Most people who know me know that I love cooking as much as I can from scratch. Sometimes though, like today, I had to give myself a little pass and make a quick weeknight meal, like this cube steak recipe.
It has been a horribly busy week with no relief in sight. Cooking is usually my way to de-stress and wind down, but the thought of cooking this week just made me feel more exhausted.
On nights like these, I can still offer my family some delicious comfort food, but in a way that makes my evenings a little bit easier.
Growing up my mom had four kids to feed on a single-parent’s budget.
She was never able to serve us the choice cuts of beef like top sirloin (in fact, I really can’t ever remember a night where we actually ate “real steak”) but every once in a while, she would treat us to a cube steak dinner and it was one of my favorites.
I was definitely first to the dinner table on those nights!
Tonight I decided to treat my family to their own cubed steak dinner with a recipe I cooked up that included some great ways to cheat and still get that home-cooked flavor!
Many people think of cube steak as a tough cut of meat, but when you cook it using this recipe, you’ll have a tender steak that’s truly a delicious meal.
This 30-minute steak recipe is perfect for any busy weeknight! My whole family raved about it for days!
30-Minute Weeknight Cube Steak With Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 Cube Steaks
- 2 Packets of McCormick Brown Gravy Mixes + 2 Cups Water
- 1 Large Onion Cut in half and sliced
- All Purpose Flour for dredging steaks
- Season All (I use Morton)
- About 2 TBLS of oil or tallow for frying
Directions:
- Start by seasoning your steaks (both sides) with Season All. I love using this seasoning on meats when I’m in a hurry. No extra salt, pepper, garlic, or anything else, just Season All!
- Dredge steaks in flour in a small bowl or plate. I found I missed a couple of spots on my steaks while I was seasoning them so as I dredged, I added seasoning to places I had missed.
- After all your steaks have been successfully floured, set them aside to fry.
4. In a large, deep frying pan, cover just the bottom of your pan with vegetable oil or tallow and heat over medium heat.
5. Once the pan is good and hot, fry three of your steaks for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side in the hot oil until they are golden brown. Remove the steaks and fry the other three the same way. Remove steaks and set aside.
6. Whisk the McCormick gravy packets and the 2 cups of water into the frying pan, being careful to scrape up the bits on the bottom as you go.
As soon as the gravy is simmering, place the cooked steaks back into the pan with the gravy and top with sliced onion.
I like to push my onion down into the gravy so they get a more caramelized texture. Cook for about 5 more minutes or until onion gravy and steaks are heated through.
This is my favorite way to cook a tender cube steak. It’s such an easy cube steak recipe.
It’s not likely that you will have any leftovers, but if you do, store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator and eat within two days.
Next time you see that cube steaks are on sale at the grocery store, grab a pack and give this simple recipe a try!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Beef Cube Steak Recipe
Do I need to use a meat tenderizer? No, it’s not necessary for this recipe. Your meat will be tender and delicious without it!
Should I use a meat mallet on my steaks? No, you won’t need to use that for this recipe either.
What To Have With Cube Steaks
Are you looking for some great side dishes for this recipe? I like to fix mine with rice or large egg noodles.
Sometimes I cook my noodles or rice in beef broth to give them extra flavor.
Then I fix a side dish of these skillet green beans, air fryer baked potatoes, side salad, and these easy butter biscuits.
Printable Recipe Card
I have a big binder where I print out all of my favorite recipes to keep handy. If you like to do the same, here is a printable recipe card for your convenience.
Easy Weeknight Cube Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Cube Steaks
- 2 Packets of McCormick Brown Gravy Mix
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Large Onion cut in half and sliced
- Flour for dredging steaks
- Season All to taste I use Morton
- About 2 TBLS of oil or tallow for frying
Instructions
- Start by seasoning your steaks (both sides) with Season All. I love using this seasoning on meats when I’m in a hurry. No extra salt, pepper, garlic, or anything else, just Season All!
- Dredge steaks in flour. I found I missed a couple of spots on my steaks while I was seasoning them so as I dredged, I added seasoning to places I had missed.
- After all your steaks have been successfully floured, set them aside to fry.
- In a large skillet, cover just the bottom of your pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium.
- Once the pan is good and hot fry three of your steaks about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks and fry the other three the same way. Remove steaks and set aside.
- Whisk the McCormick gravy packets and the 2 cups of water into the frying pan, being careful to scrape up the bits on the bottom as you go. As soon as the gravy is simmering, place the cooked steaks back into the pan with the gravy and top with sliced onion. I like to push my onion down into the gravy so they get a more caramelized texture. Cook about 5 more minutes or until steaks are heated through.
Notes
- If you don't have Seasonal All seasoning mix, just use salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to season your steaks.
- If time allows, let your steaks come to room temperature before frying.
- If you want to change up the flavor a bit the next time you make this recipe, try adding a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to your gravy.
Lauryn R
Monday 24th of June 2024
This has become one of my weekday staples! It is so easy to make, and everyone in the family enjoys it. Thanks again for sharing! I always recommend to friends and family.
Dorri Siler
Thursday 5th of October 2023
This was so good. I added sliced mushrooms and doubled the gravy...my family loved it. Thank you so much...this one's a keeper !!
Weezir
Saturday 17th of June 2023
I have made this recipe for years--my mother made it for us when we were kids. I have found that cube steak will be tough if is not cooked slow on low heat for a while... So when I make this, I allow for about at least an hour in the pan (in the gravy), covered, on low heat and the meat comes out very tender. I also sometimes use a packet of chicken gravy and a packet of beef gravy to change up the flavor. If you cook it longer like this, you might add more onion (if you like it) because the onion pieces will cook down and there won't be much of it in the dish. The Worcestershire sauce, plus some soy sauce gives it greater flavor. I make a extra packets of gravy to have more than enough. We usually serve it with egg noodles/pasta ribbons or rice--not a big fan of potatoes... Good stuff!
Leela
Monday 17th of April 2023
That looks so delicious.
Peggy Nunn
Monday 17th of April 2023
This looks so good. I want to make that meal.