Salisbury Steak With Onion Mushroom Gravy

Did ‘hamburger’ stop you in your tracks? With barbecue season almost on the horizon, save this epic smash burger recipe for the sunnier days and get comfy with Salisbury steak while it’s still cold out there.

Simple Salisbury steak recipe

This all-American ground beef recipe takes its name from a Dr. Salisbury, a physician of the 1800s. Salisbury advocated eating ground beef as a solution to digestive disorders. He believed that meat in this form was more easily digestible than joints or cuts and encouraged Americans to eat more meat. Living into his 80s, Dr. Salisbury’s theory might just have had something to it! Salisbury steak was the food that soldiers marched on during the Civil War, so the recipe needed to be simple and inexpensive. I’ve stayed true to the frugal nature of the original. Simply, the patties are ground beef and grated onion bound together with egg and breadcrumbs with a smattering of seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. These juicy beef patties are somewhere between a classic meatloaf and juicy homemade burgers, but drenched in a subtly sweet but earthy sauce. Or, if you are familiar, Russian meat patties kotlety. These adorable mini patties incorporate ground beef and pork with milk-soaked bread and are also smothered in a rich and foresty wild mushroom sauce.

Mushroom and onion gravy

If it doesn’t come with mushroom and onion gravy, it ain’t Salisbury steak! It’s meatloaf. The gravy is an essential component to this dish, and really, why would you skip it? Sautéed sweet and soft red onions, golden nutty mushrooms, rich beef stock and a dash of Worcester sauce make this gorgeous gravy a great all-rounder. It blankets beef patties in this recipe but could happily offer the same comfort to pork meatballs, and chicken breasts or thighs. Or serve on the side with genuine classic meatloaf, creamy mushroom stuffed meatloaf or ground beef Wellington.

Serving suggestions

This honest and pared back fare calls for honest and pared back sides. No fanfare or fuss. I just serve mine with mashed potato and veg. Irish mashed potatoes are buttery with a ping of green onions, or super easy instant pot mashed potatoes with cream cheese. If you’re not a potato person, a pile of pasta will work too. Traditionally, Salisbury steak would have come with peas and sweetcorn from a tin. Go soldier-style if you have a couple of cans to hand. I quite like mine with carrots, either maple glazed roasted carrots or easy roasted parmesan brussels sprouts and carrots.