Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy is a comfort food favourite that’s easy to make. Juicy seasoned beef patties made with ground beef (mince) smothered in an outrageously delicious mushroom gravy, this Salisbury Steak recipe has been tried and loved by readers from all over the world. And now it’s your turn to experience it!
And next time – try Salisbury Steak Meatballs!
Salisbury steak
There’s a man who lives in his car at our local dog park. He’s a valuable member of our community – he knows all the locals, looks after the park like it’s his own backyard, has gun-barrel views over Sydney’s beautiful Pittwater waterways and he tells the worst jokes. 😂
Anyway, the story of this Salisbury Steak recipe is that I regularly take hot meals down to him, sometimes even fancy-sounding things like duck confit. As we approached Christmas one year, I asked him what, of all the meals I took to him that year, his favourite meals were.
And he said “Oh, those burgers with the mushroom gravy were spectacular!” So I made them again for him, then I published the recipe on my site the next day. 🙂
This was back in 2015, and that’s how this Salisbury Steak recipe came to be on my website!
How to make Salisbury Steak
Salisbury steak involves making seasoned beef patties using mince / ground beef, then making a mushroom gravy. In my recipe, there’s just two little things I do differently to the usual Salisbury Steak recipe that I think makes them even tastier:
Grate onion and soak the breadcrumbs in the juices – guaranteed to make the steaks softer and tastier, a tried, proven and much loved method that I use for my classic Italian Meatballs (plenty of reviews substantiating this!). Plus it’s much more efficient than cooking chopped onions (raw onion bits in steak is not nice), and you avoid the risk of the steaks falling apart if the onions aren’t chopped finely enough ; and
Sear beef patties briefly then finishing cooking IN the gravy: I like to sear them in a stinking hot skillet to brown the steaks so they are still raw on the inside, then finish cooking them in the gravy so the juices that seep while they are cooking flavours the gravy. Never waste free flavour! That’s my motto! Plus, the gravy infuses moisture in to the steaks. Double bonus!
What is the difference between a Salisbury Steak and Hamburger patties?
Great Hamburger patties are made with nothing more than good quality ground beef, salt and pepper. Whereas the ingredients in Salisbury Steak patties are more like meatballs – including breadcrumbs, onion and flavourings such as Worcestershire sauce.
Salisbury Steak is pretty much me on a plate. Wholesome, homely, down to earth good food that’s economical, packs a flavour punch but is not fiddly or time consuming to make. Hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Sometimes it helps to have a visual – so watch me make this Salisbury Steak!
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Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
Salisbury Steak
- 1/2 onion (white, brown or yellow)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or 1/3 cup ordinary breadcrumbs)
- 1 lb/500g ground beef (mince)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tsp dijon mustard OR 2 tsp dry mustard powder
Gravy
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 5 oz/150g mushrooms , sliced
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp flour (all purpose / plain)
- 2 cups beef broth / stock , low sodium
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Salisbury Steaks
- Onion grating – Place breadcrumbs in a bowl. Use a box grater and grate the onion over the breadcrumbs. Mix with fingers, leave to soak for a few minutes.
- Mix – Add remaining Salisbury Steak ingredients into the large bowl. Use your hands to mix until just combined. Mix well for a couple of minutes until the mixture becomes a bit "pasty" which will ensure your patties hold together well.
- Form patties – Divide into 5 and pat very firmly into oval patties around 3/4" / 1 2/3 cm thick.
Cooking and Gravy
- Brown patties – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the steaks and cook the first side for 1 minute or until browned, then gently flip and brown the other side (they will still be raw inside). Remove onto plate.
- Cook aromatics – If skillet is looking dry, add a touch more oil. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minute until onions are a bit translucent.
- Cook mushrooms – Add the mushrooms into the skillet and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until golden.
- Make gravy roux – Turn heat down to medium. Add butter. Once melted, add flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Gravy – Gradually add in beef broth, stirring as you go. Once mostly lump free, whisk in remaining Gravy ingredients.
- Finish cooking steaks – Add steaks along with the juices on the plate. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes, or until gravy is thickened, stirring occasionally around the steaks. If the gravy thickens too quickly, add more water.
- Season gravy – Remove steaks onto a plate. Taste gravy and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve salisbury steaks topped with the mushroom gravy – over mashed potato is ideal! Sprinkle with a bit of parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Every morning over the summer break. PS He’s leaping to catch sand. No interest in the usual toys!
This evenings fare. Very good Nagi. Better than Mom’s. But u didn’t hear that from me. I’ll stick to this recipe for years ahead. TY. Only adjustment made was going with 4 patties, not enough room for 5. (Should anyone appreciate my humor).
I followed this recipe precisely and it was not only very simple to make, but the most delicious Salisbury Steak I have ever had. This is a keeper!
You touched my heart with your story and my taste buds with your recipe.
Thank you for both, Nagi.
It had been many, many years since I made Salisbury steak so I needed a recipe. This was excellent (even tho I forgot the ketchup). I used 80/20 beef, and made four loosely packed patties. Had absolutely no trouble with the flour and thickening. Delicious and now on my repeat list. Thanks Nagi!
I love recipes beacause we all need different meals
This is my go-to recipe for Salisbury steak. Easy, consistent, and everyone who has had it loves it! This recipe is a no brainer when I have left over burger and mushrooms in the fridge.
I was very skeptical about soaking the breadcrumbs in the grated onion. However, it really transformed the dish! Absolutely fantastic!!!!
Made this recipe countless times. A true go to recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
This is the worst Salisbury steak recipe ever. The amount of bread crumbs destroy the Pattie’s. They don’t even hold together. I had to just break everything up and make a crappy meat gravy.
I tried your Salisbury Steak recipe and my family LOVED IT. I’ve always considered myself an ok cook but your recipes have given me a real sense of confidence! I happened on your vlog while looking for something special to prepare for dinner. I had gotten stuck in a rut preparing the same meals. But now I actually look forward to preparing your recipes because I know the results will be SHEER PERFECTION! Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Nagi I tried your Salisbury Steak recipe and my family LOVED it! I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty good cook. But your recipes and use of interesting spices has made me even more confident in my cooking. My family hates that I can’t take a compliment for the meals I prepare. But when I prepare your recipes I KNOW THE RESULTS WILL BE SHEER PERFECTION!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPES.
We tried this for dinner last night
If I could give it 10 stars, I would!
To date this is our favorite meal yet!
It was Awesome! And love the story behind the inspiration.Thankyou Nagi!
OMG, I love this recipe! I was really not sure about the ketchup and mustard in the mix or gravy, but it all worked together seamlessly. This tasted just like the TV dinner classics I am used to, but WAY better, if that’s possible! So, it checked off the nostalgia box, as well as the “better because it’s homemade” box. I would definitely make this again!
Rating 100%
True comfort food for the winter months, this is a keeper.
Loved 🥰 this! Soo good! Thank you Nagi for all your great recipes! Can’t wait til your cookbook comes out 😘
Very tasty recipe and one that will be made over and over again I am sure. Hubby doesn’t like mushrooms so made it with out and still very nice.
I made this and the steaks crumbled apart. Next time I will use more panko. Very good recipe.
Perfection.
I see other comments complaining steaks did not hold together, and sauce too thin. Did you have any problems with that? I would like to make them.
Thank you for posting this simple, tasty recipe. This works really well utilizing ground venison.