Hamburger Steak with Gravy

Hamburger Steak with Onion and Mushroom Gravy

Hamburger steak is comfort food that leans on good beef. A tender, seasoned patty seared hard and then simmered in a rich onion and mushroom gravy, spooned over mashed potatoes. It is the kind of supper that made ground beef a ranch staple, and it starts with our single-source Diamond R 80/20 ground beef.

Why the beef and the panade matter here

Because the patty gets cooked twice, seared, then simmered, it needs help staying tender. The trick every good cook uses is a panade: breadcrumbs soaked in milk. That soaked starch gets between the meat proteins so they cannot bond into something tough, and the patty stays soft and juicy. Pair that with 80/20 beef for fat and flavor, and sear it hard so the browned bits in the pan become the backbone of the gravy.

Ingredients

• For the patties:
• 2 lb Diamond R 80/20 single-source ground beef
• 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs soaked in 1/3 cup whole milk (a panade)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated yellow onion
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• For the gravy:
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus the reserved beef fat
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2.5 to 3 cups warm beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Optional: 2 to 3 tablespoons cream or 1 tablespoon cold butter, to finish

How to make it

1. Make a panade: stir the breadcrumbs and milk together and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until it forms a paste. This is what keeps the patties tender through the simmer.
2. Add the beef, panade, egg, grated onion, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined, no more. Form 6 oval patties about 3/4 to 1 inch thick with a shallow dimple in each. Chill 15 minutes if you have time.
3. Sear the patties in a heavy or cast iron skillet over medium-high with a little oil, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. They will not be cooked through. Remove to a plate and leave the browned bits and fat in the pan.
4. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Add the sliced onion and mushrooms and cook over medium-high 8 to 12 minutes, until the mushroom liquid cooks off and both are golden. Do not rush this browning.
5. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes until it smells nutty, not raw.
6. Pour in the warm broth gradually, whisking constantly to stay lump free and scraping up all the browned bits. Add the Worcestershire and soy. Simmer 2 to 4 minutes until it thickens to a gravy that coats a spoon.
7. Nestle the patties and their juices back into the gravy, cover, and simmer gently 8 to 12 minutes, until they reach 155 to 160F in the center.
8. Off the heat, swirl in the cream or a knob of cold butter for gloss. Taste and add salt only if it needs it, since the broth is already salty. Rest 2 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

What makes this gravy taste like a diner's

Two moves. First, genuinely brown the onions and mushrooms, let the mushroom liquid cook all the way off so they go golden and sweet. Second, build the gravy right on the fond, the browned bits from searing the patties, and cook the flour before adding warm broth so it never tastes raw. A splash of Worcestershire and soy adds savory depth, and a swirl of cold butter or cream at the end gives it that glossy shine. Keep more ground beef on hand with our ground beef dinner ideas.

This is a two pound supper that feeds the whole table. Stock up with our Ground Beef Box, 18 pounds of single-source 80/20. From our ranch to your table.

Marty, Amy, Richelle, Rylie and Reece
Diamond R Cattle

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep hamburger steak patties tender?

Use a panade, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, worked into the beef, and mix just until combined. The soaked starch keeps the meat proteins from tightening, so the patties stay soft even after searing and a simmer in the gravy. Overmixing is what makes them tough.

What is the difference between hamburger steak and Salisbury steak?

They are close cousins. Salisbury steak usually has more binder and seasoning worked in and is shaped into ovals, while a plain hamburger steak can be simpler. Both are ground beef patties finished in gravy. This recipe leans Salisbury with its panade and onion mushroom gravy.

Why did my gravy turn out lumpy or gluey?

Lumps come from adding cold broth all at once, and a gluey, raw taste comes from not cooking the flour. Cook the flour 1 to 2 minutes first, then add warm broth a little at a time while whisking. Aim for about 1 tablespoon of flour per cup of broth.

What should I serve with hamburger steak and gravy?

Mashed potatoes are the classic, since they catch the gravy, but rice or buttered egg noodles work just as well. Add a simple green vegetable like green beans and you have a full ranch supper.

Is Diamond R ground beef grass-fed?

No. Our cattle graze pasture with their mothers, then finish on a corn and oats ration for marbling and flavor. It is single-source 80/20, ground one animal at a time, with born here, raised here, and fed here on our family ranch in Independence, Kansas