Looking for a recipe to use up ground beef? Our Salisbury steak recipe looks and tastes amazing, it's low in carbs, plus it's economical to make.
Ground beef makes dinnertime easy! We think you'll love adding our Hamburger Barley Soup and Stuffed Pepper Soup to your meal rotation.

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Why This Recipe Works
We think our Salisbury steak recipe is successful for these reasons.
- Flavorful Patties: We use 85% lean ground beef with onion powder, thyme, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, salt and pepper.
- Tender Beef Patties: We use the right ratio of meat to egg to liquid, and allow the meat mixture to rest 30 minutes to help build flavors and to help the protein relax. The patties are seared then cooked in an onion gravy to soak up all the flavor and moisture.
- Thick, Delicious Gravy: This recipe makes two cups of homemade onion gravy, which means there is more gravy per steak than most other recipes. The onions are caramelized to provide another layer of flavor, and then are cooked in a brown gravy.
Ingredients

This Salisbury steak recipe takes basic pantry staples that are economical and easy to find at your grocery store. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Meat: We used ground beef with 85% meat and 15% fat for the best flavor.
- Binder: We used breadcrumbs and an egg to hold the Salisbury steak patties together in this recipe.
- Spices: We used thyme, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Liquids: We used Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and beef broth.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Want a different gravy? Try mushroom gravy with your Salisbury steak.
- Want to sneak in more vegetables? Add grated onion and finely diced green pepper to the patties.
- Want a different meat? Try ground turkey or a combination of ground pork and ground beef.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients for our Salisbury steak recipe.

- Put the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and spices in a bowl, then mix together with your hands. Be careful not to mix longer than necessary, or the Salisbury steak patties will get tough. Rest the meat mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- With the help of a kitchen scale, divide the meat mixture into 12 balls of equal size. They should weigh roughly 3.25 ounces each.

3. Place the large meatballs on a baking tray. Shape the meatballs into round patties that are similar in thickness and place back on the baking tray.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in two cast iron skillets over medium high heat. When the skillet is sizzling hot, place 6 round patties in each pan, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes. Flip the patties over and repeat the searing process, then transfer the seared patties to a 9x9-inch baking pan.

5. Drain off the hamburger fat, then melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in one of the cast iron skillets. Add the onions and cook at medium heat for a few minutes, and then reduce to medium low for the remainder of the cooking time, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until the onions are caramelized. Stir in some white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan for a couple of minutes to deglaze the pan.
6. Make a well in the center and melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the onions, then sprinkle ¼ cup of flour. Cook the flour for two minutes while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.

7. Gradually add the beef stock to the onion mixture, making sure to stir constantly to prevent any lumps. Stir in two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce for added flavor and color.
Turn the heat down to medium low and let the gravy simmer until it's a bit thicker. Taste and sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove the skillet from the heat. There should be roughly 2 cups of gravy.
8. Cover the patties with the onion gravy.

9. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. During this step, the patties will finish cooking. The foil and the gravy will help the patties stay moist.
10. Serve Salisbury steak while still warm. Spoon the gravy over each patty. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and serve with our sour cream mashed potatoes and a side of buttered peas. Yummy!
This Salisbury steak recipe is a classic American supper dish that is guaranteed to please everyone when it's served.
Recipe FAQs
Salisbury steak is made like a meatball, lots of spices and with egg and breadcrumbs as binding agents. The patties are usually seared in a skillet and can be covered in an onion or mushroom gravy before finishing the cooking in the oven. The individual patties are served with a flavorful gravy.
Hamburger steak is usually made with high quality meat that is seasoned with salt and pepper. The patties are usually thinner than Salisbury steak patties, and they can be grilled or pan fried. They are not served with gravy.
This Salisbury steak recipe has juicy beef patties that are flavored with Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and spices. As the crowning touch, caramelized onions are cooked in a flavorful brown gravy that is generously spooned over the top of each Salisbury steak patty.
Salisbury steak is made with ground beef. We prefer to make ours with 85% lean and 15% fat beef, which cooks up juicy and with lots of flavor.
The ground beef needs ingredients that help bind it together which keeps it from crumbling. In our recipe, we use one egg and breadcrumbs mixed into the ground beef to keep the patties intact.
Salisbury steak may turn out on the tough side if you mix the ground beef together for too long. Mix just enough to combine all the ingredients together. Also, using ground beef that is too lean may also make it tougher.
Serve
This hearty Salisbury steak recipe works well with many easy side dishes, but some of our favorites include: mashed potatoes, green peas, green beans, crispy green salad, and tomato wedges.
If you want to try some other recipes with ground hamburger (minced beef), try these recipes for Scottish mince and tatties, skillet chili cornbread, and Forfar bridies.

Store
Got questions about how to store Salisbury steak? We've got you covered.
- Make Ahead: Cover with foil and refrigerate before baking. When ready to eat, just bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Leftovers: Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap uncooked patties in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. You can also freeze cooked leftover patties with the gravy in a freezer bag.
- Reheat: Allow frozen patties to thaw in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. If necessary, add a little beef broth to the gravy.
Expert Tips
- Only flip the steaks once to get the best sear.
- Make uniform patties: same size, weight, and thickness.
- Rest patties for 30 minutes at room temperature to meld flavors and help the protein relax.
- Want to make this recipe ahead? Cover with foil and refrigerate before baking. When ready to eat, just bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Want to serve with traditional sides? Serve this main course dish with mashed potatoes and peas.
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Recipe

Salisbury Steak Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beef Patties
- 2.25 pounds ground beef, 85% meat, 15% fat
- 1 cup white breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
For the Onion Gravy
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced in rings
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Making the Beef Patties
- Make your own breadcrumbs. Cut or tear the bread into small pieces, place in a blender, and let it whirl for a minute until the breadcrumbs are small.
- Mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and spices with your hands. Let the meat mixture rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Divide into 12 balls of equal size, roughly 3.25 ounces (92g) each. Shape patties to be similar in thickness.
- In two cast iron skillets over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter per skillet, swirl it around, allow the skillet to heat up then place 6 patties in each skillet. Cook patties for 2 minutes on medium heat then 2 minutes on medium low. Flip them over and cook the other side.
- Transfer the 12 cooked beef patties to a 9x9-inch baking pan. Place them close together, but in one layer. Set aside.
- For easy clean up, pour the hamburger fat into a small bowl and place in the fridge for it to harden into a disc, then discard.
Making the Onion Gravy
- Halve both onions, then cut them into thin slices. Separate each piece.
- In one of the cast iron skillets, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat, then add the onions. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to medium low and finish cooking. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until caramelized, roughly 15 minutes.
- To deglaze the pan, pour in ¼ cup of white wine. Stir constantly until the fond is off the bottom of the pan. This is will take roughly 2 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the onions and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it. Sprinkle the onions with salt and pepper, then sprinkle ¼ cup of flour over the onions. Cook the flour for two minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Gradually add the the stock, constantly stirring as you do so, then add two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce for additional color and flavor.
- Let the gravy simmer until its the desired thickness. Taste and sprinkle more salt and pepper over the gravy if desired. You should have about 2 cups of gravy.
Baking the Salisbury Steak
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spoon the onion gravy over the patties in the baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. This step lets the patties finish cooking and helps them stay moist.
- Serve warm. Spoon the onion gravy over each beef patty. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- Only flip the steaks once to get the best sear.
- Make uniform patties: same size, weight and thickness.
- Rest patties for 30 minutes at room temperature to meld flavors and help the protein relax.
- Want to make this recipe ahead? Cover with foil and refrigerate before baking. When ready to eat, just bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Want to serve as a traditional recipe? Serve this main course dish with mashed potatoes and peas.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Middle age woman
The recipe for the patties lack flavor. The picture is misleading. I am overall dissatisfied with the recipe.
Emma
We're sorry to hear that! If we can help you troubleshoot some ideas for adding more flavor, let us know!
Evelyn
Looks delicious. Will try it soon. Just wanted to know if there was a typo with the sizing of the baking dish. It says to use a 9x9- inch and to place the patties in a single layer. Sounds like that dish would be way too small to fit 2.5 pounds of hamburger patties. Other than that, it sounds great. Thanks.
Emma
Thank you, Evelyn! The pan size is correct. Since we used 80% lean, 20% fat ground beef for this recipe, the patties shrunk during the skillet cooking and fit into the 9x9-inch pan. If you use a lower-fat ground beef, the patties may not shrink as much and you might need to use a larger pan. Happy cooking!
Betty
We had the Salisbury steak today. What a success! The sauce was delicious. The use of the air frier simplified the procedure and avoided the oven to keep the kitchen at a good temperature. Another plus was in saving electricity for the A/C. I served it with mashed potatoes and peas as in picture. Thank you Emma. I already had a request for preparing it again next week. I forgot to add that we had today’s cold leftovers on sandwiches. It was still delicious. Easy dinner preparation today.
Emma
Thank you so much, Betty! We're so glad that it was a success! Our family loves Salisbury steak, too. 🙂
Betty
I have the ground beef for tomorrow's hamburgers but after looking at these great pictures changed my mind and Salisbury's steaks it will be. Wish me luck , haven’t done these steaks for a long time. I will try first in the skillet and finish them in the air fryer.
Emma
Thank you, Betty! Please let us know how it goes in the air fryer--we've never tried it that way before. Please leave a review once you make the Salisbury steak! 🙂
Alex
The steak is delicious. The onion sauce compliments the steak. I had the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, peas, and tomatoes. I would give it 100 stars if I could!!
Emma
Thank you, Alex! I agree that Salisbury steak deserves 100 stars!
Beth
This is one of my favorite dishes, as the caramelized onions add a juicy flavor to the beef. Definitely deserves a five star review!
Emma
I'm so glad that you like Salisbury steak! It's one of my favorite recipes with ground beef, too.