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. 
Made this tonight and it was a big hit with my husband and teen boys! It will be in my rotation from now on.
Yay great to hear that, Keri! Thanks for sharing, it’s always inspiring to know that the whole family enjoyed our recipes.
Made this last night, it was so flavorful! My husband loved it! I will certainly be adding it to my recipe book and will be making it again!!
I’m glad to hear that, Martha! Thank you for the review.
My homemade Beef Stock worked great in the recipe. I did grate the onion ( on the small side of grater) added the panko. Then added it to the beef. Have to hide onions when adding to any type of burger.
So nice to now that it worked so well!
yum! What can I use instead of the panko bread crumbs and flour?
I have not tested a substitute. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
How about oatmeal in the meat mixture and any gluten free flour for the flour to thicken the gravy or you could use cornstarch.
Hello Natasha, can I prepare the day in advance? is there any good food to reheat?
Hi Edith, it will work to make them ahead also – form the patties, cover, refrigerate then cook when you’re ready to enjoy them.
I have not had Salisbury steak in 52 years. This was not a 30 minute meal for me but the end result was awesome! My husband raved about the meal.
Totally worth it and I’m so glad you tried this recipe!
This was absolutely delicious. Will definitely make again. Forgot to take a pic of my plate because it looked so good lol I ate it right away. Thank you!
No worries about the pic, Barbara. Glad you love it! Feel free to share some photos on our Facebook page or group next time.
Great recipe. If you’re having trouble thickening the gravy. Add the flour to the mushrooms and onions and cook for 2 to 3 mins. Then slowly add the gravy mix while whisking.
Great idea, KC! Thank you for your review!
Hi! This was my first time making Salisbury steak for my fam. And it was a hit!! I followed the directions exactly!! Yummm!!!
Hi Lia, great to hear that you loved the result of this recipe!
Great recipe! Made this with your creamy mashed potatoes. All my guests loved it. Certainly took a lot more than 30 minutes to make. It was worth it though. Gravy wouldn’t thicken even after half an hour of cooking. So went to using corn starch as a thickener.
Hi Liz! I’m glad it finally turned out. Thank you for the excellent review.
This is a delicious main course! I’ve made it multiple times since I first found your recipe. My husband won’t eat mushrooms and I hide the onion by grating it to pulp. 🙂 I used zucchini instead of the mushrooms once and that was great too. Thank you for sharing your talent, I plan to take a look at your other offerings very soon!
Hello Laura, good to hear that you were able to find a good substitute ingredient and your husband loved it!
This is a tasty recipe that I had all the ingredients for.
I took one star away simply because this took me quite a bit longer than 30 minutes to make….
I’m not sure what size pan you used, but I could only cook a couple Pattie’s at a time and then it took FOREVER for the gravy to thicken up.
It wouldn’t have mattered except I chose this recipe partially for its cook time because I was very very busy … so that didn’t pan out lol
I will make again though! It was great on rice and I’m sure it’s great with mashed potatoes too
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Bethany!
Delicious! The whole family enjoyed. Will definitely be making again!
Hi Tiffany, I’m happy to hear that. Thank you for the review.
I love your recipes and this has become another favorite. I’ve made your ramen beef stir fry, chicken pot pie,brown sugar glazed salmon, to name a few.thanks for making me a better cook.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Miriam!
Hi Natasha,
I tried your Salisbury Steak for the first time for tonight’s dinner. It was absolutely delicious. My really picky hubby loved it too, he raved about how good it was our entire dinner. I made it exactly to your recipe and just doubled the mushroom gravy and it was perfect and it even looked just like the picture. Thank you for sharing all of your fantastic recipes with all of us. Tomorrow I’m making your Air Fryer Chicken Wings with the Lemon Pepper and Garlic Salt. Can’t wait to try them out Yummy. Thank you. Merle Felger
Yay, that’s really awesome feedback. Thank you for sharing that with us, Merle. I hope that your family will love all the recipes that you will try.
I get tired of the wth to make for dinner drag and decided to try this salisbury steak and it was DELICIOUS! Comfort food at its finest! I meant to take a pic for IG but I didn’t have time before my peeps were piling on their plates!😆 A must make, especially if you have fond memories of this recipe as a child!
I’m allergic to red/yellow onions so I subbed shallot…and doubled the mushroom gravy..husband made garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes…every fork, spoon and plate was licked clean! Thank you for another WINNER!
Hi Jen! That is wonderful to hear. I’m so glad your whole family loved this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing with us and thank you for the excellent review.
Hi Natasha! I love your site and videos. It looks like you really enjoy what you do! wanted you to know, wowing my family with your recipes and everything has been AMAZING! Thank you for making me love cooking again! ( cooking for my family for over 25 years!!!!)
Yes, I really do love it. Great to hear that your family has been enjoying my recipes! I hope they will love all the recipes that you will try for them.
Looks and sounds so good! Making this tonight. Loved Salisbury Steak growing up and haven’t had it in a long time!
Sounds like a great plan, Lisa. I hope it becomes your new favorite! Please update us on how you liked the recipe.
This recipe was fabulous. Turns out just like it is pictured. Easy to make and has so much flavor. I served mine with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini spears.
I love when that happens! Thank you for your great review, Julie!
I made this tonight. I didn’t have mushrooms so I sliced up an onion and made onion gravy. I served it with rice and fresh string beans.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Karen!
Made the Salisbury Steak recipe. Everyone in my family loved and cleaned their plates.
Great to hear that it was a huge success!