Southern-Style Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy – The Best Southern Dinner!
Certain dishes just bring back those feelings of being warmly welcomed in someone’s house. One such meal is Southern-style hamburger steak with onion gravy. This dish is cheap, satisfying, and rich in flavor. Juicy and tender beef steaks get perfectly seared to acquire a crispy crust and then generously served in savory onion and mushroom sauce.
Back in my youth, I used to cook this kind of meal whenever I was craving something that would remind me of a real steak dinner, except not as pricey. The smell of onions frying in a pan and the taste of slowly developing sauce always takes me back to Sunday dinners and gatherings around the table.
This southern-style hamburger steak is juicy, tasty, smothered with flavorful onion gravy, and here is the way of its preparation.
Ingredients
For Hamburger Steaks
- 1.5 pounds (680g) ground beef
- ¼ cup (15g) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150g)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (170g)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (3g)
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (5g)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (1g)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (6g)
Adding garlic while cooking makes the steaks even tastier after they get browned.
For Coating the Patties
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
It will form a crispy coating and add extra flavor to the gravy.
For Onion Mushroom Gravy
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (45ml)
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (140g)
- 1 cup beef broth (240ml)
- 1 cup water (240ml)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (8ml)
- 1 tablespoon Gravy Master (15ml)
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt (1g)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (1g)
Gravy Master is used to give the sauce an intense color and extra flavor. Gravy Master can become one of your must-have kitchen ingredients.
Prepare the Mixture for Hamburger Steaks
In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, egg, chopped onions, bacon pieces, garlic powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, and minced garlic together.
Using your hands, combine the ingredients thoroughly.
It will have an elastic texture but should not look like dough.
I was inexperienced with hamburger steaks before; therefore, on the first try, I mixed the ground beef too long to make sure the mixture was completely uniform. My hamburger steaks turned out tough and compact. From now on, I do not mix the ingredients for too long since there is no need.
Pro Tip: It is always better to use cold ground beef for mixing rather than meat left at room temperature.
Make Patties
Separate the mixture into 4 equal portions.
Shape each portion into a thick round hamburger patty. Remember that your patties will need to be thick and solid. The thicker they are, the juicer they will be.
Hamburger steaks are supposed to be thick patties since they need to stay intact when being simmered in the gravy.
Once they are formed properly, hamburger steaks will hold together nicely, and they will be firm, but not pressed together.
Pieces of onion and bacon will be present in the patties, which will provide even more flavor.
Dredge Patties in Flour
Pour the flour into a separate dish.
Gently press patties into flour on both sides.
Once they are nicely coated, shake off the excess flour.
The flour coating will ensure that the crust is crispy.
As the patties get in touch with flour, they will absorb the coating easily without developing an excessively thick crust.
Pro Tip: Don’t pack the patties with flour. A thin crust will be better for cooking.
Fry Hamburger Steaks
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
After the oil is heated sufficiently, carefully put hamburger steaks into the skillet.
Immediately, you should hear a sizzle. This sound means that you got everything right.
Fry hamburger steaks on the first side until they develop a nice, dark crust, then turn them over and brown the other side.
You know the scent? The combination of onions, bacon, garlic, and beef produces the most mouth-watering aroma ever!
If you need to, fry the patties in several batches to avoid crowding the pan.
When they are nicely fried, remove them from the pan and put them on a clean plate.
You don’t need to cook your hamburger steaks completely, as they will be cooked in gravy.
Pro Tip: Don’t remove any of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Those bits will make your gravy more flavorful.
Prepare Mushroom Gravy
Now, use the same skillet that you used for frying.
Add your mushrooms and cook them until they release their moisture and turn golden.
While they are cooking, they will release a lot of scent.
When the mushrooms soften and start to turn golden, sprinkle flour over them and stir constantly for a minute.
As the mushrooms are stir-fried, the flour coating will turn crispy. At this stage, the flour will lose its taste.
Add the Liquids to Your Dish
Gradually pour the beef broth into your skillet. Be sure to stir continuously.
Now, pour in the water, Worcestershire sauce, Gravy Master, seasoned salt, and black pepper.
As the liquids start to heat up, stir continuously and scrape the bottom of the skillet.
While you do so, browned bits that remain on the bottom of the skillet will be absorbed into your gravy.
In several minutes, the sauce will start to thicken. It will become glossy and smooth.
Simmer Hamburger Steaks in Sauce
Put hamburger steaks back in the skillet.
Cover them with sauce and simmer the steaks gently.
As your hamburger steaks cook in the sauce, they will soak up some of the liquid and release juices back into your sauce. The flavors will merge wonderfully!
The scent in your kitchen is just amazing.
The sauce should darken and become richer.
Your hamburger steak should continue cooking until they are tender.
Don’t forget to enjoy the scent coming from the kitchen!
Pro Tip: Add more beef broth if your sauce gets too thick. If it is too thin, simmer it with an uncovered lid.
Mistakes to Avoid
Overmixing Meat
Overmixed hamburger steak patties tend to be tough and dry.
Only mix ingredients until they are evenly distributed.
Frying Steaks Too Thin
Thick hamburger steak patties cook better than thin ones and stay moist for longer.
Keep your hamburger steaks nice and thick.
Overcrowding the Pan
An overcrowded pan results in slow browning.
Do your best to fit hamburger steaks in one pan at once.
No Flour Coating
The coating allows patties to develop a crispy crust and contributes to the flavor.
Don’t skimp on the coating.
Making Gravy Too Quick
Sometimes, people hurry and get an overly runny sauce.
Let the sauce simmer and thicken naturally.
Tips for Making Better Hamburger Steak
Adding More Mushrooms
Double the number of mushrooms in your recipe. More mushrooms mean more flavor.
Using Ground Turkey
Ground turkey is also great for hamburger steaks. The flavor will differ from that of beef, but the gravy will keep them moist anyway.
Caramelizing Onions Before Adding Them
Caramelized onions have an amazing flavor. They are great in the beef-based dishes such as this one.
Storing and Serving Options
Refrigerator
Hamburger steak can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days after being cooked.
Freezer
This dish freezes extremely well, and it will stay delicious for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat hamburger steak gently either on the stove or in a microwave oven.
Ways of Serving This Dish
You can serve your hamburger steak with a variety of foods:
- mashed potatoes
- white rice
- egg noodles
- southern biscuits
To me, southern-style biscuits work best with this hamburger steak with onion gravy. Personally, I adore mashed potatoes. There’s nothing else like them!
Questions About This Dish
Is it possible to prepare this dish in advance?
Yes, you can form the patties beforehand. Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to cook.
Which ground meat is better?
Choose an 80/20 meat blend for the best result.
How do I store this dish?
You can store hamburger steak in a freezer or fridge. Keep it up to 4 days in a fridge and up to 3 months in a freezer.
Is it possible to omit mushrooms in the sauce?
Certainly. This dish will still be delicious without mushrooms.
With which side dishes do you serve hamburger steak?
Green beans, mashed potatoes, rice, corn, and collard greens are a good choice.
This Southern hamburger steak is truly a winner in our house. It’s simple, full of flavor, and easy to prepare. I hope it turns out equally good in yours.
