Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Slow Cooker Cube Steak is a tasty main dish with minimal prep required! Pick up ready-to-cook steak patties from the grocery store and whisk up a delicious gravy with mushrooms and onions for added flavor. The slow cooker ensures perfectly tender meat every time!
What is cube steak?
Cube steak is usually prepared from top round or top sirloin steak. The steaks are shaped into patties or individual servings and then pierced with a mechanical tenderizer or a manual meat tenderizer tool. This causes small indentations and grooves across the entire piece of meat.
Cube steaks are generally lean cuts of meat without much marbling (fat). As a result, they can be somewhat tough if not tenderized and cooked long enough.
Depending on regional differences, cube steaks are sometimes called minute steaks. However, cube steaks will always have the signature tenderizing marks, whereas some types of minute steaks do not. The steaks are usually served with a sauce or gravy, or they are breaded to retain extra flavor.
What’s To Love About This Recipe
- I love this cube steak recipe for the slow cooker because it’s a fast and simple way to prepare this cut of meat without leaving it simmering on the stove for hours.
- Cube steaks should cook “low and slow” to break down the muscle fibers. The slow cooker ensures super-tender meat every time!
- Cube steaks are also generally more economical than other cuts of steak. This recipe is a great way to add red meat to your dinner rotation!
- Because this recipe results in plenty of extra gravy, it is perfect to serve over other simple sides and veggies!
Ingredients Needed
- Cube steaks – This recipe uses 6 cube steak patties (about 1.5 pounds of beef). I recommend using a large oval slow cooker to evenly space the steaks in the insert. Be sure to thaw the cube steaks before cooking for food safety reasons.
- Yellow onion – Dice one yellow onion for a bit of sweetness and to add flavor to the gravy.
- Mushrooms – Slice about 8 ounces of mushrooms. Either white or baby bella mushrooms will work! The mushrooms add an overall rustic flavor to the gravy.
- Beef bone broth or beef stock – Beef broth or stock is essential to creating the thick, savory gravy that you’ll want to ladle over everything! Bone broth is my preferred choice because of the extra nutrients.
- Tomato paste – Adding a bit of tomato paste brings richness and a slight acidity to the beefy flavors. It also helps to thicken the gravy.
- Worcestershire sauce – This adds to the complexity of the gravy.
- Homemade herb and garlic seasoning – My favorite all-purpose seasoning works so well with slow cooker recipes for beef, chicken, and pork. If you haven’t already, mix up an extra batch or two of this mix to keep in your pantry!
- Paprika – Paprika adds a hint of smokiness.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch will help slightly thicken the sauce near the end of cooking.
How To Make Slow Cooker Cube Steak
- Add steaks, onion, and mushrooms to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Whisk together broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings, and pour the mixture over the steaks in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until the meat is tender and cooked through.
- About an hour before the end of cooking time, mix cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Stir the slurry into the sauce and allow it to heat through and thicken.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can leave them out and the sauce will still taste delicious.
Cube steak is convenient because it comes pre-tenderized and ready to use straight from the package. However, if cube steaks aren’t available, look for a top-round steak at the store. You can tenderize it yourself with a meat mallet, ensuring grooves cover the entirety of each piece of meat.
What To Serve With Cube Steak
It’s practically essential to serve cube steaks with a delicious side to soak up the extra gravy! I suggest some hearty Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes (or Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes if you prefer), a side of wide egg noodles, or fluffy white rice.
Some cube steak recipes may include added vegetables in the slow cooker, but I prefer to serve veggies on the side to add different flavors and textures to the plate. Some of my go-to veggie sides are Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or Oven Roasted Carrots.
Garnish your plate with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and add a toasty dinner roll if you like!
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover cube steaks and gravy in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave on reduced power for short increments, or warm up on the stove on a low setting to prevent further cooking.
You can also freeze cube steaks individually with some extra gravy. Store in a sealed container in the freezer and use within 3 months. Thaw before reheating on the stove.
Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 6 cube steaks about 1.5 pounds
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 ½ cups beef bone broth or beef stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons homemade herb and garlic seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add steaks, onion, and mushrooms to bottom of slow cooker
- Whisk together broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings, and pour mixture over steaks in slow cooker
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until meat is tender and cooked through
- About an hour before the end of cooking time, mix cornstarch with equal amount of water, stir into sauce and allow it to heat through and thicken
Notes
- Store steaks and gravy in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on a low microwave setting or the stove.
- If the gravy is too thin, slowly add more cornstarch slurry until you reach the desired thickness.
- If the gravy is too thick, add more beef broth and allow it to heat through.
- You will need at least a 5-quart slow cooker for this recipe (oval shape is preferred). If you have a smaller slow cooker, you can halve the recipe.
Nutrition
Cube Steak FAQs
- Why is my cube steak always tough? If your cube steak appears tough (not fork-tender), it most likely needs to cook longer. Cube steak should be fall-apart tender when finished cooking.
- Does cube steak get more tender the longer you cook it? Yes, cube steak will generally become more tender as it cooks “low and slow.” Slow cooker times can slightly vary, so you may need to add more time to ensure it reaches fork-tenderness. Be careful not to overcook by ensuring there is enough gravy to cover the steaks for the entire cooking time.
- How can I tenderize cube steak? Use a meat mallet to tenderize the cube steaks further if needed. Or, create your own cube steaks by using single serving pieces of top round steak and tenderizing until grooves cover the meat’s surface.
- Can frozen cube steak be used in the slow cooker? Thaw the steaks before adding them to the slow cooker. This helps to ensure the steaks reach the correct temperatures in the designated time frame.
- Can this recipe be cooked on high? Yes, this cube steak recipe will cook on a high slow cooker setting for 3-4 hours.
