Salisbury Steak

By Eric Kim

Published October 22, 2022

  • Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(1,954)
Comments
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In the United States today, most people might know Salisbury steak as a TV dinner. When made from scratch with just the right mix of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and brown sugar, the tender beef patties smothered in gravy are a hearty, soul-warming staple. The original dish was named after Dr. James Henry Salisbury, who famously recommended eating it for health reasons. This version is all about how delicious the meal is and leans into its savory flavors, especially the umami-rich onion and mushrooms in the sauce. Serve these mini Salisbury steaks with green vegetables and steamed white rice, mac and cheese, gamja salad or mashed potatoes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE STEAKS

  • 1 medium yellow onion

  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 3 tablespoons ketchup

  • 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs

  • Olive oil, for searing

FOR THE GRAVY

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup beef stock

  • ½ cup whole milk

  • Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and brown sugar, for seasoning (optional)

  • Finely chopped fresh chives, for sprinkling (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

18 grams carbs; 87 milligrams cholesterol; 320 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 554 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the steaks: Grate about a quarter of the onion into a medium bowl (you should have about ¼ cup of pulp). Set aside the remaining onion for the gravy. Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and egg; season generously with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the ground beef and panko, and with a spoon or fork, gently stir the mixture to combine without overmixing. Form into 8 small, oval-shaped patties about 1 inch thick, place on a plate and into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining onion. Using a wet towel, wipe the mushrooms clean and thinly slice them.

  3. Step 3

    Cook the steaks: Heat a large skillet over medium and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Remove the patties from the freezer, add them to the hot oil and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

  4. Step 4

    Prepare the gravy: To the same skillet, add the onion and mushrooms, season with salt and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally until deeply browned but not burned, 8 to 10 minutes. The vegetables will release their water before starting to brown, so be patient. Add more oil if the pan looks dry.

  5. Step 5

    Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, until you can no longer see streaks of white and the raw flour taste cooks out, about 30 seconds.

  6. Step 6

    Stir in the beef stock and milk. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Taste the sauce and season to taste with ½ to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire if you’d like more savoriness, 1 tablespoon ketchup for tanginess and a pinch of brown sugar for a little sweetness. Add the seared steaks to the gravy and reduce the heat to continue simmering, basting the steaks once or twice, until the gravy is thicker and reduced to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately and sprinkle with chives, if you’d like.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,954 user ratings
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Comments

Maureen O

After making the meat patties, I roll and pat them in a shallow bowl with flour, salt and pepper. Saves adding flour later to thicken the gravy. I never have lumps of uncooked, wet flour in the pan and the “steaks” are a sort of burnished golden-brown after browning them, holding their shape well.

Anne L

This is a good basic recipe. I liked the texture of the “steaks,” but I will not add the brown sugar if I make it again. The onions add sweetness as does the ketchup, so the extra sugar was just too much for me.

Marc

This really shines with a little MSG sprinkled in with the Worcester sauce. I am still sad that most people think MSG is something unhealthy just because of bad research and racism mixed together.

Matt

In the end, these are just flavored hamburgers without the bun. I was glad to try them but won't make them again.

Laura D

Comfort at it's best. I did add some paprika and herbs to the meat for a bit of an extra complexity.

Pretty good, but too sweet

Made this recipe as is. Only thing I did differently was add a little Bisto to gravy instead of salt. I did add some Worcestershire to the gravy, but no ketchup of sugar as suggested. The actual steaks were a little too sweet for my liking. Next time I would only use or two Tbsp of the ketchup and omit the sugar all together.

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