Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy is a classic, comforting, quick and easy dinner recipe of mini ground beef patties in a rich, savory, gravy loaded with fresh mushrooms!
If you enjoy easy ground beef recipes, you'll also love Ground Beef + Broccoli, Impossible Cheeseburger Pie {with NO Bisquick!}, and Beefy Cheesy Baked Tortellini!
School is upon us, busy fall schedules are about to commence, and at the end of the day, everyone (including me) is tired and hungry. So I'm all about quick and easy, wholesome and filling, kid-approved dinner recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Lucky for me, scrumptious Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy fits all of those requirements quite nicely!
After all, what's more effortless than a dinner that begins with a pound of ground beef? While I have lots of ground beef recipes in my repertoire that start out by browning said ingredient, this Hamburger Steak recipe requires seasoning and forming the ground beef instead, more akin to Mini Meatloaf Muffins or meatballs.
Either way, it's super easy!
What is Hamburger Steak?
Hamburger Steak is basically a mini ground beef patty (you could even call them mini Salisbury steaks) browned in a pan on both sides.
For this recipe, the little bits of beef at the bottom of the pan are then transformed into a silky, delectable, brown gravy that's bursting with fresh sliced mushrooms and garlic.
Served with a crisp side salad or buttery mashed potatoes and tender green beans, this meal is simple, classic, and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
So what do you need to make oh-so-comforting Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy?
- Ground beef. I typically use 90% lean ground beef, but any ratio will work since you'll be draining the excess fat.
- Breadcrumbs. I have successfully made this recipe with both store-bought dried breadcrumbs and homemade breadcrumbs. Gluten-free breadcrumbs work, too.
- Milk. Whole milk, 2%, or skim milk will work, as will any unsweetened plant-based milk (such as almond milk). The milk is just necessary for moisture.
- Worcestershire sauce, prepared mustard, dried parsley, salt + pepper. For flavor.
- Beef broth. This is the base for the gravy. I either use good-quality beef broth from a carton (or homemade beef broth from the freezer) or Organic Better Than Bouillon Beef Base to make my own broth. (I actually think the Better Than Bouillon makes this gravy taste extra "beefy," so I add a small spoonful even when making this recipe with real broth.) Just keep in mind that the saltiness of the broth you use will dictate how much additional salt you do or don't need to add.
- Tomato paste. I find that just a bit of tomato paste doesn't make the gravy taste like tomato...rather, it lends a depth of flavor.
- Butter. Sometimes I opt to swap out half of the butter for EVOO. Either will work.
- Mushrooms. I typically use regular ol' sliced button mushrooms, but any type of mushroom would be delicious in this recipe.
- Garlic. As far as I'm concerned, the more, the merrier. 😉
- Flour. For thickening. And if you need your gravy to be gluten-free, I have always had success substituting Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Mix for regular all-purpose flour.
How to Make Hamburger Steak
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This recipe has a few separate steps, but overall, it's quick and easy!
- Combine the ground beef with the breadcrumbs, milk, and seasonings.
- Form into eight balls and then flatten into patties.
- Melt butter in a pan and cook the hamburger steaks until browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Remove hamburger steaks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and keep warm.
How to Make Mushroom Gravy for Hamburger Steak
- Pour beef broth into a bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk in tomato paste, mustard, beef bouillon base, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.
- Add butter, mushrooms, and garlic to the same pan in which you browned the Hamburger Steak.
- Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle with flour and cook for another minute.
- Stir the broth mixture into the mushrooms and simmer and stir for a few minutes until the gravy thickens.
- Add the cooked hamburger steaks back to the pan and submerge in the gravy until heated through.
And that's it! Serve to ooohs and aaahs.
Adding Optional Onions
Mushroom Gravy for Hamburger Steak is hard to beat, but some people prefer adding onions as well. Here's how to do that:
- Sauté the mushrooms in butter and/or oil in the pan as directed, then remove the mushrooms to a plate.
- Melt an additional 3 tablespoons butter in the pan and add a small, thinly sliced onion.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms back to the pan and proceed with the recipe, from the step where you stir in flour and then add the broth mixture to make the gravy.
Doubling the Recipe
A few years back, this Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy recipe was the perfect quantity to feed my young family of five.
But now, with three big kids (including two teenage boys), I actually have to double the recipe in order to have enough.
Luckily, it's no problem to multiply the ingredients, brown the hamburger steak in two batches in a large, deep skillet, and make twice as much gravy.
All the better to saturate those mashed potatoes with, my dear! 😉
So are you hungry yet? These easy little Hamburger Steak patties are like mini Salisbury steaks, only better.
And I can assure you that this Hamburger Steak and Gravy recipe is on regular menu rotation around here! Our whole family gobbles it down, from the picky girl child to the parents (even if some of them admittedly pick out the mushrooms -- more for me!).
Because let's be real here...if I'm going to spend my precious time and energy cooking dinner, it's always an added bonus when I know that everyone will actually eat it.
Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy is hearty, it's satisfying, and it's easy to whip up.
I hope you get to try this one soon!
More Ground Beef Dinner Recipes
- One-Pot Spaghetti
- The BEST Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Swedish Meatballs
- Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- One-Pan Asian Ground Beef + Rice
Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, fresh or dried
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, DIVIDED
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (OR Dijon mustard), DIVIDED
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus additional for gravy
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste (OR ketchup)
- ½ teaspoon beef bouillon base (such as organic Better Than Bouillon), optional
- 4 tablespoons butter, DIVIDED
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, parsley, ½ teaspoon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Form into 8 equally-sized balls and flatten into patties. Set aside.
- Pour beef broth into a large measuring cup. Whisk in the tomato paste, remaining ½ teaspoon mustard, beef bouillon base, and remaining Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a large, deep pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and swirl to coat. Add the beef patties, cook 3 to 4 minutes on first side until well-browned, and flip, taking care to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan when you flip. Cook patties for 3 minutes on the second side or until the ground beef is cooked through in the center. Remove the patties to a paper-towel lined plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
- Drain the grease from the pan and add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the pan. Melt and swirl the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping/deglazing the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and continuously stir while cooking for 1 more minute.
- Gradually stir in the broth mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 to 3 minutes or until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency. Reduce the heat, add the cooked beef patties back to the pan, and submerge in the gravy. Cook for another couple of minutes until they are heated through.
Video
Notes
- If your pan/skillet is large enough, you should be able to brown all of your hamburger steaks at the same time. Otherwise, brown them in batches.
- Along the same lines, this recipe may easily be doubled, but you will have to brown your beef patties in multiple batches.
- TO MAKE THIS RECIPE GLUTEN-FREE: Substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs for regular, and use a gluten-free baking mix (such as Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1) in place of flour to thicken the gravy.
- TO MAKE THIS RECIPE DAIRY-FREE: Use a dairy-free milk option in the hamburger steak mixture, such as unsweetened almond milk, and substitute extra-virgin olive oil for butter when cooking everything in the pan.
- TO ADD OPTIONAL ONIONS TO THE MUSHROOM GRAVY:
- Sauté the mushrooms in butter in the pan as directed, then remove them to a plate.
- Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the pan and add a small, thinly sliced onion.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms back to the pan and proceed with the recipe, picking up at the step where you stir in flour and then add the broth mixture to make the gravy.
Post originally published on August 28, 2017, and updated on August 12, 2021, and August 31, 2023.
MalinoiMom
yummy!! my husband normally cooks but I whipped this up and it was damn good! keeper
Kacie
Very good!
Pam W
Wow is this good! Thank you Samantha.
I made this with less butter (I used 1 T to brown the beef as per recipe but only used 1 1/2 T more for the sauce) and it was really lovely.
I added 1/2 t salt and a small pinch dried thyme to the finished gravy.
With mashed potatoes and a side vegetable a really splendid dinner.
Kellie
Great recipe! Everyone in my house loved it! Thanks!
TBS5
Delicious. I did not use the bouillon, I reduced a larger quantity of the beef stock. I also didn't use the tomato paste. We enjoyed it.
Dianna
This was a hit! Made the hamburger so tender. The savory gravy was perfect with mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe!
Diana
This was super delicious. My teenager ate the mushrooms. When I have mushrooms in a recipe, he usually picks them off (if pizza) or scoots them to the side of his plate to to throw away. This dish, he wolfed them down. Maybe it's because he's getting older and can now appreciate mushrooms... OR maybe because this recipe was damn delicious. It was so easy to make, yet tasted like I spent hours on the sauce. 5 Stars. Thank you.