This slow cooker Salisbury steaks recipe is the comfort food you have been craving. Easy, delicious, and so satisfying!
This easy slow cooker Salisbury steak recipe is a favorite family meal! It is comfort food at its finest.
And it’s the most popular recipe we’ve ever published! With more than a million views and countless shares, if you’re reading this recipe, you’re not alone. And that’s because the crock pot method makes it so easy to enjoy this delicious meal.
Growing up, I loved the school lunch Salisbury steak. I know many kids didn’t like it, but I’ve always figured that if you slap gravy on just about anything it will end up being delicious.
Or at least that’s how I feel.
I love, love Salisbury steak — probably because it’s smothered in gravy!
Because I wanted to make Salisbury steak even easier to make, I decided to try making Salisbury steaks in the slow cooker.
Spoiler alert: It is seriously delicious! Gravy lovers, you will really enjoy this one.
I love making this slow cooker salisbury steaks recipe and make it at least once a month. It’s now a family favorite!
I was pleasantly surprised when I first made this recipe to find that it turned out just as good as my skillet version and requires much less hands on time.
I know we all really appreciate an easy slow cooker recipe on busy days and this one is amazing.
My slow cooker Salisbury steaks take just a few minutes to put together. You have to mix the ground beef with the seasonings and whisk together the gravy.
All the time for searing and flipping and stirring gravy of a traditional Salisbury steak recipe has gone out the window thanks to the slow cooker.
This is an easy weeknight dinner that you can prep earlier in the day or prepare it as an easy yet decadent weekend meal.
Why Use a Slow Cooker To Make Salisbury Steak?
Anyone who uses a crockpot regularly can tell you that they love the delicious combination of flavors, tender meat, and even better, the one-pot clean up at the end.
I also love slow cooker meals for days when I’m expecting company. This allows me more time to clean my house, prepare a dessert or side dishes, or just relax.
Not to mention how easily this Salisbury steak, or any other slow cooker recipe, will travel for potlucks, gatherings, or holidays! In just minutes, you can prepare a dish that will taste like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. A little bit of meal prep in this case can go a long way.
One of the best features about this recipe is that you can quickly prepare all ingredients ahead of time and assemble in minutes in the morning.
Imagine coming home and not having to touch a single pan for to feast on delicious Salisbury steak and gravy!
Salisbury Steak Recipe
So, how do you make salisbury steak? It’s easy!
To make this homemade Salisbury steak recipe, you will need:
Ingredients
- Baby portobello mushrooms – Sliced thin, the mushrooms add loads of flavor to the Salisbury steak
- Onion – White or yellow onion, thinly sliced, is the perfect complement to the mushrooms
- Lean ground beef – With the addition of gravy the lean ground beef cooks slow and tender
- Steak seasoning – Store bought or homemade steak seasoning add tons of flavor
- Worcestershire sauce – Used in both the Sailsbury steak patties and the gravy
- Dried onion flakes – Build up the flavor with the addition of dried onion flakes in the patties
- Dried parsley – Parsley lends a nice herbal freshness to this Salisbury steak recipe
- Breadcrumbs – Plain or Italian breadcrumbs work well for this recipe
- Egg – A single egg is needed to help as a binder in the steak patties
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch is used to thicken the beef gravy
- Beef broth – Make an easy beef gravy using beef broth
- Black pepper – Season the beef gravy to taste with black pepper
Gear
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- Mixing bowls – You’ll first need a large mixing bowl for mixing up the ground beef mixture. We recommend the Luminarc Stackable Bowl 10-Piece Set. These glass bowls are super versatile and you’ll use them for so many recipes.
- Slow cooker – This method of making salisbury steak requires a slow cooker. We love the simple yet mighty Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker. It doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles, but it’s reliable and affordable if you don’t already own a slow cooker.
- Slow cooker liners – While not required, you may want to grab a pack of Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners. They’re inexpensive, easy to keep on hand and help cut down cleaning time when it comes time to do dishes.
How to Make Salisbury Steak
To amplify the flavor of this Salisbury steak recipe, I start by adding slices of baby portobello mushrooms and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker, after first spraying it generously with non-stick cooking spray.
When you add the ingredients together in the bowl, it should look something like this!
Next, mix the ground beef with steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, onion flakes, parsley flakes, breadcrumbs and an egg.
Combine well with your hands, then form it into patties.
Layer the patties into the slow cooker on top of the sliced mushrooms and onions. It’s totally ok if the patties overlap a bit.
Next you make the simple gravy mix, whisking it very well to avoid any lumps.
Pour the gravy overtop of the Salisbury steaks. Close the lid and cook on high 3 to 4 hours.
Alternately, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until cooked through to your liking.
I’m so happy that my slow cooker version worked out and tastes just as good as the skillet version!
If you prefer your Salisbury steak to have crispy, seared edges, you could sear in a pan for a few minutes before moving the patties to the slow cooker.
My slow cooker is an oval shaped 6 quart slow cooker, which easily fit six patties without having to stack the patties. Again, a little bit of overlap is ok.
If the size of your crockpot requires you to stack, use a layer of onions and mushrooms in between layers of Salisbury steak to prevent sticking.
Did you know — you can also make Salisbury steak in a cast iron skillet, and you can make a sheet pan Salisbury steak, too!
How to Serve Salisbury Steaks
Traditionally Salisbury steak is served over mashed potatoes with lots of extra gravy. Another great, lower carb options is mashed cauliflower!
It is also common to see Salisbury steak served with egg noddles, as I did here.
Use a shallow bowl or large dinner plate, add the mashed potates, egg noodles or another pasta of your choice.
Add a Salisbury steak patty, then spoon extra mushrooms and onions on top. Ladle extra gravy to your liking.
Optionally, a bit of fresh parsley on top makes a great addition to the flavors of this Salisbury steak recipe.
I tossed my egg noodles in butter and added a pinch of salt, pepper and dried parsley flakes before adding the Salisbury steak and gravy.
If you want to add veggies on the side, this quick and easy toaster oven broccoli recipe cooks up in no time. Tasty roasted cabbage wedges or our favorite maple roasted Brussels sprouts also make a perfect side dish.
These Salisbury steaks turned out great! If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food, I invite you to try our slow cooker Salisbury steak recipe.
You may also want to give this skillet beef tips and gravy recipe a try or check out this easy Philly cheesesteak pasta recipe!
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Baby Portabello Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Onion Thinly sliced
- 1 1/3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon Steak Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce Divided
- 1 teaspoon Dried Onion Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs Plain or Italian
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch Divided
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Spray a large, 6-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray. Then add the sliced mushrooms and onions to the bottom.
- Next, prepare the ground beef mixture. Combine the ground beef, steak seasoning, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, dried onion flakes, parsley, breadcrumbs and egg together. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture into 4-6 patties. Form each patty into an oval shape, pressing thin, and then place in the slow cooker. (Make sure you spread evenly in the slow cooker and do not stack.)
- Mix together the 2 cups of beef broth, 2-tablespoons Worchester sauce, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth then pour on top of beef patties. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high.
- Once the Salisbury steak is done cooking, remove the steaks from the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, add one-tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir the cornstarch water mixture into the gravy in the slow cooker. Mix until thickened.
- Serve each Salisbury steak with mushroom and onion gravy on top of egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Omit the extra tablespoon of cornstarch and water if your gravy is already at your desired thickness.
LaLonnie
Thursday 24th of October 2024
my husband loved it. The recipe was straightforward simple but delicious that recipe will stay in my rotation. I don’t know what I was so afraid of.
CJ
Sunday 25th of August 2024
Could not get the meat to look the same color throughout. Didn’t look cooked all the way through (even cooking on HIGH for over 5 hours). The veggies and gravy smelled and tasted great, but the ground steak did not. I will try again, but with cube steak instead.
Cindi
Wednesday 13th of November 2024
@CJ, I haven't made this yet but I want to. I'm already thinking it may be a good idea to brown the patties in a skillet first.
Linda
Saturday 3rd of August 2024
Yummy