Lately, I’ve been focusing on creating quick and easy weeknight meals, and this Salisbury steak is a perfect example of a dish that’s simple yet packed with flavor. A special thanks to my friends who suggested I focus on such recipes, since home cooking often means whipping up delicious, nutritious meals—even when time is limited. 🕒
Originally, I was planning to make a classic Bolognese sauce, but I realized I didn’t have the time. So I turned to this Salisbury steak recipe, and I’m thrilled to share it with you. The best part? Unlike many Salisbury steak recipes that are cooked on the stovetop, we’ll be baking this dish in the oven. Why? Baking allows for even heat distribution, ensuring that all the steaks are cooked uniformly—perfect for making a larger batch without overcooking or drying out the meat. 🔥
Why Bake Salisbury Steak Instead of Pan-Frying? 🧑🍳
Pan-frying works well for small quantities, but as you add more steaks to the pan, the heat distribution becomes inconsistent. You end up with some steaks overcooked and others underdone. The solution? Baking! Using the oven for this dish ensures that the heat circulates evenly around all the steaks, resulting in consistent cooking. Plus, the oven’s ambient heat allows the sauce to thicken and develop deeper flavors without constant stirring.
The Science Behind Perfect Salisbury Steak 🧪
- Caramelization for Rich Flavor: We start by searing the steaks briefly. This initiates the Maillard reaction—a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that creates a complex, savory flavor profile and a beautiful golden crust. This step is crucial for building depth of flavor before finishing the steaks in the sauce.
- Thick, Glossy Gravy: After baking, we finish the sauce with a cornstarch slurry and a small amount of butter. The starch granules absorb water and swell, creating a thicker, more stable consistency, while the butter emulsifies into the sauce, giving it that luxurious, glossy finish that clings to every bite.
Tips for Success 🌟
- Use a Larger Pan or cook in batches: To ensure even cooking, use a baking dish that comfortably fits all your steaks without overcrowding. This way, each steak is exposed to the same amount of heat.
- Pre-Sealing the Flavor: Searing the steaks first is not just for color; it locks in the juices, preventing the meat from drying out during baking.
- Balancing the Sauce: The cornstarch slurry not only thickens the sauce but also helps suspend any solid particles, ensuring a smooth and glossy texture. Add the slurry slowly, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
This Salisbury steak recipe is ideal for busy weeknights when you want something comforting and flavorful without spending hours in the kitchen. The savory mushroom-onion sauce, enriched with a touch of butter, takes this dish to the next level. Serve it with mashed potatoes or rice, and you’ve got a perfect meal that’s sure to impress.
Let’s get cooking! 🍴💫
Preheat the oven to 325F. Gently combine all of the patty ingredients together, without overmixing, as that contributes to toughness. Divide the meat mixture into 9 oblong patties 1/2 inches thick. Make a few indentations in the middle of each patty with your fingers (which will prevent patties from shrinking too much and help maintain their shape.)
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat in a large oven safe skillet until very hot and shimmering. Add your patties and cook until nice golden crust has formed. Likely around 3 minutes, maybe more; adjust heat as needed to avoid burning the patty; these patties are prone to burning due to high sugar content, so watch closely.
Flip the patties over and cook the other side until golden and caramelized.
Move patties to a plate. At this point, they should not be cooked through, not to worry, we will finish cooking them later.
Melt butter in the skillet. Add mushrooms to the skillet with a pinch of kosher salt making sure the heat is set to medium high. Allow the mushrooms to release their water and cook for 5-7 minutes after that, until they are well browned.
Add the onions to the skillet, using the juices they release to scrape up all of the fond on the bottom of the pan left from cooking the mushrooms. Feel free to add a small splash of water if needed, to dissolve that fond. Cook for about 3 minutes or so until browned and softened. Sprinkle flour all over and cook for a minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Add ketchup and cook for about 30-60 seconds. Then add the stock and bring to simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 7-8 minutes. Add your patties and any of the juices that accumulated on the plate. Cover, move the entire pan to the oven and bake until the patties are cooked through to safe internal temperature of 165°.
Once the patties are cooked through, remove to a plate. Add butter to the sauce and stir vigorously, as that will help emulsify the sauce into thick and shiny sauce. Return the patties back to the sauce and drizzle it all over the patties to keep them warm. Serve right away with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, drizzling additional gravy over each Salisbury Steak. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325F. Gently combine all of the patty ingredients together, without overmixing, as that contributes to toughness. Divide the meat mixture into 9 oblong patties 1/2 inches thick. Make a few indentations in the middle of each patty with your fingers (which will prevent patties from shrinking too much and help maintain their shape.)
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat in a large oven safe skillet until very hot and shimmering. Add your patties and cook until nice golden crust has formed. Likely around 3 minutes, maybe more; adjust heat as needed to avoid burning the patty; these patties are prone to burning due to high sugar content, so watch closely.
Flip the patties over and cook the other side until golden and caramelized.
Move patties to a plate. At this point, they should not be cooked through, not to worry, we will finish cooking them later.
Melt butter in the skillet. Add mushrooms to the skillet with a pinch of kosher salt making sure the heat is set to medium high. Allow the mushrooms to release their water and cook for 5-7 minutes after that, until they are well browned.
Add the onions to the skillet, using the juices they release to scrape up all of the fond on the bottom of the pan left from cooking the mushrooms. Feel free to add a small splash of water if needed, to dissolve that fond. Cook for about 3 minutes or so until browned and softened. Sprinkle flour all over and cook for a minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Add ketchup and cook for about 30-60 seconds. Then add the stock and bring to simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 7-8 minutes. Add your patties and any of the juices that accumulated on the plate. Cover, move the entire pan to the oven and bake until the patties are cooked through to safe internal temperature of 165°.
Once the patties are cooked through, remove to a plate. Add butter to the sauce and stir vigorously, as that will help emulsify the sauce into thick and shiny sauce. Return the patties back to the sauce and drizzle it all over the patties to keep them warm. Serve right away with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, drizzling additional gravy over each Salisbury Steak. Enjoy.
