This outrageously tender and flavorful baked cube steak is smothered in a savory onion gravy and baked to perfection. Your whole family is going to love this hearty dinner. When slathered over a bed of mashed potatoes it transforms into the ultimate comfort food. So gather your loved ones around the dinner table and enjoy a great meal together!
What is it?
This easy baked cube steak recipe is inspired by my popular cube steak with mushroom gravy. The primary difference is this recipe is simplified by baking everything together in the oven, as well as the noticeable addition of onions rather than mushrooms. Although my recipe is designed to be easy, it is still a traditional made-from-scratch recipe featuring cube steaks smothered in homemade gravy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cooking oil - I typically use canola oil or olive oil.
- Yellow onion - A sweet onion works just as well. Otherwise, you substitute fresh mushrooms instead.
- Beef cube steaks - 4-6 steaks will fit in a 12" skillet. This is approximately 1 ½ pounds.
- All-purpose flour
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Butter
- Beef broth - I like using low sodium beef broth because it gives me more control over the salt content. Beef stock also works well.
- Fresh thyme
Customize this recipe: Adding a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and/or soy sauce to the already flavorful gravy will add even more great flavor. This is optional, but tastes incredible! Also, if you like a creamier gravy with a subtle tanginess, stir in a dollop of sour cream at the end.
How to make it
This baked cube steak recipe is made in a few simple steps. First, the onions get sauteed in hot oil on the stove top over medium heat until tender. They can then be set aside.
While the onions are cooking, you can mix together the seasoned flour mixture. I recommend seasoning your steaks with a little salt after patting them dry with a paper towel, then dredging them in the flour mixture to fully coat.
Raise the temperature of your stovetop burner to medium high heat. Add the remaining cooking oil and brown steaks on both sides. They do not need to be cooked through. Remove the cube steaks and set them aside with your onions.
Now the gravy gets prepared. Let the pan cool slightly so the flour doesn't scorch. Melt butter over medium low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture for two minutes while stirring and then begin to slowly incorporate the beef broth. Add the liquid in small amounts while whisking to insure it incorporates smoothly. Continue until all of the liquid has been added.
Finally, add the fresh thyme to the gravy along with the onions and cube steaks. Cover the pan with a lid and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours, or until the steaks are fork tender.
Remove the sprig of thyme from the gravy and serve your oven-baked cube steaks over fluffy mashed potatoes.
How to Serve Cube Steaks
I highly recommend serving your cube steaks and gravy over a bed of mashed potatoes, along with a green vegetable for a side. Roasted green beans or asparagus would each be great side dishes to serve with steaks.
Recipe FAQs
Cube steaks are beef steaks typically cut from the sirloin and mechanically tenderized prior to purchasing at the grocery store. However, you can make your own cube steaks at home by purchasing a sirloin steak and pounding it with the pointed side of a meat mallet.
Prior to cooking, cube steaks are initially a tough cut of meat. The secret to making tender cube steaks is slowly braising them in liquid. The steaks will slowly become mouthwateringly tender as they simmer in the oven.
After baking your cube steaks in the oven you can thin out your gravy by whisking in a few dribbles of liquid. Water, beef broth, or milk all work well.
If your gravy is too thin when you are ready to serve this meal, simply simmer your pan on the stovetop for a couple minutes to thicken it.
The easiest way to reheat leftover cube steaks is by microwaving them in individual servings. For best results, I microwave them at 45 seconds at a time until heated through.
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Baked Cube Steak
Equipment
- 12" oven safe skillet with lid Or baking dish
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 1 ½ pounds cube steaks 4-6 steaks
- salt
Seasoned Flour
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Gravy
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the seasoned flour ingredients (flour, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper) in a small dish. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season with salt to taste, then dredge each steak in the flour mixture to fully coat the exterior.
- Drizzle one tablespoon of cooking oil into your large skillet set over medium heat and add sliced onions. Saute onions until tender and beginning to brown while stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Once onions are tender, remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
- Add remaining cooking oil along with cube steaks and set the stovetop to medium-high heat. Sear the steaks on both sides until nicely browned. The inside does not have to be cooked through at this time. Remove the cube steaks from the skillet and set them aside with the sauteed onions.
- Let the pan cool slightly then lower temperature to medium-low heat. Prepare the gravy by melting butter in the skillet and then whisk in your flour to form a roux. Once the flour mixture is combined, let it cook for two minutes while continuing to whisk to prevent the flour from scorching.
- Slowly add the beef broth to the flour mixture in small splashes, whisking to incorporate them prior to adding more liquid. Repeat until all of the liquid has been added. The gravy should be very thin at this point.
- Add a sprig of fresh thyme to the gravy along with your sauteed onions and cube steaks. Cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
- After 1 ½ hours the steaks should be tender and the gravy will have thickened. Taste the gravy for salt and add more if needed. Then remove the thyme sprig and serve.
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