Juicy hamburger steaks are seasoned and cooked to perfection in this classic Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy recipe. Team it up with a side of potatoes or rice with extra mushroom and onion gravy for a comforting, savory meal that everyone will love.
This recipe brings back memories of my mom, who used to cook a lot with ground beef and is still my favorite. Once you give it a try, you'll know why- this is one comfort meal that you'll never get bored with eating.
Whenever I have some ground beef to work with, I almost always use it to make this hamburger steak and gravy, my slow-cooker Italian hamburger soup, or my Korean beef bowls.
This Southern classic pairs wonderfully with a fresh salad, a broccoli side dish, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or even just some homemade rolls.
Why You'll Love This Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy Recipe
- Cheap and cheerful: Ground beef cooks up nicely for a hearty weeknight dinner using inexpensive ingredients. The dish can be easily stretched too.
- Quick and easy: The dish comes together in a flash and is perfect for all those days when you want to make a meal in a jiffy.
- Simple ingredients: This hamburger steak with onions and gravy is one of those foolproof recipes made using pantry staples.
- Family-friendly: It is a filling and comforting meal that is sure to be a hit with everyone in the family.
Ingredients
Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients in these hamburger steaks with onion soup mix. You probably have most of them on hand and it all comes together very quickly.
- Ground beef: For this hamburger steak and gravy recipe, I prefer using 80/20 chuck. It's economical and the standard for burgers and cooks up easily in a skillet without drying out.
- Panko bread crumbs: These help hold in the natural fats and juices in the steak and give it a bit of structure and volume.
- Onion soup and dip mix: This is a fantastic shortcut that I use in a lot of my recipes to add flavor. You can also use homemade gravy if you want to.
- Unsalted butter: I used unsalted butter, simply because it helps control the amount of sodium in the dish. If you use salted, just be sure to taste the gravy before you add any salt.
- Veggies: Onions and mushrooms are the highlights of the show! They lend the gravy that delicious savory flavor and a bit of texture too.
- Flour: Just some all-purpose flour can do the trick. I used it as the thickening agent for the onion gravy.
- Beef broth or beef stock: I used beef broth to add more flavor to the rich, savory mushroom and onion gravy.
The full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card at the end of the page.
Variations
- Meat swap: Swap the ground beef for any other ground meat of your choice. I love using lean meats like ground chicken and ground turkey. If you're doing this though, you'll need to add a little extra seasoning to the meat for that rich, bold flavor. Be sure not to overcook lean meats as they may dry out.
- Homemade seasoning: Don't have the onion soup and dip mix? Just make your own seasoning by combining onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and some black pepper.
- Veggie matters: Don't have mushrooms or onions? That's ok- just leave them out! You can make a simple brown gravy to go with this smothered hamburger steak recipe!
How to Make Hamburger Steak
Ready to make the hamburger steak with mushroom gravy? Once you have all the ingredients ready, here's what you'll need to do.
Step 1: Mix the meat. Combine the beef, soup mix, breadcrumbs, and seasonings in a bowl and mix.
Step 2: Prepare patties. Shape into patties about ½ inch thick and make small indents using your knuckles.
⭐️ TOP TIP: Make hamburger patties as close to the same size as possible. Remember the burgers will shrink as they cook so don't be nervous about making them a larger size.
Step 3: Brown patties. Melt butter in a skillet and cook patties over medium-high heat. This should take around 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.
Step 4: Prepare gravy. In the same skillet, add mushrooms and cook, followed by the onions. Next, add in the flour, cook for a minute, and add in the broth until it comes up to a boil.
⭐️ TOP TIP: Try not to touch your burgers for a few minutes before flipping them. Some prefer their hamburger steaks thicker than others. You need to be sure and adjust your cooking time depending on the size of the steaks.
Step 5: Assemble, garnish & serve. Take it off heat, add butter, and spoon the gravy over the patties. Garnish with chopped chives.
If you like recipes like this smothered hamburger steak, you need to try our Steak Ranchero recipe. Or if you're up for it, try our Ribeye Steak In A Crockpot.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerator: You can store the leftover hamburger steak with gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Freezer: Leftovers can also be frozen for up to three months. Just make sure you transfer them to a sealed airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
- Make Ahead: It also makes sense to freeze the meat and gravy separately. You can also make a double batch of the gravy and freeze half for another day if you love meal-prepping and batch-making your foods.
- Reheat: Before you reheat the hamburger steak, first allow it to defrost in the refrigerator, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After that, you can reheat it in a skillet over low heat until it is heated all the way through.
Serving Suggestions
When we're craving some comfort food, we almost always stick to the classic mashed potatoes and green beans to go with this easy hamburger steak recipe.
If you're in the mood to experiment, you can team it up with some baked cheesy scalloped potatoes, air fryer baby potatoes, or even just some crispy smashed red potatoes.
These hamburger steaks with brown gravy also pair beautifully with some dinner rolls or a simple cheesy broccoli rice bake.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the salt: Be careful when adding salt to the beef, since the gravy will more than likely be on the salty side. Start with a little, then taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Let it brown: Don't flip too early. When cooking the hamburger steaks, try not to flip them until they are cooked halfway through. This will help the burger achieve a nice caramelized crust on the outside and will deepen the flavor too.
- Watch the flour: Don't burn the flour. When adding the flour to the pan drippings, always keep an eye on your roux to make sure it isn't getting too brown or burning. Keep the heat low.
- Don't over-mix: Don't overwork the meat, mix ingredients until just combined to get it to a juicy consistency.
Recipe FAQs
A Salisbury steak sometimes contains more fillers such as eggs and breadcrumbs than hamburger steak. They each have a different commonly accepted name.
This often happens when adding the liquid to the roux (flour and oil mixture). For best results stir constantly with a whisk. A whisk works better than a spoon to help remove any potential lumps that may begin to appear. If you do end up with lumps continuing to cook and stir with the whisk will help to get rid of them.
Video
More Ground Beef Recipes You'll Love
Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, lean
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons onion soup and dip mix (or 1 package)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced, if desired
- 2 medium -large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups beef broth, if using mushrooms only 1 cup broth
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
Instructions
- In large bowl, mix beef, panko, soup mix, and pepper with your hands until fully combined.
- Form mixture into four 4-inch-diameter patties, about ½ inch thick.
- Using your knuckle, press down center of each patty to create slight indentation.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet that will hold all four burgers over medium-high heat.
- Add patties and cook until well browned and meat registers 130 degrees, about 5 minutes per side.
- Transfer to platter and tent with aluminum foil.
- Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, if using and allow to cook for between 3 and 4 minutes.
- Next add onion to skillet, and cook until lightly browned and beginning to soften, about another 4 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth and bring to boil. Cook until thickened, about 4 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon sauce over steaks and sprinkle with chives.
Video
Notes
- Watch the salt: Be careful when adding salt to the beef, since the gravy will more than likely be on the salty side. Start with a little, then taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Let it brown: Don't flip too early. When cooking the hamburger steaks, try not to flip them until they are cooked halfway through. This will help the burger achieve a nice caramelized crust on the outside and will deepen the flavor too.
- Watch the flour: Don't burn the flour. When adding the flour to the pan drippings, always keep an eye on your roux to make sure it isn't getting too brown or burning. Keep the heat low.
- Don't over-mix: Don't overwork the meat, mix ingredients until just combined to get it to a juicy consistency.
Nutrition
This post was originally published November 2020, it has been updated with new images and content.
Risa says
We love this recipe I’ve been cooking for years and have never loved a recipe like this as much Easy to make and so much flavor This recipe is going into our regular rotation and I’ve shared it with my friends Thanks Karin for a fantastic recipe
Karin and Ken says
It’s the best I’ve ever tried too. Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know. You made my day. All the best. Karin