Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (2024)

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Katerina

5 from 29 votes

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Onion Gravy Smothered Steak is a traditional Southern favorite – and for good reason! The steaks are seared to perfection and then topped with a creamy onion gravy. An inexpensive dinner idea that will satisfy your whole family!

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (2)

Smothered Steak is Comfort Food Supreme!

When I think of a good steak, my mind immediately goes to some pretty expensive cuts, like filet mignon or porterhouse. Those steaks aren’t really something we splurge on regularly, but sometimes we just crave steak – any steak! ?

I love to find ways to make inexpensive cuts of beef into super tender and flavorful dinner favorites! This Onion Gravy Smothered Steak is one of those recipes. There’s just something so comforting about beef smothered in a hearty, rich onion gravy. Every bite is packed with creamy and buttery onion-garlic gravy and tender steak.

What is Smothered Steak?

If you haven’t heard of smothered steak, I’m guessing you’re not from the South? Neither am I, but I love their food! Have YOU tried my Smothered Pork Chops? ?

Smothered steak is a deeply traditional southern favorite. It’s any cut of steak served in gravy or served with gravy poured over it. The gravy is usually a mushroom or onion gravy, and the steak cut is usually top or bottom round. A smothered steak can also be breaded and “chicken fried” before being smothered.

For my smothered steak, I use an onion gravy and sirloin steak. To keep things on the low-carb end, I do not use flour for the gravy; just some good ol’ heavy cream mixed into beef broth.

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (3)

Recipe Ingredients

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak is one half steak and one half onion gravy. Here’s everything you’ll need to put those two together into a delicious smothered steak:

  • sirloin steaks
  • garlic salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • vegetable oil
  • butter
  • yellow onions
  • garlic
  • italian seasoning
  • low sodium beef broth
  • worcestershire sauce
  • heavy cream or half & half
  • chopped fresh parsley
Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (4)

How to Make Smothered Steak

  • Prep: You want to work with steaks that are at room temperature; I suggest keeping the steaks on your counter about 30 minutes before you are ready to cook. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Then, season the steaks with garlic salt and pepper.
  • Sear: Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; add the steaks to the hot skillet and cook them until they’re browned and cooked to your desired doneness. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare steak. DO NOT crowd the skillet. Cook two steaks at a time if the skillet isn’t big enough.
  • Remove cooked steaks from the skillet. Set them aside and keep them covered.
  • Sauce: Set the skillet back over medium-heat and melt the remaining butter.
  • Add in the sliced onions and season with a pinch of salt. Continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onions are soft and caramelized. Stir frequently.
  • Stir in minced garlic and season with Italian seasoning. Cook for 10 more seconds.
  • Slowly add in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Whisk in the heavy cream and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Smother: Reduce heat to medium-low. Return the steaks to the skillet and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, or until steaks are heated through, and the sauce has thickened.
  • Serve: Remove pan from the heat. Garnish the steaks with parsley and serve.

How to Know Steak is Done

When you use an instant read meat thermometer, you can be sure your meat is cooked perfectly. These are the temperatures you’ll be looking for to reach your desired doneness. I prefer my steak at a nice medium rare.

  • Rare – Internal Temperature 120˚F
  • Medium Rare – 130˚F
  • Medium – 140˚F
  • Medium Well – 150˚F
  • Well Done – 160˚F
Keep in mind that the temperature of your steak will continue to rise for a few minutes after the steak is removed from the heat.
Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (5)

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve your smothered steak alongside a starch like smashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Rice also goes nice with this steak and, of course, you’ll want to spoon some of that gravy over any starch you choose.
  • You can also serve this Southern dish with some Southern veggie sides, like creamed corn and creamed spinach. Corn on the cob and green beans are other great sides!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

  • Let your leftover steak come to room temperature and then, pop it in an airtight container with the onion gravy. Finally, store it in your fridge for 3-5 days or your freezer for 2-3 months.
  • When you’re ready to reheat, simply place the steak and gravy in a pan and reheat it on the stove top until the steak is warm.

More Steak Recipes

  • Oven Grilled Steak
  • Skillet Bourbon Steak
  • Jack Daniel’s Grilled Steak

ENJOY!

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (6)

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak

Katerina | Diethood

Onion Gravy Smothered Steak is a traditional Southern favorite! The steaks are seared to perfection and then topped with a creamy onion gravy.

5 from 29 votes

Servings : 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 4 sirloin steaks, at room temperature, steaks should be 1-inch thick, and between 4 and 6 ounces each
  • garlic salt, to taste
  • fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • ½ cup low sodium beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half
  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Pat dry steaks with paper towels; season steaks with garlic salt and pepper.

  • Heat vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

  • Add steaks to the hot skillet and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness; about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare steak. DO NOT crowd the skillet; cook two steaks at a time if skillet isn’t big enough.

  • Remove cooked steaks from skillet; set aside and keep covered.

  • Set skillet back over medium-heat and melt remaining butter.

  • Add in sliced onions and season with a pinch of salt; continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until onions are soft and caramelized. Stir frequently.

  • Stir in minced garlic and season with Italian seasoning; cook for 10 seconds.

  • Slowly add in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce; using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring mixture to a boil.

  • Whisk in heavy cream and cook for 1 more minute.

  • Reduce heat to medium-low; return steaks to the skillet and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, or until steaks are heated through, and sauce has thickened.

  • Remove from heat.

  • Garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

  • Steaks: We are using Sirloin steaks for this recipe; it is a good, lean, tender, and juicy steak. Also, for best results, bring the steaks to room temperature before you start cooking.
  • Skillet: A cast iron skillet is my favorite skillet for cooking steaks, but if you don’t have one, you can use your favorite frying pan.
  • Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check the steak for doneness.

Nutrition

Calories: 363 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 30 g | Fat: 24 g | Saturated Fat: 15 g | Cholesterol: 113 mg | Sodium: 216 mg | Potassium: 621 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 396 IU | Vitamin C: 5 mg | Calcium: 73 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American/Southern

Keyword: cheap easy dinner ideas, smothered steak recipe, southern steak recipe

Did you make this recipe?Leave a Rating!

Categories:

  • Beef Recipes
  • Dinner Recipes
  • Freezer Friendly Meals
  • One Pot Meals
  • Recipes
Onion Gravy Smothered Steak - Old Fashioned Southern Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What does it mean to smother a steak? ›

Smothering meat, seafood or vegetables is a cooking technique used in both Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana. The technique involves cooking in a covered pan over low heat with a moderate amount of liquid, and can be regarded as a form of stove-top braising.

What cut is the gravy steak? ›

Gravy beef can come from the shin area of the leg or the heel muscle in the silverside. As this cut comes from a muscle used constantly for movement, it contains a high amount of connective tissue.

What's the best way to cook sirloin? ›

Place sirloin steak on the area of the grill with the most heat. Sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip to the other side with tongs and sear for 2-3 minutes. Move steak to an area of the grill with lower heat for another 2-8 minutes, depending on your desired level of doneness.

What is the difference between country-fried steak and country-fried steak? ›

Chicken fried steak is a crispy fried steak served with white gravy, while country fried steak is a simpler, less crispy cutlet smother in brown gravy. Learn more about the differences between chicken fried steak and country fried steak.

What is Southern gravy made of? ›

What is Southern gravy made of? Southern gravy is a white country gravy made with pan drippings (usually bacon, sausage, or poultry) or butter, flour, whole milk, salt, and pepper.

What is a Texas Roadhouse smother? ›

What does it mean to smother your steak at Texas Roadhouse? Oh, smothering your steak is a rare treat for the hands-on animal-flesh aficionado! Pick out your Porterhouse steaks, and then immobilize your bovine, firmly pressing a fluffy pillow over it's snout.

What is smothered at Texas Roadhouse? ›

Texas Roadhouse Smothered Chicken is tender and juicy – then it's cheesy too! Layered with sautéed mushrooms & onions and melty jack cheese. It's my favorite chicken dish on the menu – and you can easily make it at home and it will taste even better!

Which steak is the most tender? ›

Grilling Filet Mignon

Black Angus filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef used for steaks. It comes from the smaller end of the tenderloin and should be well-marbled. You can grill it or cook it in a skillet and is best served blue rare or rare.

What is a Southern gravy called? ›

Other common names include country gravy, sawmill gravy, milk gravy, and sausage gravy.

What is another name for gravy steak? ›

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

What cut of steak does Applebee's use? ›

Lightly seasoned USDA Select Top Sirloin* cooked to perfection and served hot off the grill. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli.

How do restaurants get sirloin so tender? ›

Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Wet aging is done by vacuum packing the meat and letting it age in its own juices. Wet aging is done by more than 90% of fine steakhouses.

What does Texas Roadhouse do to make their steaks so tender? ›

Texas Roadhouse uses fresh, never-frozen beef

Meanwhile, the steakhouse chain promises to use fresh, never-frozen meat. Fresh and never-frozen paints a homey, farm-to-table feel, but they also indicate that you'll receive a more tender and tastier steak on your plate.

Why is my sirloin steak so tough? ›

Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender.

What is country gravy made of? ›

In the South, country gravy and white gravy are used interchangeably and both for the same type of thick, creamy gravy made with butter, flour, and milk. You may also hear these gravies called sawmill gravy, and some people use this recipe but add sausage for a sausage gravy.

Is country gravy mix the same as sausage gravy? ›

The main difference is that country gravy does not have sausage. Country gravy uses butter to make its roux, while sausage gravy uses the rendered fat from the meat, cooked with flour, to thicken the gravy. Check out Ree Drummond's recipe for country gravy which she serves alongside chicken fried steak.

What is Chinese gravy made from? ›

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

What is the difference between country style gravy and brown gravy? ›

It turns out, the biggest difference between the two is brown gravy is broth-based, while white gravy typically has a milk or cream base. Garcia said both types usually have flour or cornstarch for thickening and they both contain some sort of “fat or meat drippings.”

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