Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak

thetipsyhousewife
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A Meal Reminiscent Of Grandma’s Kitchen

Salisbury Steak over mashed potatoes topped with mushroom gravy

Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak is a classic comfort food. Ground beef is formed into tender patties with onions, seasoning, and the addition of onion gravy packets that add a deep, rich flavor perfect for topping potatoes.

This is one of my very favorite recipes. I recently made it and brought some to my Mom.

She really enjoyed it as well and it had me thinking it’s a great meal to make someone in need. It can easily be reheated or frozen if you portion it into individual servings.

Need Help Finding and Saving The Recipe?

There is a full, printable recipe card at the end of the post for this Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak. You can hit the print button for the recipe to come up on one screen and from there you can screenshot this to save it to your phone.

I also have added a Pinterest button that you can use to save this recipe to your Pinterest page. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me there as The Tipsy Housewife.

A package of McCormick Onion Gravy

The Onion Gravy

This is one of the ingredients I get asked about the most. This is the onion gravy that I use in this recipe.

I also use this same packet in my Sausages In Onion Gravy Recipe. I love the flavor it adds to the meat patties and the gravy.

McCormick makes the Onion Gravy that I always use. I find it easily at most grocery stores and places like Walmart.

Substitutions

If you cannot find this McCormick packet you can use the mushroom variety or just the plain brown gravy.

Do not use the Lipton Onion Soup packet! It will be much saltier than the gravy packets I use.

The Lipton also won’t make the gravy thicken the way you will want it to.

Lower Salt

I realize the gravy packets are not for everyone. Literally every time I post them I get Salt Soldiers going crazy in the comments on social media.

Apparently because THEY cannot have salt, I am not supposed to either. IF you do want to make this less salty, you can omit the gravy packets all together.

That’s totally fine, but it should lead to some adjustments.

If I were to omit the gravy packet, I would add some salt or salt substitute to the meat mixture.

When making the gravy at the end, I would simply make a slurry using 1/4 cup of cold water and a couple of teaspoons of flour or cornstarch. Slowly add this slurry to the simmering beef broth.

This will make a gravy that will have less flavor, but you can taste and add seasonings to your liking. I do not judge you for eating less salt so please let everyone enjoy their appropriate salt intake in peace!

Seasoned ground beef patties on a baking sheet

Pick Your Size

Pictured above are the size of my patties, but you can make your patties any size you prefer. Just be sure to adjust the cook time if they are bigger or smaller.

Thicker patties will take more time to cook. Smaller ones will take less time to cook.

I did not include this in the recipe card, but I do lightly season the outside of my patties as well. You can omit this step or add some seasonings to the outside before frying.

Make sure to give the patties about 15 or 20 minutes to rest before searing them off in the pan. This gives the egg some time to help bind all the ingredients together so that the patties do not fall apart when cooking.

A package of Worcestershire Powder

Worcestershire Powder

Worcestershire Powder is a newer to me ingredient that I have been trying out in a few recipes. I am a big fan of the flavor of Worcestershire Sauce but sometimes I want less liquid in a dish.

I have also found it fits perfectly in a Bloody Mary mix for a special flavor and texture.

I loved it in my recipe for Mediterranean Inspired Hamburger Pitas with Peppers and Onions because it sort of bound the meat together, making a bit of a gravy which tasted delicious.

I like using it for added flavor, but you do not have to purchase it to make this recipe.

Where To Buy Worcestershire Powder

I buy this Worcestershire Sauce Powder on Amazon. It is $11.99 for a decent sized bag.

*This is an Amazon affiliate link, meaning Amazon pays me a small commission if you use the link.*

This powder will last forever and I have more recipes coming up that use it so I promise it wonét go to waste!

Salisbury Steak over mashed potatoes with gravy and mushrooms with a spoon taken out of it
Salisbury Steak patties simmering in gravy
The Salisbury Steak patties are so meaty and flavorful.

This dish is a classic that proves old fashioned doesn’t have to mean bland or boring.

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak Recipe

Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak Recipe

Salisbury Steak features mouth watering ground beef formed into tender patties with savory onion gravy. Served over creamy mashed potatoes with loads of mushrooms for the most delectable bites.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. of lean Ground Beef
  • 1 medium sized Yellow Onion
  • 3 packets of McCormick Onion Gravy
  • 1 sleeve of Saltine Crackers
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/4 cup of Milk
  • 1.5 teaspoons of Onion Powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of Dried Parsley
  • *if you bought the Worcestershire powder you can also add a teaspoon to the meat mixture (powder linked in post)
  • 3 to 4 cups of chopped Mushrooms, I use white mushrooms but you can use any varietal
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce or Soy Sauce
  • 3.5 cups of low sodium Beef Broth
  • 3 tablespoons of Butter

Instructions

  • Prior to making this recipe, I wipe off the whole mushrooms with a wet paper towel. Never submerge the mushrooms in water, this is how they cook up slimy. After wiping them down, dry them with a clean dishtowel or paper towel. Chop them up and set them aside.
  • To your meat, add the one packet of the onion gravy (the brand is pictured in the post), finely dice the onion and add that, and you can also grate the onion as well. Add the saltines, the milk, whisk the egg and add it, and add all the seasonings and herbs (onion and garlic powder, black pepper, and dried parsley).
  • Combine this well in the meat and try not to over mix.
  • Form the meat into larger patties. Mine are approximately about 1.5 inches thick and about 3.5 to 4 inches wide. I form them into balls first and then press them into a thick hamburger patty shape (pictured in post). As I form them, I place them on a baking sheet and then let them rest there. You should have 6 to 8 patties, but you can also make them bigger or smaller.
  • In the skillet add a tablespoon of butter and add your patties a few at a time. You are going to cook them for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side. You want to get a good "crust" on them. You will know they are ready to flip when they lift easily from the skillet.
  • You may have to cook these in batches depending how large your skillet is. I cook them on both sides and then let them rest on a clean plate while I sear off the others. I use a large, deep sided skillet, but sometimes they all don't fit depending on how large the patties are.
  • After you have browned all your meat, add the rest of the butter to the skillet, let it melt, and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are golden brown, then sprinkle them with the soy or Worcestershire sauce. Sauté some more, then sprinkle with black pepper. They should be a deep golden brown color.
  • Add all the patties to the skillet with the mushrooms. They may overlap a bit, then add your low sodium beef broth. Bring this all to a simmer, reduce the heat to just barely a simmer, cover, and simmer about 25 minutes. You may want to check them occasionally and flip the patties so they get cooked evenly.
  • At the 25 minute mark, get a bowl and add the remaining gravy packets to them, then carefully ladle about 1.5 cups of hot liquid from the skillet to the gravy and whisk this until it is smooth (there will be bits of the onion).
  • Bring the skillet up to a stronger simmer and add the gravy mix. Let this simmer and thicken for about 8 more minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve over creamy mashed potatoes. (see the recipe card under this one for my mashed potatoes recipe)
    • © thetipsyhousewife
    Salisbury Steak over mashed potatoes with mushrooms and gravy

    The Best Mashed Potatoes

    I think I make some of the best mashed potatoes. There are no secret ingredients, there is just a foolproof method of making them fluffy, buttery and delicious.

    I will add the recipe card below for my method.

    Yield: 8 servings

    Best Mashed Potatoes

    Best Mashed Potatoes

    There are a few tricks to making mashed potatoes that every home cook should know. These mashed potatoes are so flavorful and delicious that you don't even need gravy. Once you make these for your family, you are going to be asked to make these for every holiday.

    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour

    Ingredients

    • 6 Medium Sized Russet Potatoes
    • 1 Stick of Salted Butter + 2 tablspoons
    • 1/2 Cup of Milk
    • 2 Tablespoons of Salt for cooking + more to taste
    • Black Pepper to taste
    • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

    Instructions

  • Peel your potatoes and cut into large, even cuts. For medium sized potatoes you should have about 6 chunks cut, but no more than 8.
  • Add the potatoes to a pot and add 8 cups of water plus 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let boil on a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • In a small saucepan, add the milk, the stick of butter, the black pepper and the parsley. Warm on low until the butter is melted.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander and place the same pot back on a low flame. Make sure you drain the potatoes very well and place back in the hot pan on the low flame, and let the potatoes evaporate off more of the water from the heat from the pan.
  • Add the melted butter and milk mixture and begin mashing. Taste and add more salt until it is your preference.
  • Transfer to a bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the top, some dried parsley and black pepper.
    • © thetipsyhousewife

    1 Comments

    • sevilla131

      September 14, 2024 at 6:34 pm

      I made this and it was delish! Now it’s the recipe replacing my meat loaf because it’s just the hub and I. It freezes well too. I had a hard time finding the onion gravy because I believe it is very popular. I never used it before, but it is tasty! Glad I bought the 9 packs I found. It’s much tastier than the beef. Next time I will make 8 patties because they seemed pretty huge to me, but I may have used a little too much beef.

      Reply

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