make. The recipe said 10 min prep time and that is at least a 40 min prep time to be realistic. 20 min cook time was more like a 40 min cook time. Very delicious but times should be more realistic
Great recipe. I’m addicted to your Salisbury Steak! There used to be a recipe for Salisbury Steak for Two by Valentina Ablaev (I think it was on your site) but I cannot find it anywhere. Would you happen to have a copy of that one that I can use for my wife and me since there is only the two of us. If not should I just cut all the ingredient quantities in half? Help!
Hi Rick, this is the recipe by Valentina. I recommend clicking “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the post and using the recipe slider to adjust the ingredient list down to two people. I hope this helps.
This was hands down the best Salisbury steak I’ve ever had. The recipe was incredibly easy to follow, and the flavor was outstanding. The steaks were juicy, the gravy was rich, and everything came together perfectly. I would absolutely recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a simple but delicious meal.
That’s wonderful to hear, John! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
It fell apart:( I probably should add more Panko then what recipe said?
Hi Otilia, It’s hard to say what caused it to fall apart without being there. I would double check to be sure no steps or ingredients were missed and you’re cooking them on a preheated oiled pan – if not preheated that may be the culprit. I wish I could be more helpful.
My Partner and I thought it was delicious and I enjoyed making it! Thank you for sharing !
You’re most welcome! I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
Really delicious although it took considerably longer than 30 mins! We did find that the onion in the patties was a little undercooked…do you have any tips for this? Should I fry the onion first next time before making the patties? Also, I has big flour lumps in my sauce because the stock was hot and had to sieve the gravy. Do you have any tips to avoid this next time? Could I use cornmeal flower next time instead? Thank you! Ps even with these slight issues it was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Susana. For the onions be sure they are chopped really fine. If they are too big, they will not be soft. If they are still not soft you can saute them for a few minutes if you prefer them softer. To avoid lumps of flour in the gravy be sure whisk as you are adding it, I do that each time and I don’t get clumps. Also adding the flour slowly helps incorporate it nicely. I hope these tips are helpful.
Made this for dinner and my hubby said it was the best Salisbury steak he has ever had. We both agreed that it is so good, and has that “Salisbury steak” taste your looking for. I won’t have to search for a “recipe” because this one is a winner and definitely a keeper <3
Hello Laura! Thank you so much for your great feedback, I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe a lot!
I made this recipe as written and it was oh so good! My husband and I loved the meal (served with mashed potatoes and green beans) and our guests did too. I usually cook with 93% lean ground beef but used 90% lean as suggested. Yummy. Thanks, Natasha!
That’s wonderful to hear, Cathy! And I’m so very happy you loved it!
Hamburger steak fell apart I used a 50/50 beef-Turkey. Made it easy I just scooped the meat and put it on top of the potatoes. Good flavor.
This was excellent! So much flavor! Thank you.
Love this recipe! I skipped the Italian seasoning and used some parsley instead. Also used cornstarch to thicken. Sooo much flavor! 😋
Tried it today and loved all the flavor it contains. Will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Priscilla!
Excellent!! Made it exactly like recipe only added more Panko which it needed … Love your recipes Natasha ! ❤️
Tastes good. But consistent is way too and it is easy to break the steaks. Even with prep takes more than 30 mins
Hi Justin, a few things that might help with troubleshooting and improving your results. Sometimes if the meat is not fully thawed, it doesn’t hold together very well. Also, if the patties feel too soft, you can try adding more breadcrumbs or form the patties and then show them for 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. Lastly, make sure you’re using your good nonstick skillet and make sure that your skillet is preheated before adding the patties which will help form the sear and keep them together better.
I agree. Mine fell to pieces in the fry pan. My hubby doesn’t care but still it’s frustrating. I love Natasha’s recipes however & have het book.
Getting ready to make this for the second time. I have to double the recipe because my 18yr old son can eat his weight in Salisbury steak. I grew up only having Salisbury steak from frozen dinners or school lunch which both were barely edible. This recipe is fantastic!!!
I’m so happy you tried and loved this recipe, Jennifer! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Made this tonight. It was terrific!Definitely a keeper .