The Best Cube Steak Recipe With Gravy Made In 30 Minutes

These tender and meaty cubed steaks are perfectly seasoned and seared, and they're smothered in a rich and flavorful onion gravy. And, honestly, as far as quick and easy steak recipes go, this one has got to be one of the most indulgent, and delicious. I mean, every bite is just flavor on top of flavor, and, best of all, just one skillet and some simple ingredients are all you need to put this meal together.

The Best Cube Steak 

If you've never had cube steak smothered in onion gravy before you're in for a real treat. This recipe is not only super simple, but it's also super inexpensive, and it tastes like something you would get from a restaurant!

Seriously, these perfectly seared seasoned steaks are nice and tender with an incredibly flavor-packed onion gravy you'll want to lick off the plate. Plus, everything is made from scratch in just 30 minutes an - and you only need one pan to do it all in. That means maximum deliciousness with minimal effort and clean-up.

Sounds pretty great right?!

I mean, what more could you want from one of the best cube steak recipes out there? Well, besides maybe some tasty sides to go along with the steak, of course.

Speaking of sides, I love serving this cube steak with gravy along with these red skin mashed potatoes, this Longhorn Steakhouse bread, or these crack green beans. Honestly, they're all perfect sides to pair with this tender cube steak.

Ingredients

Ok, so you'll notice the ingredients list for this cube steak recipe is pretty long.

But, take a closer look, and you'll see that practically everything here is a common pantry staple. Also, anything you don't already have at home should be available in your nearest grocery store.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to cook cube steak with onion gravy:

• 2 Cubed Steaks
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• ½ tsp. Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Salt
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• ½ Onion, sliced
• 1 cup Beef Broth
• 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley 

Not too shabby, right?!

Ingredient substitutions

So, you can find cubed steak at most grocery stores, sometimes under the name minute steak.

If you can't find it, you can use top round or top sirloin steak and tenderize it with a meat mallet. I'll get into more detail on that below.

As for the onion gravy, I've seen people use onion soup mix to cut down on time. And while you can definitely do that in a pinch, I highly recommend starting from scratch since it'll taste so much better.

Oh, and you can use most of the ingredients here to make this classic brown gravy too. So you might want to bookmark that recipe for later! It's a really, really tasty one to make, especially with some twice baked mashed potatoes.

How to Make Cube Steaks with Gravy

As far as cube steak recipes go, this is by far one of the quickest and tastiest.

As I mentioned, it only takes about 30 minutes to make this recipe from start to finish. And, honestly, most of that time is allocated to making the gravy from scratch. So, to make it even faster, just use some onion soup mix instead.

With all that said, let's dive into the steps for this recipe!

Step 1: Prepare the Cube Steaks

First things first, pound each steak liberally with a meat mallet to tenderize. However, if your cube steaks are already tenderized, you can skip this step.

Then, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Rub this seasoning mix all over the cube steaks and make sure both sides are evenly covered.

Step 2: Cook the Cube Steaks

Next, preheat a cast iron skillet to high heat and add some olive oil.

Now add in the cube steaks and sear them on both sides. It should take about 2-3 minutes per side.

Once your steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate or cutting board to rest.

Step 3: Make the Onion Gravy

Next, pour out the grease from the pan and then add a tablespoon of butter to it.

Now, let the butter melt over medium heat, and add in the sliced onions. Fry the onions for around 10 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.

Now, dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of the beef broth to make a slurry. Pour the rest of the beef broth into the pan, stir, bring to almost a bowl, and add in the cornstarch slurry.

Let it cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency.

Then, taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper as necessary.

Step 4: Plate and Serve

Finally, transfer your cube steaks to a plate and pour the onion gravy on top.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with your choice of sides. Enjoy!

How to Store Cube Steak

Now, recipes for cube steak are best enjoyed fresh. And, honestly, it's so good that you aren't likely to have leftovers anyway!

But, if you do, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can also transfer them to a freezer bag with the air squeezed out and freeze it for up to 3 months.

I highly recommend storing your cube steak and onion gravy separately, so the steak doesn't get oversaturated in the gravy. And you can follow the same steps for storing your onion gravy as you did the steak.

Reheating Cube Steak with Gravy

When it comes to reheating your cube steak, you should expect that it won't be as juicy as freshly seared steak. That said, there are some steps you can take for the best reheating results.

The best way to reheat this cube steak is to cook it in a cast iron skillet with olive oil over medium heat. And it should only take about 2-3 minutes to warm up your steak without drying it out too much.

Then, take out your steaks and warm up the onion gravy in the same pan.

By the way, if you're starting with frozen steak and gravy, make sure to thaw the in the fridge overnight first.

FAQs About This Cubed Steak Recipe

Why is cube steak cheap?

Cube steaks come from top sirloin, which is one of the cheapest cuts of meat due to its low ratio of fat in the muscle (marbling). It's not as cheap as ground beef, but it's still inexpensive compared to premium cuts of steak. 

With that said, if you know how to cook it properly, it's just as delicious as the pricy steaks that you can get. So, cube steak recipes are an excellent option if you're craving some hearty steak.

What is cube steak used for?

Cube steak can be cooked like stew beef or like steak. It's added to slow-cooked soups and stews, and it can even be used in most crockpot recipes that call for steak.

With that said, pan-frying cube steak on the stove produces some really tasty results, and that's how we like to cook it at our house. However, you can even cook cube steak on the grill just like a normal steak.

What is the difference between steak and cube steak?

Cube steak is mainly made with a tough cut of meat with less marbling, like top round or top sirloin. It's tenderized with a meat tenderizer to break some of its fibers and make it easier to cut and chew. Regular steak, meanwhile, is made with fattier cuts of meat with good marbling. This means the steaks don't have to be pounded for tender results.

What is cube steak also called?

It's normally called cube steak, but it's not uncommon to see it labeled as "cubed steak". Other names for cube steak are "minute steak" or "swiss steak." However, no matter what you call it, it'll taste delicious. 

Wrapping It All Up

Well, that's how to make cube steak covered in the best onion gravy your mouth will ever taste!

This cube steak with gravy is a great way to turn a budget-friendly cut into a 5-star dinner! Best of all, it doesn't require a lot of effort or fancy ingredients either.

With just a few ingredients - and one pan - you can make one of the most delicious cube steak recipes for dinner to spoil your date, your family, or even yourself with.

As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and let use know how it went. We'd love to know your thoughts!

More Recipes

If you're looking for some more delicious recipes like this one, we have a bunch on the blog that I think you'll enjoy!

Give one of these a try next:

• Ham loaf
• Great Northern beans
• Braised beef shank
• Beef pot pie
• Mississippi chicken
• Beijing beef
• Chicken hearts
• Lamb breast

And for more easy dinner recipes - just like this one - don't forget to check out our Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. We post new ones on them daily.

Print