Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Name: Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Patties: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp butter; 1 onion, sliced thin; 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; 3 tbsp flour; 2 1/2 cups beef broth; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; Mashed potatoes, for serving

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 25 min Total: 40 min Servings: 4

Salisbury steak patties smothered in mushroom onion gravy

Salisbury steak is the TV-dinner classic restored to its true glory: seasoned beef patties seared and then braised in a real mushroom-onion gravy until everything tastes like it came from a diner with fifty years of seasoning on the flat-top. The patties are essentially seasoned burgers — Worcestershire, onion, a breadcrumb bind — and the gravy is built on their own drippings, which is why the from-scratch version leaves the freezer aisle in the dust. Mashed potatoes aren't optional; they're infrastructure.

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Ingredients

Patties: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced thin
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Mashed potatoes, for serving

Instructions

Mix the patty ingredients gently and shape into 4 oval patties.
Sear in olive oil over medium-high, 3 minutes per side, until crusted (not cooked through). Remove.
Add the butter, onion, and mushrooms to the drippings; cook 6–7 minutes until browned.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, Worcestershire, and Dijon; simmer until it thickens, 2–3 minutes.
Return the patties, spoon gravy over, cover, and simmer gently 8–10 minutes until they hit 160°F.
Serve over mashed potatoes with all the gravy the plate allows.

Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitute	Notes
Ground beef	Half beef, half ground pork	The tender diner blend
Cremini mushrooms	White button or none	The mushroom-averse just get more onion gravy
Breadcrumbs	Crushed saltines	Very traditional
Beef broth	Broth + splash of red wine	Deglaze with the wine first

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate patties in their gravy up to 4 days — they reheat better than fresh, honestly.

A superb freezer meal: patties and gravy together, 3 months. Thaw overnight and rewarm covered on low; the gravy revives with a splash of broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes it “Salisbury” and not a hamburger steak?

Dr. Salisbury's 1880s health fad gave the seasoned beef patty its name; the gravy came later. Hamburger steak is the same idea, usually with onion gravy — the family tree is tangled and delicious.

Why did my patties fall apart?

Overmixed meat or a missing binder. Mix just to combine, keep the egg and breadcrumbs, and give them a proper sear before they take the gravy bath.

Can I use onion soup mix in the gravy?

The shortcut of our grandmothers: skip the flour and simmer the packet with the broth, then thicken with cornstarch. Saltier, faster, nostalgic.

What sides complete the plate?

Mashed potatoes and buttered peas or green beans, exactly like the TV dinner tray — just better in every measurable way.