Bobby Flay Salisbury Steak is an easy comfort food dinner made with tender seasoned beef patties simmered in a rich mushroom and onion gravy. Because it all cooks in one skillet in under an hour, this quick recipe suits weeknight dinners, Sunday supper or a cozy fall family gathering.
The sear runs about a minute a side and the patties come out raw in the middle, which is exactly right. They finish in the simmering gravy, so pushing the sear longer leaves you with dry, tough steaks at the end.
This version works marinara into the meat mixture instead of the usual milk soaked bread, which adds moisture and acidity at once. The gravy thickens with a cornstarch slurry rather than a roux, so it stays glossy rather than cloudy.
Bobby Flay Salisbury Steak
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes40
minutes358
kcalSautéed onion, panko, egg, marinara and seasonings bind a pound of ground beef into four or five oval patties. They sear briefly, then simmer in a mushroom and beef broth gravy finished with a cornstarch slurry.
Ingredients
- For the Salisbury Steak:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg
⅓ cup tomato sauce or marinara
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
- For the Mushroom Gravy:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
9 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2½ cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch plus ¼ cup water or beef stock
Salt and pepper, as needed
Directions
- Cook the aromatics:Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 40 to 60 seconds. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix the patties:In a large bowl combine the cooled onion, ground beef, panko, egg, tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, oregano, pepper and salt. Mix by hand just until combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Shape and sear:Form 4 to 5 oval steaks. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same skillet and brown the steaks in batches, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate. They will not be cooked through.
- Start the gravy:In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Sauté the sliced onion until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden.
- Simmer:Return the steaks to the skillet and pour in the beef broth. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes.
- Thicken and finish: Combine the cornstarch with the water or stock and gradually stir it into the skillet. Cook 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. The steaks are done at 160°F internally.
FAQs
Why sear the patties before simmering them in the gravy?
The sear builds browned fond on the bottom of the skillet, and that fond becomes the backbone of the gravy. It also firms up the outside of each patty, so they hold together through the full fifteen minutes of simmering. Drop raw patties straight into the broth and they fall apart into what amounts to a loose meat sauce.
Why let the sautéed onion cool before mixing it into the beef?
Hot onion starts cooking the ground beef on contact, which firms the proteins before the patties are even shaped. It also partially sets the raw egg, so the mixture stops binding the patties the way it should. Two or three minutes off the heat is enough, and spreading the onion on a cold plate speeds it up.
Why mix the cornstarch with cold liquid before adding it?
Cornstarch clumps instantly in hot liquid, since the outside of each grain gels before the water reaches its center. Whisking it into cold broth or water first separates the grains, so the slurry disperses through evenly. Pour it in gradually while stirring too, because dumping it all at once still creates gummy pockets.
Can you use ground turkey instead of beef?
Ground turkey works, though use dark meat rather than breast, since lean turkey dries out in fifteen minutes of simmering. Swap the beef broth for chicken broth as well, so the gravy does not overpower the much milder meat. Turkey patties are looser too, so chilling them for twenty minutes before searing helps them keep their shape.
What size skillet do you need for this?
A twelve inch skillet is the right call, because five patties plus two and a half cups of broth need room. A ten inch pan crowds the patties, so they steam against each other instead of browning properly at all. Cast iron or stainless holds the fond best, since nonstick surfaces release too little for a good gravy.
