Salisbury Steak is one of those quick and easy meals that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It can be made stovetop, in a slow cooker, and in a pressure cooker. What I love about using the pressure cooker is that it is pretty much hands off. You don't have to stand by the stove or wait hours for it to be done in a slow cooker. The other thing that happens in a pressure cooker that doesn't always happen stove top is the tenderness of the beef patty.
Something really magical happens to the Salisbury Steak patties when they go under pressure and I really hope you give this method a try. If you don't have a pressure cooker, no problem, I've included directions for simmering on the stove or making this recipe in a slow cooker.
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No matter which method you use to make it, you definitely want to try this amazing recipe for Salisbury Steak and serve it up with some mashed potatoes and a veggie of your choice for a perfect meal the entire family will love.
Another great adaption of this recipe would be to make salisbury steak meatballs instead of the hamburger patties! Perfect for entertaining and your guests will love them!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Beef
This recipe uses ground chuck 80/20 blend, but you can use lean ground beef if you like. You could also switch up the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey if you prefer. You won't have to worry about the patties drying out because of the other ingredients added to the mix.
You can also use cube steak, which is often used to make Salisbury Steak, but you would have to increase your pressure cooking time to 20-30 minutes in order to tenderize the steak. I would salt and pepper the cubed steak and brown it in oil before pressure cooking for the best flavor.
My preference is using hamburger patties because once you add the other ingredients to the ground beef mixture, they are so full of flavor.
What you choose to add to your ground beef mix is completely up to you, but I do have to say that adding in the sour cream really made a world of difference in the burger patties. Not only did it add moisture, it also added a slight tang. You could also try using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you prefer.
Whatever seasonings or ingredients you choose to add, you may want to take about 1 Tablespoon of filling and make a tiny patty to fry in the olive oil before commiting to the larger patties. This way you can make sure it is seasoned how you like it.
Gravy
Traditionally, Salisbury Steak is served with a mushroom gravy and, if you are a mushroom lover like I am, you can definitely add them to the gravy. I decided to make this recipe without mushrooms for all those people that don't care for them.
So, instead, I use 2 whole onions and make Salisbury Steak with an Onion Gravy. I've tested the recipe with both mushrooms and onions and it's delicious with both or just with onions.
The gravy also gets flavored with a touch of sour cream which I really think is what takes this recipe from good to the BEST Salisbury Steak ever.
Pro Tip
Salisbury steak patties are made with fillers like a meatloaf, so you can use your favorite meatloaf recipe or give my ingredients a try. I especially love the touch of sour cream in the mix and I bet you will too!
How to Make Salisbury Steak
Except for gathering the ingredients, dicing and slicing onions, there really isn't any prep for the recipe. It moves pretty fast, so definitely have your onion finely chopped to add to the ground beef mixture and sliced for the gravy.
Turn the Ninja Foodi on sear/sauté on high and let the pot heat up while you mix the ground beef together.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream, finely chopped onions, seasoning mix, an egg, and panko or breadcrumbs.
Mix together well in the large bowl. You can use a kitchen tool or clean hands, and I find nothing beats your hands for mixing.
Divide the ground beef into the number of salisbury steak patties you want. I make 6 patties from the pound of ground beef, but you can certainly keep it to just 4 patties or double the ingredients in the meat mixture and make 8 larger patties.
Unlike hamburger patties where you don't want the meat to be compressed so much, with these patties, you do want them to be compressed so they hold together during pressure cooking.
Take each ball of meat mixture and smack it back and forth between your palms to pack the meat together. Then shape it into a thin patty about ¼" thick.
Repeat for the remaining meat mixture until the thin patties are formed.
Place the formed patties on a cutting board or, if you aren't going to make them right away, you can use a parchment paper lined tray and pop them in the fridge. You can actually make these up ahead of time and freeze them. I'll go over that later in the article.
Now is a good time to add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the innner pot which has been heating on high sear/sauté for about 5-7 minutes. If you are using an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi with a stainless pot, you may want to lower the heat the medium or medium high.
Place as many ground beef patties as you can into the hot oil. I could fit three patties in the Ninja Foodi at a time.
Brown each side of the patty for 2-3 minutes and move the patties over to the side before adding another one. Once they start to cook, they do shrink and you can easily fit 4 patties in the inner pot.
As the burgers cook, move them to the side and even stack them to make room for all six burgers and the onions.
With the patties stacked on one side, add in the sliced onions and sauté for just a minute or two. Add in the crushed garlic and sauté another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
Deglaze the pot with beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown bits (fond) on the bottom. Add in the Worcestershire sauce now or you can add it after pressure cooking.
Put the pressure lid on and make sure the valve is in the seal position. Select high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. When the time is up, you can do a quick release of the pressure by turning the valve to the venting position.
Mix the cornstarch with the remaining beef broth to make a cornstarch slurry. Add to the pot and stir. The liquid is usually hot enough to activate the cornstarch and thicken the sauce, but you can use the sauté function on high if needed.
Once the salisbury steak gravy has thickened, stir in the sour cream just before serving.
Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with mashed potatoes or homemade egg noodles! Make sure to spoon on plenty of the delicious gravy!
Nothing quite beats a simple recipe and a quick meal the whole family with love!
Alternate Cooking Methods for Salisbury Steak
Skillet on the Stove
Probably the most popular way to make Salisbury steaks and it is also very quick. You will need more beef broth to simmer the patties due to evaporation and what I've found is the texture isn't quite the same as when you pressure cook, so if you have a pressure cooker, I really recommend giving that method a try at least once.
The recipe is not going to change much, so follow the same ingredients to make the patties. Heat the oil in the skillet and brown the patties on both sides. Add in the mushrooms if you are using them and the sliced onions with crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté for a few minutes.
If you want to make the recipe with a cornstarch slurry to thicken, then deglaze the skillet with 1¾ cups of beef broth and make sure to scrape the fond off of the bottom of the skillet to bring all that flavor into the gravy.
Cover, reduce heat to low medium and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the patties are cooked through and the onions and mushrooms if using are the texture you like. Mix together ¼ cup of beef broth with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Stir and heat on medium high until sauce has thickened. Stir in sour cream.
Serve & Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Slow cooking salisbury steak is another great option for a hands off approach to make this delicious recipe.
The recipe starts off the same and you will want to brown the hamburger patties either in a large skillet or in the slow cooker if you have that option.
Add in the onions and mushrooms (if using) along with the smashed garlic. Deglaze with 2 cups of beef broth. Mix together ¼ cup of beef broth with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch and pour the slurry into the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Slow Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours or until the ground beef has cooked through and the gravy has thickened.
Serve & Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just let it cool completely before freezing to avoid ice crystals from forming. Then portion out the number of servings you want into a freezer-safe container or zip lock freezer bag. Get as much air out as you can and freeze. It will stay good for up to 6 months when packaged properly.
You can also make up the burger patties and freeze those before cooking if you like. Then you can make a bunch up ahead of time and either thaw or cook them from frozen.
Yes, you can change the serving amount by adjusting the ingredients. When pressure cooking, you don't want to use much less than ½-¾ cups of liquid, so even if you are only making 1 burger patty, use ½ cup minimum of liquid.
The cook time stays the same no matter how many or how few patties you make.
Side Dishes to Serve with Salisbury Steak
Here are a few side dishes that would go perfectly with your Salisbury Steak dinner!
- Homemade Egg Noodles
- Ninja Foodi Mashed Potatoes
- Ninja Foodi Asparagus (Two Cooking Methods)
- Ninja Foodi Baked Potato
- Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes ~ Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Recipe
- Easy Colcannon ~ Pressure Cooker Recipe
- The BEST Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Ninja Foodi Green Bean Casserole w/ Air Fried Onions
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Salisbury Steak Patties
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 or leaner
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon fine grind sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil for browning patties
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion about ⅕" chop
Gravy
- 1½ cups beef broth divided in recipe
- 2 large onions sliced. I use ¼ cup chopped for the patties and the remaining onion sliced for the gravy.
- 4-6 cloves garlic crushed or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered or sliced optional
- 1 teaspoon fine grind sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- ¼ cup sour cream
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Instructions
Salisbury Steak Patties
- Turn the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot on high sear/sauté and allow the pot to heat up for about 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, chopped onions, egg, sour cream, and panko. Mix well.
- Form 6 hamburger patties that are about ¼-½" thick. If you want larger servings, only make 4 patties.
- Add olive oil to the hot pot and let heat for 2-3 minutes. If you are using a stainless steel inner pot, reduce heat to medium or medium high.
- Place 3 patties in the inner pot and allow to brown for about 2 minutes, flip and brown the other side. Move those patties to the side of the pot and add the remaining patties in batches. As the patties brown and start to cook they shrink. As they are done browning on both sides, move them to the side and stack them so you have room for the onions.
Gravy
- Add the sliced onions to the pot and sauté them for 1-2 minutes. Add in the crushed garlic cloves. Add in the mushrooms if you are using them.
- Deglaze the pot with 1 cup beef broth and scrape the bottom to release any browned bits (fond) at the bottom.
- Add in the worcestershire sauce. This can be added before or after pressure cooking.
- Put the pressure lid and make sure the valve is to the sealed position. Pressure Cook on high for 5 minutes. When the time is up, immediately release the pressure.
- Mix the remaining ½ cup beef broth with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Add to the inner pot and stir. The heat of the liquid after pressure cooking should be enough to activate the cornstarch and thicken the gravy. If it is not thickening, turn on sear/sauté on high and bring to a boil and then turn the heat off.
- If you want your sauce thicker, you can add more cornstarch mixed with either water or beef broth. Once the sauce is the thickness you like, stir in the sour cream.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Silvia
I made this today for the first time, it turned out great. One question, can I double the meat and what do I have to change (if anything) like the cooking time. My son is a big eater and I'm lucky if I get 1...lol
Leslie
What a delicious Salisbury Steak this made. It was a real hit and is now noted as a family fovorite!
Louise
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Dorothy Ginn
I made this tonight and my husband lived it he said I need to make more next time
Louise
I'm so glad you both loved it!