Hamburger Steak and Gravy
A satisfying family favorite that uses few ingredients and very little time, this flavor-packed comfort food hamburger steak and gravy recipe is worthy of its place on your weekly rotation. Forget compromising taste and texture for convenience and budget because this easy entree has it all.
Perhaps the hardest question moms and family cooks face almost every day is “What’s for dinner?” If you’re the meal planner for your family, I feel your pain. The temptation to wing it is strong, especially for those of us who love to live in the moment.
I tried to be a meal planner with all those labels and food storage containers in the fridge, but it just wasn’t me. Simple, easy, and tasty are my three favorite food terms when it comes to family meals, which is probably why I love this particular dish.
Hamburger vs. Salisbury Steak
I was not aware there was a difference. Honestly, my recipe is a fusion of the two. Hamburger steak has fewer binders, lighter seasoning, and a lighter gravy. Salisbury steak has binders such as rolled oats and cracked meal (or breading) for a softer patty. The rich brown gravy is heavier and perfect for smothering mashed potatoes.
My recipe has one egg and some breadcrumbs. But it’s the sauce that has me hooked. The savory onion mushroom gravy is so mouthwateringly good that we pour it all over anything that happens to be on the table. Rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, you name it. It’s perfect with almost everything!
How to Make Hamburger Steak and Gravy
- Make the patties, then sear them.
- Sauté the mushrooms and onions and make the gravy.
- Add the hamburger steaks back to the pan, then simmer until tender. Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
Recipe Tips
- You can go simple or sneak some veggies into the gravy, like minced bell peppers, grated carrots, cubed potatoes, and diced celery. Add them with the onions, and no one will complain.
- For juicy burger steaks, 20% fat content to 80% meat will do you well. You could go as low as 15%, but less than that will give you dry steaks.
- Combine the meat mixture just enough to incorporate everything. Overmixing may give you dense, tough patties.
- Press your thumb to make an indent in the middle of the patty for more even cooking.
- Searing the patties well, then simmering them in the gravy gives you that delicious Maillard reaction and tender meat.
What to Enjoy With Hamburger Steak and Gravy
Some people love poutine vibes by serving it over fries and topping it with grated mozzarella. We usually enjoy it over mashed potatoes with a light salad on the side to balance things out.
More Budget-Friendly Recipes to Try
- Creamy Baked Chicken Legs
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Ground Beef and Cabbage
- Cube Steak and Gravy
- Braised Beef Neck Bones
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”0VQ1X32j” upload-date=”2019-04-25T13:24:45.000Z” name=”Hamburger Steak and Gravy” description=”Hamburger Steak and Gravy – a satisfying family-favorite meal that only uses less ingredients without compromising the taste. Made with ground beef steak and soaked in an onion mushroom gravy that is to-die for! Pure comfort food that comes easily together!”]
This blog post was originally published in June 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Hamburger Steak and Gravy
Ingredients
Hamburger Steak
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (25g) breadcrumbs
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-3g) white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
- 2 tablespoons (12g) grated onion
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
Mushroom Onion Gravy
- 2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (236ml) beef broth
- ½ cup (118ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 1-1½ cups (125-200g) sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup (120g) thinly sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) minced thyme
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
- 1½ teaspoons (7-8ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Creole seasoning (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Mix the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, white or black pepper, salt, grated onion, and minced garlic gently with your hands in a large bowl.
- Divide the mixture into 4-6 equally sized portions, then gently shape them into patties and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour into the broth and water, and set aside.
- Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat. Sear patties for 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter, followed by mushrooms, onions, thyme, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning, and sauté for about 6 minutes or until the mushrooms and onions are tender.
- Add the broth and flour mixture, and bring to a boil. Return the patties and the drippings to the skillet, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Adjust the consistency with more stock or water, and serve immediately with your chosen sides.
Tips & Notes:
- Four servings do our family well, but feel free to double the recipe if you have more hungry mouths to feed.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is an estimate and can vary wildly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Omgaw. This is delish! I followed the recipe exactly! I would not change a thing! Thank you for sharing!
So glad to know that you like it. Thank you for stopping by, Jacqui!
This is my first time trying this recipe and I am very impressed with this recipe. It is very easy and is to do. Thank you so much and I try it Today and it turn out Good.
I made this for the first time tonight. It is now on my list of favorites. It’s so good! Thank you got sharing your recipes. I’m so glad I stumbled across it.
Wohoo! So glad you like it. And welcome to my blog. 🙂
Let me start this by saying DanG that’s some good eatin’ Right there! Lol! I’ve never heard of hamburger steak in my 42 years. I’ve heard of Salisbury steak, but to me this is waaayyy different. I’ve used your recipe line by line and word for word. Saying that I’ve made this recipe so much would be and understatement. My husband and very picky 18 year old love this. They now think I’m a cooking guru. When I make this there is never any leftovers. They just devour it and complain afterwards, but in a good way. Thank you so much for your recipe! You so rock . Perfection!!!
Aww, thank you Barbara. This is a family favourite too! And yes, you are a cooking Guru. Thanks for stopping by!
I made this recipe for my husband and me. We really enjoyed it. We have had it two times this week. I did make a few adjustments just for our personal taste. I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs. I used one half pound ground chuck and one half pound ground pork. I used less salt and garlic powder instead of minced garlic. I didn’t have fresh mushrooms so I used canned stems and pieces. Everything turned out great. I will make this recipe again and again. We really liked it. Also, I have never made gravy with the method used in this recipe. I love it, it’s much easier than the old method my mother taught me. I will make my gravy with this method from now on. I will also pass it on to my daughter. Thank you for this great recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Kittie. Glad you and your husband enjoyed this. And thank for your glowing feedback. I appreciate it.
Wonderful meal wish I could spened more time with you & could learn so much you have to offer it would be a dream come true.
Imma, In the nutritional stats the sodium reads “Sodium 29312mg”. Did the system have a breakdown? It can’t possibly be right! lol Any thoughts on its accuracy? Kate
Hi, Kate. Thanks for bringing it up. The recent plug in updates could have messed it up. I already made the corrections tho. Thank you.
Hi my husband has a heart problem so not we are on the dash diet. I know 1 teaspoon of salt is
2,325 mg of sodium. I know you have to add sodium from everything in your recipe. This is not a good recipe for someone watching there sodium intake. My husband is allowed to have 500 MG sodium per meal per day. The dash Diet is boring so I keep looking for ways to change great recipes but make them taste great. I do not think I can make this one
Deborah,
Most of the sodium in this recipe can be significantly reduced. I have to watch my salt intake as well, I know how hard it can be sometimes.
Swapping the ingredients out for their reduced/low salt/sodium versions and using salt substitute, I was able to get the sodium down to 297 mg per serving..and if you used unsalted butter instead of salted it goes down to 276 mg.
I don’t know if it will retain the information for long, but here is the recipe with the reduced sodium info.
Oh..and This ingredient list does not include the mushrooms, I’m not a fan.
http://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Michele can you please repost the recipe with lower sodium please I can’t seem to find it thanks
Recipe is absolutely delicious, instructions are remarkable clear with great demonstrations, my family enjoyed every bit!! Thanks for sharing, perfect!
Yaay! So awesome to know that. Thanks for letting me know.
I made it twice already in 1 week. Everyone loves it. Thanks for recipe. Keep cooking glorious food
Fantastic! Thank you so much!!!
I made this for dinner this week and my family loved it! I always let them know it’s your recipe. Every since I made your oxtail recipe for New Year’s, they want me to keep following your cooking.
Thank you for introducing me to flavors and foods That our delicious!!
Tonight’s dinner!!
So good!! I added golden mushroom soup to add flavor delish!! I’m glad I found your page!!
So happy to have you here . Thanks Denise
Where can I find creole spices
It’s available in most supermarkets in the U.S . Or you can make yours – check out this homemade version here https://www.africanbites.com/creole-seasoning/.
So good! It was a hit! Loved the gravy and the hamburger steaks were super tender and yummy. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Suzanne. Glad it turned well for you. Happy New Year!
Ok just made this. Solo flavorful and I can use the gravy with other meals. I think the thyme and Creole seasoning makes the sauce. Thank you for sharing this!!
Yaaay! Glad you like it, Jennifer. Indeed, the gravy can be served with almost anything.
Everyone in my family thought this was the best Salisbury Steak we have made. We served it with mashed potatoes. My 4 year old daughter ate her whole piece.
That Creole seasoning always gives it that little bit of extra. Delicious! Thank you!
Made this tonight for my family. It was a hit! Thanks for sharing the easy to follow recipe…
Yaaay! Glad you all liked it , Karyn. Thank you for letting me know.
I tried it tonight and everyone really liked it. I saved the recipe for next time
Thank you for letting me know, Jan. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Another winner! I followed to the letter except for the mushrooms and I loved it!
Hi Imma,
This recipe looks delicious and I’d like to try it. How can I cut down on the sodium content for this recipe please?
Thanks.
Use homemade broth or replace with water and cut back on the 1 teaspoon of salt listed.
Mushroom onion gravy deliciousness!!! Just had to come on over and check this out as we have ground beef ready for dinner and was looking for a little inspiration. Thank you. Just pinned!
Awesome! Thanks for pinning.