Smothered Cube Steak with Onion Gravy

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This smothered cube steak cooks in one skillet with sliced onions and homemade brown gravy. Serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles to soak up the extra gravy.

Cube steak covered in brown onion gravy with mashed potatoes on a floral plate.

A Skillet Dinner with Plenty of Homemade Gravy

I started with 2 cups of broth, but I prefer having more gravy for the steak and mashed potatoes. This recipe uses 3 cups of broth, but if you only have 2 cups, use 2 tablespoons of flour instead of 3.

You'll cook the onions in the same skillet you used for the beef, then stir in flour, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Keep the browned bits in the pan; they flavor the gravy.

Smothered cube steak and onion gravy served with mashed potatoes.

FAQs

Do I need to tenderize cube steak before cooking?

No. Store-bought cube steak has already been tenderized, which gives it those little indentations. For this recipe, pat it dry, season it, and cook it as it comes from the package.

Do I coat the cube steaks in flour?

No. The flour in this recipe goes into the onions to thicken the gravy. The steaks are seasoned and browned without breading.

Can I make this in the Crock Pot?

This recipe is written for the skillet. For a slow cooker option, use my Crock Pot cube steak recipe, which has its own ingredient amounts and cooking directions.

What goes with smothered cube steak?

Serve it with Instant Pot mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. Add green beans, peas, or a simple salad on the side.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Refrigerate the steak and gravy in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Use within 3-4 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet, adding a splash of broth or water if needed, until the leftovers reach 165°F.

Ingredients

For the steaks:

1½ pounds cube steak: About 4 pieces, fully thawed. No extra tenderizing is needed.
½ teaspoon each table salt, black pepper, and garlic powder: To season both sides of the beef.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil: Divided between the two batches of steaks.

For the onion gravy:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter.
1 large yellow onion: Thinly sliced so it softens evenly.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour: This thickens the gravy.
3 cups low-sodium beef broth: For plenty of gravy, with room to adjust the salt to taste.
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce: For savory flavor.
Additional salt and pepper: Taste the finished gravy before adding more.

You'll find the printable recipe with all the amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

Instructions

Use a large skillet, preferably 12 inches, so you have room to brown the beef in batches and make the gravy. Start your side dish first so everything is ready together.

Pat the 1½ pounds of cube steak dry. Season both sides with ½ teaspoon each salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add two steaks without overlapping and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and steaks. Thinner pieces may cook faster.

Two browned cube steaks resting on a floral plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoons butter and the sliced yellow onion to the same skillet. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden. Keep the browned bits for flavor, but remove any blackened, burned bits.

Sliced onions cooking in a cast-iron skillet.

Stir 3 tablespoons flour into the onions and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir or whisk in 3 cups broth, then add 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up the browned bits and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, until the gravy lightly coats a spoon.

Brown onion gravy in a cast-iron skillet.

Return the steaks and their juices to the skillet and spoon gravy over them. Reduce the heat to low. Check the temperature right away, then every minute, cooking until the centers reach 160°F, or a higher temperature if the package directs. This may take 1-3 minutes or longer, depending on thickness and how much the steaks cooked during browning. Insert the thermometer sideways into the center of a thin steak.

Browned cube steaks returned to the skillet of onion gravy.

Once the steaks reach the temperature above, take the skillet off the heat. Taste the gravy, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve.

Tips

Give the steaks room. Brown them in batches so they can make contact with the hot pan.
Watch the onions. Lower the heat if they darken before softening. Burned bits can make the gravy bitter.
Pour the broth in gradually. Stir as you pour to help the flour blend smoothly into the liquid.
Adjust the gravy at the end. If it is too thick, stir in broth or water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, lift out the steaks and simmer the gravy a little longer.
Check the temperature. Steak thickness varies, so use the thermometer and treat the cooking times as estimates.

Cube steaks covered with onion gravy in a cast-iron skillet.

More Recipes

If you're planning another beef dinner, try one of these:

Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy - a skillet dinner made with ground beef patties.
Cracker Barrel country fried steak - breaded cube steak topped with white gravy.
Crock Pot cube steak - a slow cooker version with a creamy soup-based gravy.