This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Cube steaks are my go-to budget comfort food. They’re quick, cozy, and smothered in gravy. I love them with mashed potatoes or veggies, and I’ve got a simple trick to keep them melt-in-your-mouth tender every time.
Steak Night, Simplified
- Steakhouse Taste On a Budget: All the flavor of a fancy cut, without the high price tag. Which we all need in this economy!
- Gravy-Soaked Goodness: Juicy steaks smothered in rich, savory gravy that begs for bread or potatoes to soak it up.
- Tender Every Time: With the right cooking tricks, these steaks turn melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Ingredients for Cube Steaks
- Low Sodium: If you are on a low-sodium diet or are sensitive to salt, be sure to use low-sodium beef broth and soup mix, or make your own homemade onion soup mix.
- Use More Soup Mix: Want extra flavor? Stir the rest of the onion soup mix into the gravy. It’ll be a bit saltier, but if that’s your thing, go for it
How to Make Cube Steaks
Cooking cube steak doesn’t have to be tricky! Just follow along and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time. Make my garlic parmesan green beans and mashed potatoes for the perfect sides!
- Pound the Steaks: Cover the cube steaks with a sheet of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the steaks are ¼-½-inch thick and even. Do this even if the steaks are already tenderized, as this will help prevent them from being tough.
- Season: Combine the flour, pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Coat: Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture until fully coated, shaking off the excess.
- Sear: Add the olive oil to a large skillet, then heat over medium-high heat. Add the cube steaks to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the skillet and place them on a plate or wire rack to rest.
- Sauté Onions and Mushrooms: Add the olive oil and onion to the skillet the steaks were cooked in and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown.
- Make the Gravy: Add the beef broth and onion soup mix to the skillet and stir to combine. Combine the cornstarch and the water in a small bowl to make a slurry and add it to the gravy. Stir to combine, then add the steaks back to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gravy has thickened. Serve immediately.
Perfectly Tender Cube Steak Tips
Before you start, take a peek at these quick tips! They’ll help you get tender steaks, rich gravy, and a meal everyone will rave about.
- Bring to Room Temp: Let steaks rest 20–30 minutes before cooking for even results.
- Pat Dry First: Blot steaks with a paper towel so they sear crisp and golden.
- Skip the Slurry: Cornstarch is optional. The flour from the steaks often thickens gravy just fine.
- Pound Again: Even if pre-tenderized, give them a quick mallet pound for extra-juicy meat.
- Don’t Overcook: 2–4 minutes per side is plenty of time. If they are on for too long, they’ll turn tough.
- Make More Gravy: Double the ingredients if you want extra sauce for potatoes or rice!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Cube Steak
This cube steak is tender, flavorful, and swimming in gravy! It's the kind of comfort food that saves the day when you need dinner fast.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cube steaks about 4 steaks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Mushroom Gravy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup sliced onion about half a medium onion
- 6 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 ⅔ cup beef broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons onion soup mix about half an envelope, or 6 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Cover 1 pound cube steaks with a sheet of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the steaks until they are ¼-½ inch thick and even. Do this even if the steaks are already tenderized, as this will help prevent them from being tough.
- Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture until fully coated, shaking off the excess.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the cube steaks to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the skillet and place them on a plate or wire rack to rest.
Mushroom Gravy
- Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ cup sliced onion to the skillet the steaks were cooked in, and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add 6 ounces sliced mushrooms and continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown.
- Add 1 ⅔ cup beef broth and 1 ½ tablespoons onion soup mix to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to make a slurry and add it to the gravy. Stir to combine, then add the steaks back to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gravy has thickened. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Can you make it ahead of time? Yes! Tenderize the steak and prep the gravy up to 24–48 hours ahead. Store in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Can you freeze steak? Yes! Cook and cool the steak, then freeze it with the gravy in a flat ziplock bag (or airtight container) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- How do you reheat cube steak? Warm gently in a skillet on medium-low heat, or reheat in the microwave until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 29gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 942mgPotassium: 805mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Easy Steak Recipes
I love to cook beef, and steak is one of my favorite ways to do that! For more simple steak recipes, try this Garlic Butter Herb Steak Bites with Potatoes, this delicious Brown Sugar Garlic Flank Steak, or these yummy Creamy Garlic Steak Bites with Mushrooms.
So good ? wonderful flavor and cube steaks were cooked perfectly. I agree though, more gravy but that’s a personal choice and I made more. Thanks for this easy, delicious recipe.
YUM! Made this for dinner with leftover mashed potatoes. I cooked the onion and mushroom first in case the meat stuck, also I didn’t have onion soup mix so I used ranch instead. This made the cube steak so tender. Held out the teaspoon of flavored flour to thicken. Going in my saved recipe for sure!
Made this tonight for dinner. I thought it might be too salty with the onion soup mix so I added red wine and simmered for 45 minutes. Served it over rice and it was delicious! Thank you.
Tastes good, but the meat is tough
We made this last night using elk cube steak. This recipe is a keeper. We will keep this in our rotation of favorite recipes!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Cubed steak needs to be slow cooked in order for it to be tender. I browned the steaks and put in the crock pot with some red wine and cooked for a few hours. I sautéed the onions and mushrooms in red wine and doubled the broth. I poured the gravy over the steaks and cooked another hours. I served with mashed potatoes and it was amazing!! Thanks for the recipe!
So delicious & easy to make. My family couldn’t get enough. Definitely a keeper. I served this with mashed potatoes and a green salad.
This was really really good, as good as it looks in the photos. I am not a great cook but this was pretty easy and delicious. Keeping this one! Thanks
This was delicious. I made it exactly as stated. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is to double the Broth and cornstarch. The mushrooms and onions and soup mix were perfect. Just needed more liquid because it was so flavorful. Definitely will make again.
Mary, I totally I wanted more gravy also.
Your recipe for the Mushroom Gravy calls for 1 package onion soup mix. Does this mean 1 envelope or the two that come in the box?
One of the envelopes inside the package.
only one pack, not both.
This is a great recipe. I made it without the mushrooms because we don’t like them. I was happy when I picked up my husband’s completely cleaned plate. I served it with Mashed potatoes and steamed Vegetables. Will be making this often
Great recipe — everyone loved it — its a keeper
This was an awesome meal. I browned the meat and put everything in the crock pot tip finish the cooking. Wow, great flavor and smell. Very tender meat and plenty of sauce for the mashed potatoes. I will make again.
Gravy was excellent, but my cube steak was so tough as to be almost inedible. Next time i’ll choose a different cut of meat.
Hey there! Cube steak is a cut of meat that benefits from a nice simmer. Try it again and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. You can wait to thicken with the cornstarch until then.
Yes, I always simmer at least a half hour or until tender when I test it. Then thicken and add more liquid if necessary.
Looks good. Gonna try out asap!
This was soooo good! We had it with mashed potatoes and stewed squash! Definitely a keeper!
Yummy! The best cube steak recipe I’ve ever tried. Even my salt adverse husband ate it all. I would suggest reduced salt broth for people like him (high blood pressure) but otherwise don’t make a change!