Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
29 Comments Feb 18, 2024
Updated Jun 11, 2024
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Make this classic old fashioned recipe for Crockpot Swiss Steak with round steak, tomatoes and peppers which makes the best savory sauce! It’s a nice meal that can pair with lots of things and something your whole family is sure to enjoy.
This old-fashioned recipe is still wonderful to make today! You can also make Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak or Slow Cooker Cube Steak, which has a different sauce but still has a vintage vibe.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
If you’ve never heard of Swiss steak, it is a recipe that has been around for decades. Some recipes call for “swissing” the steak (tenderizing with a meat mallet), but if you are cooking it in the slow cooker that is not necessary.
My recipe is a mix of a few different recipes I found in my vintage recipe collection. I decided to thicken the sauce by dredging the meat with flour. It adds a nice touch to the sauce which many slow cooker recipes don’t have.
The cooking time can be as short as 4 hours or you can choose to cook it a bit longer and get some things done while dinner is cooking. This is an excellent recipe if you’re looking to cook a flavorful meal but all together in the same pot. Consider cooking this for your next Sunday dinner. If you love cozy meals like this also try my crockpot beef tips, or crockpot london broil.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef: Round steaks can be bough. Or bottom roast, or top round roast can be used and cut into thick steaks. 2-4 pounds will work fine in this recipe.
- Flour: This will be used to lightly coat the chuck steak prior to searing with olive oil.
- Beef Consomme or Beef Broth: Either one will work and both provide the perfect tasting base for the roast to cook in. I prefer Campbell’s brand.
- Diced Tomatoes: You’ll need 2 cans of diced tomatoes, undrained.
- Vegetables: An onion and green bell pepper are both diced and tossed into the crockpot to provide texture, flavor, and heartiness.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, freshly minced garlic cloves, and Worcestershire sauce mend together to make the delicious seasoning tasted in every bite.
- Cooking Oil: You’ll need this for searing the roast prior to adding it to the slow cooker.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – On a large plate add the flour and salt and pepper. Mix this together. Dredge each steak in this mixture on both sides, transfer to another plate. Save any excess flour mixture, you will add this to the slow cooker with the meat later.
Step Two – Set a large skillet to medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Brown the steaks on both sides, no need to cook through.
Step Three – Add the browned steaks to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over any remaining flour from the plate.
Step Four – Add the remaining ingredients.
Step Five – Stir everything together until well combined.
Step Six – Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time or until fork tender. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with Swiss Steak?
- Mashed potatoes or steamed rice make great sides. You can also serve pieces over egg noodles for a great recipe that is tasty and hearty.
- Serve Swiss steak with vegetables like green beans or a green salad adds a refreshing touch. We often make Crockpot Green Bean Casserole to go along with this meal.
- Rolls or garlic bread are always a great match when looking for something to sop up the juices.
Other versions of Swiss steak:
- Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy – by Tastes of Lizzy T
- Creamy Swiss Steak – Taste of Home
- Instant Pot Swiss Steak – by Savory Tooth
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you can’t find bottom roast or steaks you can use one of these cuts of beef: cube steak (or cubed stew meat), chuck roast (leave whole, shred at the end and degrease the sauce by laying paper towels over the sauce and discarding), or stew meat.
Yes! Mushrooms can be added at the beginning of the cooking time, add 1-2 cups. You can also add tomato sauce, garlic powder, or mushroom soup for even more flavor.
To store leftover slow cooker Swiss steak, allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours. Consume the leftovers within 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage, ensuring proper reheating before serving.
I do not advise that as it will not sear properly and could take longer to cook. Let the roast thaw overnight in a shallow dish prior to cooking according to the directions.
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Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs. round steaks, or bottom or top round roast cut into thick steaks (2-4 pounds will work fine in this recipe)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 4 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 10.5 oz. Campbell's beef consomme, or beef broth
- 29 oz. petite diced tomatoes, (two 14.5 oz. cans) do not drain
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- On a large plate add the flour and salt and pepper. Mix this together.
- Dredge each steak in this mixture on both sides, transfer to another plate. Save any excess flour mixture, you will add this to the slow cooker with the meat later.
- Set a large skillet to medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan. Brown the steaks on both sides, no need to cook through. You may have to cook the meat in two batches if your pan is too small, add more oil inbewteen batches. Add the browned steaks to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over any excess flour from the plate.
- Deglaze the pan that you browned the meat in with by adding the beef consomme and scrapping up any brown bits. Add to the slow cooker on top of the beef.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours with out opening the lid during the cooking time.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Cube steak
- Chuck roast (leave whole, shred at the end and degrease the sauce by laying paper towels over the sauce and discarding).
- Stew meat
- Over mashed potatoes or steamed rice
- Green salad or steamed veggies on the side
- Garlic bread or dinner rolls
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Very good ! Added a little sugar. Will definitely make again
The unique taste I have gotten with this recipe is add a good Worcestershire sauce (2-3 T. toward the end of cooking). I use petite diced tomatoes, onions, celery, flour steak and brown it. Then saute’ the veggies by adding a little oil after browning the steak, add diced tomatoes, 2 large cans, rinse cans with water and add to tomatoes, heat/simmer a bit. Then add browned steaks, cover and cook on top of stove about 2 hours till tender. Allow to rest in pot, add Worcestershire sauce, cover and let rest till dinner time. Serve over long grain rice. Add more Wooster sauce to taste.
As I read another comments, this recipe is a great starting point. I also added celery and carrots. Quite a bit more garlic, then was called four and onions, and I sautéed them and added flour to them. I browned my flour to get the raw flavor off then I added the consommé and extra salt and pepper and seasoning salt Which made a nice thick liquid to put over the meat another tomatoes to you it was amazing thank you for posting your recipe to get me started
We tried this last weekend, and the recipe is a great starting point. After reading so many comments about the lack of flavor, I added extra salt and pepper to the dredging flour and used Knorr Beef Bouillon at nearly double strength instead of beef consomme. I agree that there was too much liquid at the end of cooking, but two tablespoons of Corn Starch mixed with water thickened it up very nicely. We used a chuck roast cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices and then trimmed off most of the fat before dredging and cooking. In the end, it still needed some more salt, and I think that next time we try it, I’ll double or triple the garlic and perhaps add in some various “Italian” seasonings. Overall, not a bad recipe.
These steaks were delicious and easy to cut with a fork, no knife needed.
Do you need to brown the cube steak with flour?
You don’t have to but it adds a caramelized flavor to the dish.
The best, we added a pre cooked, Cajun style long grain pre cooked rice in the last hour. Gave an extra flavor. I think I’ll try a teaspoon of paprika in the flour next time.
I tried this recipe and it was very good and definitely going into the dinner rotation. I did add 8oz of fresh mushrooms to the pot and it was delicious!!!