Hamburger Steak and Gravy

This hamburger steak and gravy recipe starts with seasoned ground beef patties seared over medium-high heat until they develop a deep brown crust, then finished in a homemade brown gravy made from the beef drippings. The patties simmer in the gravy for about 10 minutes, giving you tender hamburger steaks covered in a smooth, savory gravy with plenty of classic beef flavor.

The base recipe is made without onions or mushrooms, but you can easily turn it into hamburger steak with onion gravy by cooking sliced yellow onion in the drippings before making the gravy. Either way, it’s an easy skillet dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes and is especially good with mashed potatoes, rice, biscuits, or cornbread.

How To Make Hamburger Steak and Gravy

1. Mix the hamburger steak mixture. Combine the ground beef, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper just until evenly mixed. Form the mixture into 5–6 hamburger steaks, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes. This helps the patties hold together better when they’re seared and later simmered in the gravy.
2. Sear the hamburger steaks. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for about 3–5 minutes per side, until they develop a deep brown crust. They do not need to be cooked completely through at this point because they’ll finish cooking in the gravy. Transfer them to a plate.
3. Adjust the drippings. Leave about 1/4 cup of beef drippings in the skillet. Depending on the fat content of the beef, you may need to remove some. If the pan is too dry, add about 2 tablespoons of butter.
4. Brown the flour. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the flour into the drippings. Stir until the flour begins to take on a light brown color. Don’t rush this step—the color of the roux helps give the finished gravy its classic brown appearance.
5. Make the gravy. Slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring to keep the gravy smooth. Crumble in the beef bouillon cube and bring everything to a gentle simmer until the gravy begins to thicken.
6. Finish the hamburger steaks in the gravy. Return the patties to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Spoon the gravy over the tops of the hamburger steaks as they cook so they stay moist while finishing in the sauce.
7. Serve. Once the hamburger steaks are cooked through and the gravy is smooth and thick enough to slowly coat a spoon, remove the skillet from the heat and serve.

How To Make Hamburger Steak With Onion Gravy

To make the onion-gravy variation, use 1 medium yellow onion, sliced.

After searing the hamburger steaks and removing them from the skillet, add the sliced onion to the beef drippings. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions soften and begin to brown around the edges, then reduce the heat to medium.

From there, continue with the same brown-gravy method: stir the flour into the onions and drippings, cook until the flour starts to brown, then slowly add the beef broth and bouillon. Return the hamburger steaks to the skillet and let them finish cooking in the onion gravy over low heat for about 10 minutes.

For a richer gravy, you can also stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream after the broth has been added.

What To Serve With Hamburger Steak and Gravy

Hamburger steak and gravy is best with sides that can soak up the gravy. Mashed potatoes are the classic choice, but white rice works just as well for an easy weeknight dinner.

For a Southern-style plate, pair it with smothered cabbage, cornbread, or biscuits. A creamy mac and cheese also works well alongside the savory beef and brown gravy.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover hamburger steak and gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Reheat gently on the stovetop over low to medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

More Hamburger Steak Recipes

• French Onion Hamburger Steak – Hamburger steaks smothered in a rich French onion gravy and topped with melted provolone cheese.
• Hamburger Steak With Mushroom Gravy – A richer variation with hamburger steaks simmered in a creamy mushroom gravy.
• Amish Hamburger Steak Bake – An oven-baked hamburger steak casserole for an easy comfort-food dinner.
• Oven Baked Hamburgers – Seasoned ground beef patties baked in the oven for another simple way to cook hamburger patties.