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Swiss Steak is a perfect family dinner; it’s easy to make and can be cooked either in the oven or in the slow cooker. This dish has delicious tender beef in a rich tomato gravy and is perfect served over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes!
© SpendWithPennies.com
Swiss steak is one of those dishes I associate with comfort; I grew up eating this for dinner on Sunday evenings, and as I got older, it became one of those dishes I craved. These days it is a family favorite dinner option. We all love it for the incredible flavor, but also, as the grocery shopper for my family, I appreciate that an inexpensive cut of steak can become something so tender and delicious!
Swiss steak is often confused with Salisbury Steak, but there is a difference between the two. A Salisbury steak is made with ground beef and shaped into a patty while Swiss steak is actually steak! Salisbury Steak generally has a beef broth based gravy while Swiss steak has a tomato based gravy.
I cook this Swiss steak recipe in a dutch oven, but don’t worry if you don’t have a dutch oven! You can cook it in a frying pan and then transfer it to a casserole dish for baking, or you can put it in a crock pot for 7 to 8 hours to have dinner done when you come home from work.
When preparing your Swiss Steak, make sure you pound your steaks to tenderize them (I use a mallet style tenderizer). You can use round or chuck steaks, which are generally a tougher cut of meat, so the tenderizing process is important.
Believe me when I say there is nothing quite as nice as having a hot dinner that is packed with comfort from a great steak flavor with all of that creamy gravy!
Easy Swiss Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds round steak
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or as needed
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
- 10 ounces beef broth 1 can
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional, see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a meat mallet, pound meat to ½″ thickness.
- Combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper & salt to taste. Dredge meat in flour mixture.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Brown steaks on each side (adding additional olive oil if needed). Set aside.
- Place onion & carrot in the bottom of the pot. Top with browned steaks.
- Add remaining ingredients except for cornstarch. Cover and cook for 2 ½-3 hours.
- Serve over mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This is the best Swiss steak recipe I’ve ever had, in fact, I found this recipe by googling Swiss steak and for the last 2 1/2 years I come straight to this recipe! I wouldn’t even consider trying another recipe. My guests have loved this dish and I too am well pleased. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe.
I made this in the crockpot with cube steak (no need to pound), and it worked great. I had a large bag of baby carrots that needed to be used ASAP, so I had probably triple the amount of carrots. I just added a cup or so of water to cover it. My husband, however, had the brilliant idea of adding about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar right at the end, and it took it up several notches. All my kids loved it. We will definitely be trying this again!
Adding chopped fresh red pepper enhances the flavor & nutrition (my grandmother’s trick)
I need to prepare it in my crockpot because my oven is not working right now. How long does it take to cook in the crockpot?
Thank you,
We use this recipe for Crock Pot Swiss Steak. Enjoy!
Could this recipe be braised on the stovetop for maybe an hour or an hour and a half (or until tender)? Would you keep the amount of beef broth the same?
I haven’t tried it stove top but I’d say an hour and a half should work. You’ll just want to make sure the meat is tender and if not, cook it a bit longer. :) Enjoy!