Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
134 Comments Dec 20, 2023
Updated Aug 25, 2024
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Cooking Salisbury steak in the crock pot creates a tender dish that has plenty of onion and mushroom gravy. It goes great with mashed potatoes and is sure to become a family favorite.
We love classic recipes like this one in the slow cooker. We also make slow cooker tater tot casserole and hot roast beef sandwiches often.
Table of Contents
Why this slow cooker salisbury steak recipe works
When you’re looking to switch things up from the traditional casserole dish, this classic recipe is one to try. It takes the guesswork out of what to put on the dinner table and thanks to the slow cooker, it’s a comfort food that doesn’t take much effort. If you don’t feel like making the hamburger patties, try my slow cooker cube steak recipe which has similar flavors.
Rich gravy is easily created from just a few ingredients while tender beef patties are first browned before being added into the crock pot. I love how this meal turns out and the flavors are delicious every time. The next time you’re looking for a new way to cook beef patties, try this version of crock pot hamburger steaks.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I suggest using lean ground beef with no more than 7% fat. Although they are precooked a bit, this will still prevent from lots of fat getting into the overall casserole dish.
- Crackers – Ritz or Saltines are fine to use in this salisbury steak recipe. This is the same crackers I use in my slow cooker meatloaf.
- Egg – This is used to help bind the beef mixture together.
- Milk – Just a bit of liquid to help keep the beef patties moist.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano are the perfect combination of seasonings for the Salisbury steaks.
- Vegetables – Every delicious recipe for hamburger steak has mushrooms and onions.
- Gravy – For a thick gravy I use cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix packets, and water (less than what the packages call for). I also add thyme for added flavor. Do not use beef broth for it will make the gravy too salty.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – In a large bowl add the hamburger patty ingredients, which are ground beef, crushed crackers, egg, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
Step Two – Mix together with clean hands and form the meat mixture into 4 patties.
Step Three – In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil and pan are hot add the patties, cook until golden brown on both sides. No need to let the patties cook through.
Step Four – In another large bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, gravy packets, water and thyme until smooth to make brown gravy. Set aside.
Step Five – Add half of the sliced mushrooms and sliced onions to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the patties on top.
Step Six – Add remaining onions and mushrooms on top of the ground beef patties.
Step Seven – Pour over the brown gravy mix.
Step Eight – Cover and cook on LOW for 4.5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. Serve and enjoy!
What goes well with this Crockpot Salisbury Steak recipe?
- For a comfort food like this, you can’t go wrong with hearty sides like mashed potatoes, steamed white rice or buttered egg noodles (all these options are great for serving that onion gravy over). Another option is slow cooker macaroni and cheese.
- For a lighter option, consider steamed broccoli, green beans, sauteed carrots, or a fresh side salad.
- Buttered dinner rolls, cornbread, or regular sandwich bread make great gravy dippers.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef and also change the gravy packets to chicken or turkey.
Yes. I recommend buying them fresh either whole and you slice them or you can purchase fresh mushrooms pre-sliced or use canned mushrooms if that’s what you prefer.
The gravy ingredients will be enough to create a nice and rich gravy. Though, if for some reason your gravy isn’t not thick enough to your liking you can make a cornstarch slurry, add it to the gravy and cook for 20-30 minutes longer.
Place any remaining Salisbury steak patties, mushrooms and onions in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can use panko breadcrumbs instead or store-bought premade bread crumbs.
Need more beef recipes?
- Slow Cooker Taco 15 Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips
- Slow Cooker Steak, Potatoes and Corn
- Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
For the patties
- 1 lb. ground beef, 7% fat
- ½ cup crushed crackers, I use Ritz, but saltines work great too
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, (for browning the patties)
For the gravy mixture
- 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup, I use roasted garlic variety
- 1.74 oz. brown gravy mix, (two .87-oz. packets)
- 1¼ cup water
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
Veggies:
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 white onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the ground beef, crushed crackers, egg, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Mix together with clean hands, don’t over mix. Form the meat into 4 patties. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, gravy packets, water and thyme until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil and pan are hot add the patties, brown on both sides. No need to cook through.
- Add half of the mushrooms and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the patties on top. Add remaining onions and mushrooms on top of the patties. Pour over gravy mixture.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4.5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- You can use ground chicken or ground turkey. If you choose to change the meat, change the gravy packet flavor as well
- If you do not have Ritz crackers you can use crushed saltines, panko bread crumbs or classic dry bread crumbs.
- My favorite sides for Salisbury steak are mashed potatoes, steamed rice or buttered egg noodles. Other sides in addition that great great are green salad and cornbread
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Can you use some round steak pieces and not brown them ?? And cook it longer ??
Yes, that should work great.
Hi
How many ritz crackers should I use?? Do I smash them up??
Yes, smash them up and measure a 1/2 cup.
My husband and I thought the ground beef patties turned out pretty tasteless and the gravy didn’t save it. I won’t be making it again. I was really surprised there was no worcestershire sauce in the recipe, that might have saved it and half the amount of mushrooms would have been enough
This was the best Salisbury Steak I ever made! I did leave out the Tyne
Skip the thyme! It completely overpowered the recipe. Everything was great except for that. Maybe put in 1/8th of a teaspoon but not 1/2 tsp. It was all that we could taste and almost had to throw it away! We ended up adding more gravy, water and another can of cream of mushroom soup and then topped with black pepper. Groceries are too expensive to throw away, so we made a way to figure it out. Otherwise it was a great recipe….thyme belongs on prime rib as a rub but definitely not in Salisbury steak!
I totally agree. I don’t care for the thyme or oregano in it.
Would like to make this for dinner tonight but I only have 1 brown gravy packet
I would cut the water back to 3/4 cup then.
My girlfriend is allergic to mushrooms. What would be some good substitutes for the cream of mushroom soup?
I recommend cream of celery! Doesn’t have a distinct taste.
Cream of celery. I am making it tomorrow morning and that is what I’m using.
What can I use in place of gravy packets. I am allergic to MSG which is prevalent in prepackaged gravy mixes as well as bullion cubes.
B/C of this I avoid these things due to adverse reactions.
Thank you.
I would do beef broth instead of water and make a slurry out of cornstarch. My guess is about 3 Tbsp and 3 Tbsp of cold water.
Not adding the milk would that make a difference to the overall outcome of this particular dish?
It’s the liquid so the patties aren’t too dry to hold together. Add some water if you need to.
Hi Sarah; I have tried to make these Russian steaks (Spanish name) American 2 times and I did not like it, but I will give them another opportunity with your recipe. Everyone says they are delicius, I am very angry that I do not like them, but as my teacher said, there is no dish that you cannot like, there are only dishes that are bad cooked. What a great truth. Greetings from Guadalajara Spain