The Easiest Hamburger Steak Recipe

This easy one-pan hamburger steak recipe is the perfect way to use up that ground beef in the freezer and transform it into a delicious weeknight meal! Seasoned hamburger steak patties are seared to perfection and then nestled into a creamy pan gravy made with the drippings, onion, garlic, and herbs. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite veggie for a comforting family dinner.

Easy Hamburger Steak Recipe

• The best part about this hamburger steak and gravy recipe is that it all cooks in one pan! Beef patties are seared in a hot pan and then a delicious pan sauce is made with the drippings, butter, diced onions, garlic, herbs, spices, beef broth, Worcestershire, and balsamic vinegar finished with a splash of heavy cream. The end result is tender beef patties coated in a creamy, flavorful homemade beef gravy. If you loved Salisbury steak as a kid (like me!) you’ll love this hamburger steak recipe!
• Some recipes for hamburger steaks are made with sliced onions, however, petite diced onions are definitely the way to go in this recipe. Dicing the onions gives you all that delicious onion flavor without long strings of onions to slurp up in the gravy.

Ingredients for Hamburger Steaks

For the Hamburger Steaks

• Breadcrumbs: You can use plain, Italian, or Panko for this recipe. I like to use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs if I have them on hand.
• Heavy Cream: You can use half and half or milk in place of the heavy cream.
• Grated Onion: Grating or finely mincing the onion allows you to really mix that onion flavor throughout the patties without having big chunks of onions. I prefer to use yellow onion but you can use white if you prefer.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor for these hamburger steaks.
• Herbs & Spices: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder combine to create a delicious herby flavor that is infused throughout the patties. The garlic powder and onion powder emphasize the fresh onion and garlic.
• Egg: The egg is going to help bind the steak patties together.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce is going to boost that beef flavor and really just make all the flavors sing.
• Ground Beef: I like to use 80/20 ground beef for this hamburger steak recipe. Remember that fat equals flavor!

For the Gravy

• Butter: All good gravy recipes start with butter! Butter adds so much flavor to the gravy and is the perfect fat to saute the onion in. It also combines with the flour to create a roux which will thicken the gravy beautifully.
• Diced Onion: The petite diced onion cooks up beautifully. As I mentioned before, I prefer the diced onion over sliced onion for this gravy recipe.
• Spices: Onion powder and garlic powder are my two favorites for this creamy onion gravy.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works best for this gravy and it will allow the sauce to thicken up beautifully.
• Beef Broth: Beef broth adds that classic, delicious beef flavor. Substitute with beef stock if you like.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire is going to bump up that beef flavor and make this gravy a cut above the rest.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar adds a delicious tang and balances out the cream in the gravy.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is one of the key ingredients in this gravy. Omit it if you don’t want a creamy gravy but it adds delicious flavor and luxuriously creamy texture. Substitute with half and half but the consistency will be thinner.

How to Make Hamburger Steaks with Gravy

Combine breadcrumbs and heavy cream in a bowl.

Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Combine ingredients thoroughly. Add ground beef and use your hands to mix until just combined. 

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Separate the meat mixture into 6 equal balls. Carefully form each ball into an oval disc.

Add hamburger steaks to the oil in the pan and cook on each side for 6-8 minutes. Set aside.

Add butter to the pan without wiping it out. Turn heat to medium. Saute onion.

Sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, and flour over the onions and cook for about a minute. Carefully whisk in beef broth until it cleans the bottom of the pan.

Whisk in remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar until smooth and creamy. Simmer until the gravy thickens. Stir in heavy cream and simmer gently.

Return the hamburger steaks to the pan and simmer them in the sauce for 1 minute or so until warmed through.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve over mashed potatoes!

Tips for Making Hamburger Steaks with Gravy

• Add plenty of salt and pepper to the meat mixture and the gravy. The ingredients in this recipe are simple so the salt and pepper are going to go a long way in boosting the overall flavor of the dish.
• To avoid overmixing the meat, it’s important to thoroughly combine all the other ingredients before adding the ground beef. This will allow you to minimally mix the ground beef with the other ingredients.
• Add more oil if needed while you’re sauteeing the hamburger steaks. You want to have a thin layer of oil so that the steaks get a nice sear on them.
• Turn the heat down a bit if the steaks seem like they’re cooking too quickly. You want them to cook through in the center while getting a nice crust on the outside.

FAQ

What is hamburger steak made of?

This easy hamburger steak recipe is made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, heavy cream, egg, finely minced onion, garlic, herbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce.

What holds hamburger steak together?

Heavy cream combines with breadcrumbs to add flavor and texture and help the hamburger steaks hold together well. Beaten egg is another binder that ensures all the ingredients stick together. Beef with a higher fat content (80/20) will also bind together best.

Make-Ahead Instructions

These hamburger steaks are a delicious make-ahead meal that can be easily reheated throughout the week. The steak and gravy will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.

Storing Leftover Hamburger Steaks and Gravy

Store leftover hamburger steak and gravy in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week. I like to store the steaks separately from the gravy so that I can reheat just as many steaks as I’m going to eat and just enough gravy for each serving. You can store them together as well if you prefer.

Freezing Hamburger Steaks

Freeze hamburger steaks and gravy in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Since the gravy is made with heavy cream it will reheat well after being frozen and thawed. Thaw steak and gravy in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating Hamburger Steaks

Reheat hamburger steaks and gravy in a saucepan or large saute pan over medium heat. Add the gravy to the pan first with a splash of broth or cream to loosen it up. Then nestle the hamburger steak into the gravy, cover the pan or pot, and cook until the steak is warmed through, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Serve Hamburger Steak With

• garlic mashed potatoes
• herb roasted baby potatoes
• broccoli cheese twice baked potatoes
• air fryer green beans
• air fryer zucchini
• air fryer asparagus
• instant pot baked potatoes
• air fryer baked potatoes
• slow cooker mac and cheese

Try these ground beef recipes next!

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