The Best Cube Steak Recipe

If you liked my recipe for cheese stuffed salisbury steak, you’re going to love this easy cube steak recipe. It’s simple, and packs a flavor punch on a budget.

Start to finish you can make this cube steak recipe in under 30 minutes and it’s seriously going to be one of your favorite comfort foods ever.

The rich onion gravy, combined with these tender meaty steaks is a real treat. Wait, did I say tender? Absolutely, this recipe for tender cube steak will surprise you. They’re literally cut with a spoon tender and down right delicious.

Jump to Recipe

What Is Cube Steak?

Cube steak is an inexpensive cut of beef that’s packed full of flavor. In the grocery stores, it’s also sometimes called cubed steak, breakfast steak, or even minute steak.

It’s actually round steak, (top round or top sirloin) that’s been sliced thin and run through a tenderizer which gives it the sort of waffle fry look. Both round and sirloin steaks, as you might know, are considered tough, but full of flavor.

By running round steaks through the tenderizer and making cube steak, you take advantage of great flavor that’s budget friendly. You can typically get cube steak for about eight bucks a pack. That pack will feed a family of four, so it’s hard to beat.

How To Season The Steak

There’s countless recipes for cube steak online. Nearly every one of them call for a handful of spices to season the meat. I guess because people don’t realize the meat itself, while lean, is super flavorful.

The key to well seasoned cube steak is simple. Kosher salt, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper. Aleppo pepper? Yep, trust me on this one, it’s amazing.

Aleppo pepper brings a very mild heat, with just a touch of earthiness and sweetness. Often described as being similar to salt because it’s a flavor enhancer as opposed to a spice, Aleppo pepper is a hidden gem. Anyway, that’s it. That’s all you need to season cube steak.

What To Serve With Cube Steak

This might be the easiest question in the history of questions. You gotta go with green beans and mashed potatoes with this cube steak recipe.

Don’t just go with any green beans and mashed potatoes. I’d be remiss if I didn’t bend over backwards to encourage you to try these garlic and parmesan roasted green beans. These beans are good enough to eat as a meal on their own.

Beyond that, these homemade garlic mashed potatoes are a must have with this cube steak recipe. Topped with the onion gravy (or mushroom gravy) and served along side the fried cube steak, this is a winner, winner.

Tips For Making Cube Steak

• Seasoning: If possible, season the steaks with kosher salt a few hours before cooking them. This will give the salt time to penetrate into the meat and really amplify the flavor.
• Oil: Don’t use olive oil. You’ll be searing the steaks at a really high temperature, well past the smoke point of olive oil. Instead, use avocado oil.
• The Pan: I highly recommend cast iron for these pan fried steaks. Non-stick pans aren’t designed for the high heat required for searing.

How To Cook Cube Steak & Mushroom Gravy

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients
2 lbs. cube steak
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp Aleppo pepper
3 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

For the Gravy
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsp flour mixture, from steak breading
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp better than beef bouillon
1/4 cup water + 1/4 cup corn starch, mixed
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Step 1: Season your steaks with kosher salt and return to the refrigerator for 2-4 hours if possible, but at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: In a shallow pan or plate, mix together the flour, black pepper and Aleppo pepper, set aside.

Step 3: Heat the oil in a cast iron pan, over medium high heat. As oil is heating up, dredge the steaks in the flour mixtures, ensuring both sides are evenly coated. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Step 4: Gently lay the steaks in the hot cast iron pan. You may need to fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding. Sear them for two minutes on each side, and set aside.

Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter and onions to the pan. When butter melts, add two tablespoons of the flour mixture and move the onions around to cook down the raw flour.

Step 6: Add the beef stock and bouillon to the pan, and bring to a boil. Then, add the cornstarch slurry and Worcestershire sauce, whisking until the gravy starts to thicken.

Step 7: Add the meat back into the pan and spoon the gravy on top of steaks. Place the pan into a preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Step 8: Garnish with parsley, and serve with potatoes and green beans.