Hamburger Steak

Smothered in a rich, savory brown gravy full of tender chunks of mushroom and onion, Hamburger Steak is a flavorful and elegant way to use ground beef. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes, healthy green beans and a glass of wine for a meal that’s sure to impress your friends and family.

Heavenly Hamburger Steak With Homemade Gravy

This recipe is so much easier to pull together than a classic steak – and less expensive, too. Like all the greatest steaks, cutting through these is like cutting through butter. And a sumptuous brown gravy makes these juicy steak patties even more tender.

The flavors in the gravy are bold and complex, with so many different elements coming together in an addictive combination. Plus, you won’t find a more classic pairing than beef and mushrooms. The flavors blend so beautifully, and the textures complement each other too!

What Is a Hamburger Steak?

Basically, a hamburger steak is a steak made out of ground beef. It’s similar to meatloaf or a meatball, except it’s formed into the shape of a steak instead of a loaf or a sphere. You’ll normally see it smothered in gravy, like the thick and sumptuous mushroom gravy in this recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

First, we’ll go through everything you need to make the gravy, then move on to the patties. Scroll down to the recipe card below to find the exact amounts you’ll need.

For the Gravy

• Yellow Onion: Sliced.
• White Mushrooms: Cut into strips.
• Vegetable Oil
• Brown Gravy Mix
• Beef Broth
• Parsley: Fresh leaves chopped coarsely.
• Ketchup
• Spicy Brown Mustard: Use bottled mustard, not dried mustard seed.

For the Patties

• Ground Beef: I use 85% lean beef so that the steaks come out juicy.
• Egg
• Breadcrumbs
• Onion: Minced.
• Whole Milk
• Seasoned Salt
• Garlic Powder

How to Make Hamburger Steak From Scratch

With only 6 steps, this recipe is so easy to make. Follow these instructions to get restaurant-quality food on the table in under an hour.

Sauté the Mushrooms and Onions: Sauté your sliced onions and mushrooms in the vegetable oil using a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Cook them down until the onions become translucent and tender, which should take about 15 minutes.

Form the Patties: While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, add the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, minced onion, milk, seasoned salt, and garlic powder to a large bowl. Mix them well until everything has been evenly combined. Portion out the ground beef mixture and shape each portion into equal-sized balls, then press them flat into patties. Indent the center of each patty with your thumb or finger.

Cook the Patties: Once the onions and mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the pan and set them aside. Place the raw patties into the same pan and brown them over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the patties from the pan, and drain off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the grease.

Prepare the Gravy: Add the gravy mix, beef broth, parsley, ketchup, and mustard to the pan along with the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of grease. Stir everything well. Add the cooked onions and mushrooms and stir them until they’ve fully incorporated.

Put It All Together: Place the patties into the pan with the gravy ingredients and cook them over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the patties cook through completely and the gravy thickens.

Plate and Serve: Slide each patty onto a plate and spoon equal amounts of the gravy on top, then serve them.

Common Questions

Tips for Success

These steaks come out great for me every time I make them. Here are some quick tips so things go just as smoothly for you!

• Don’t Mix Too Much: When you’re putting together your patties, make sure you don’t over-mix. You want to mix the ingredients until they’re just combined so you don’t work the juice out of the meat.
• Chill the Patties: You want patties that hold together well, and chilling them can help with that. Pop your fully formed patties into the fridge for 15 minutes to an hour to help them keep their shape.
• Don’t Go Too Lean: You want your hamburger steaks to be juicy and hold together well, which means you want a little fat in there. I go for 85% lean ground beef when making this dish.

Variation Ideas

There are a few great ways to shake things up when it comes to hamburger steak. These quick ideas can help get the ball rolling on your creativity.

• Try a Different Meat: Looking to lay off the red meat? Ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken can all be used instead of ground beef. Just make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Use Cracker Crumbs: If you’re fresh out of breadcrumbs, you can reach for the crackers and crush those up instead. Saltines work great, as do Ritz or oyster crackers.
• Add More Herbs: Feel free to throw more herbs in there alongside the parsley. These patties taste great with the addition of basil, oregano, rosemary or thyme.

Serving Suggestions

Simple potato dishes like baked potatoes, roasted potatoes or these Amish Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes make a classic side to these hamburger steaks. You can also go a little more decadent with these Loaded Scalloped Potatoes. Add a vegetable like green beans or broccoli to pack in some vitamins and minerals.

Storage and Reheating

You can pop any leftover hamburger steaks in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat, grab a skillet when you’re ready to dig in and reheat them in the gravy on the stove. Use a covered skillet over low heat, and cook them until they’re warmed through.

Does Hamburger Steak Freeze Well?

Freezing the uncooked patties for these hamburger steaks is a great option if you want to stock up on filling make-ahead meals. The raw patties cook after thawing just as well as they do when they’re fresh. You can also freeze them after cooking them, but expect a slight downgrade in taste and texture after they thaw. Either way, wrap them individually and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Hearty Dinner Ideas

• Meatloaf
• Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Cube Steak with Gravy
• Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli