Pioneer Woman Salisbury Steak Recipe

This copycat version of the Pioneer Woman Salisbury steak recipe is a total crowd pleaser – your family will love it!

We’re big fans of Salisbury steak around here and our take on the Pioneer Woman Salisbury steak recipe is, hands down, one of the best we’ve ever had.

A humble dish made primarily of ground beef with the addition of flavorful seasoning and spices, Salisbury steak is the very definition of comfort food.

You can serve Salisbury steak in a number of ways, making it ideal for easy weeknight dinners or even served up for a big Sunday night family dinner. And we love that this version is made in a cast iron skillet!

What Is Salisbury Steak?

Salisbury steak is a classic American dish. You might think, with a name like Salisbury, that it’s British (like the city in Wiltshire, England), but Salisbury steak is actually as American as it gets.

The true history of this dish is that it was originally created by the American Dr. J. H. Salisbury, born in 1823 and known as an early and big proponent of the now famed low-carb lifestyle.

(Funny then, that this dish is now traditionally served with mashed potatoes! Maybe that’s fitting, though, because it’s not actually steak, either!)

So, what is Salisbury steak? In short, salisbury steak is typically seasoned ground beef patties made with breadcrumbs as a binder and onions as well.

Salisbury steak is always served with gravy, usually meat-based in origin instead of cream-based. The result is a hearty, savory dish your family will love.

Salt, pepper and onion give the steak its signature flavor in most cases. Sometimes mushrooms are used, actually giving the gravy a “meatier” flavor. 

How To Make This Pioneer Woman Salisbury Steak

You can learn how to make Salisbury steak a variety of ways — as a “sheet pan” dinner, in the slow cooker, or in a big heavy cast iron skillet like this copycat version of the Pioneer Woman Salisbury steak recipe from Ree Drummond.

Some recipes suggest serving it over buttered noodles instead of mashed potatoes, which is a unique and easier way to serve it. No mashing required!

Generally you season the ground beef, make patties and then cook them according to whatever method you have chosen, along with making the gravy.

Finally, you add a big scoop of mashed potatoes or noodles to a bowl then top it with a Salisbury steak patty and loads of gravy to suit your preference.

Whatever way you do it, Salisbury steak is an easy meal to add to your monthly rotation, and a huge crowd pleaser too. Everyone loves Salisbury steak!

If you opt to make the sheet pan variation, you don’t even have a big mess!

Should you want to consider side dishes other than making mashed potatoes, we’d suggest roasted broccoli – but don’t forget the buttery bread crumbs!

Pioneer Woman Salisbury Steak Recipe

To make this Ree Drummond Salisbury steak recipe, you will need:

Ingredients

• Ground beef – Ground beef is the foundation of any traditional Salisbury steak recipe. We recommend 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor.
• Breadcrumbs – Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs act as a binder to help keep your Salisbury steak patties nicely formed while cooking.
• Ketchup – Much like a good meatloaf recipe, a bit of ketchup is always keep when making homemade Salisbury steak.
• Dry mustard – Dry mustard powder add loads of flavor to the ground beef. If you can avoid it, don’t skip the dry mustard!
• Onions – Thinly sliced onions are cooked down and softened until rich and flavorful in the leftover beef skillet.
• Beef base – Powdered beef base, or beef bullion, are help create the rich beef gravy you know and love when it comes to Salisbury steak.
• Beef broth – Whisking the beef broth with the beef base and onions forms the foundation of the Salisbury steak gravy.
• Seasoning sauce – To quickly and easily add tons of rich flavor to the gravy, use seasoning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master.
• Worcestershire sauce – Used in both the patties and the gravy, don’t skip the Worcestershire sauce.
• Corn starch – A bit of corn starch helps to thicken the beef gravy if you prefer a thicker beef gravy over your Salisbury steak and potatoes.
• Seasoning – General seasonings like salt and pepper provide balance and round everything out.

Gear

• Mixing bowl
• Cast iron skillet

Step 1. Add ground beef, breadcrumbs, ketchup, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Knead until combined.

Step 2. Form the beef mixture into patties and warm a bit of oil in a large cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet. Place the patties in the skillet.

Step 3. Once browned, flip the Salisbury steaks. Continue cooking until cooked through and both sides of the patties are nicely browned.

Step 4. Remove the Salisbury steak patties from the skillet and cover to keep warm. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and let them cook down. 

Step 5. Once the onions are soft and translucent, reduce the heat and add the beef base, beef stock, ketchup, seasoning sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Step 6. Cook until the sauce is well combined. Thicken with a bit of cornstarch by making a slurry and reduce the heat. Simmer until the gravy has thickened.

Step 7. Return the Salisbury steak patties to the skillet, spooning the gravy over top and allowing them to warm through again before serving.

Step 8. Add a big heaping scoop of mashed potatoes to a bowl. Top with a Salisbury steak, loads of onions and an extra bit of tasty beef gravy as you like.

What To Serve With Pioneer Woman Salisbury Steak

Salisbury steak is traditionally served with over top of mashed potatoes. We happen to love and reccomend the Pioneer Woman mashed potatoes recipe.

We also love olive oil mashed potatoes, or making slow cooker mashed potatoes for ease or even Instant Pot mashed potatoes to save ton of time.

Easy sauteed mushrooms are a perfect addition (as many Salisbury steak recipes call for mushrooms) as is our easy air fryer broccoli recipe. It’s so tasty!

Our Instant Pot candied sweet potatoes recipe and our roasted tahini maple sweet potatoes also make great pairing options for Salisbury steak.

Other Pioneer Woman Recipes

If you love recipes by Ree Drummond, here are a few more you’ll enjoy:

• Pioneer Woman white chicken chili
• Pioneer Woman country fried steak
• Pioneer Woman rhubarb cobbler
• Pioneer Woman cheese bread
• Pioneer Woman hot wings
• Pioneer Woman broccoli cheese soup

We have at least a dozen more Ree Drummond recipes, so if you’re a fan, dig in! These are our favorite Pioneer Woman recipes.