Ground Beef
$1.77per plate
Prep
10 min
Dinner · Cube Steak
Cube Steak with Gravy
Cube steak is one of the cheapest beef cuts in the case, and this is the classic way to make it tender: brown it fast, then let it braise low in a rich onion gravy until a fork slides right through. It is a whole cut, not a ground-beef patty, so it eats like a real steak dinner for well under two dollars a plate. The gravy comes together in the same pan from an onion, a little flour, and beef broth, with mashed potatoes or egg noodles underneath to catch every drop. It is different from our Salisbury steak and hamburger steak, which are shaped from ground beef; this one is the real tenderized cut. At 9g of carbs a serving it is one of the heartier plates in our low-carb dinners.
$1.87per plate
Estimated recipe total
$7.48 · serves 4
Cook
40 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/cube-steak-recipes
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Tongs
- Whisk, for the gravy
1 How to make it
1
Dredge the cube steaks
Cube steak is already run through a mechanical tenderizer at the store, which is where the little cube marks and its name come from, so you do not need to pound it. Pat the steaks dry, season with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess. The flour gives a light crust and thickens the gravy later.
2
Brown, do not cook through
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and brown the steaks about 2 minutes a side, just until golden. They finish by simmering in the gravy, so this browning is only for flavor and color; cooking them hard and fast here is exactly what makes cube steak tough. Move them to a plate.
3
Soften the onions
Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, and cook the sliced onion for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits the steaks left behind.
4
Make the gravy
Stir in a tablespoon of the leftover dredging flour and cook it for a minute, then slowly whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire. Whisking as you pour is what keeps the gravy smooth instead of lumpy. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it thicken.
5
Simmer until fork-tender
Nestle the steaks and any juices back into the gravy, cover, and simmer low for 25 to 30 minutes. This slow braise is the whole secret to tender cube steak; it is done when a fork slides in easily, not by a temperature. Add a splash of broth if the gravy gets too thick.
6
Serve
Spoon the onion gravy over the steaks and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles to catch it.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- French onion soup or chicken broth for the beef broth. A can of French onion soup is a popular shortcut that adds sweetness and salt; chicken broth makes a lighter gravy. Either works.
- Add mushrooms. Sliced mushrooms cooked with the onions make a heartier mushroom-onion gravy for a few cents more.
- Brown gravy mix shortcut. A packet of brown gravy mix whisked into the broth thickens it fast if you skip the flour. The from-scratch version is cheaper and lower in salt.
- Make it in a slow cooker. Brown the steaks first, then cook everything on low for 6 to 7 hours for hands-off, fall-apart tender cube steak.
3 Budget tips
- Cube steak is cheap because it comes from tougher round; the slow simmer in gravy is exactly what turns it tender and worth it.
- The gravy is just an onion, a spoon of flour, and broth, so you skip a jar of gravy and control the salt.
- Buy the family pack of cube steak and freeze what you do not cook; it thaws fast and cooks the same.
- Serve it over cheap mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles to turn four steaks into a full dinner for pennies more.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate the steaks in their gravy in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keeping them in the gravy is what keeps them moist.
Freezer
Freeze the steaks and gravy together for up to 3 months. Cool completely first; the gravy may need a whisk and a splash of broth after thawing to smooth back out.
Reheating
Reheat gently, covered, on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot through, stirring a little broth into the gravy to loosen it. Low and slow keeps the beef tender.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
335
Protein
31g
Fat
18g
Carbs
9g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is cube steak?
Cube steak is an inexpensive cut, usually top round, that has been run through a mechanical tenderizer, which leaves the little cube-shaped marks and gives it its name. It is tough if cooked fast, but braising it low in gravy makes it fork-tender.
How do I make cube steak tender instead of tough?
Brown it quickly, then simmer it gently in the gravy for 25 to 30 minutes. The slow, moist braise breaks the cut down; cooking it hard and fast is what makes it chewy. It is done when a fork slides in easily.
How do I keep the gravy from getting lumpy?
Cook the flour in the fat for a minute, then whisk in the broth slowly, a little at a time. Adding all the liquid at once, or stirring flour into hot liquid, is what makes gravy lumpy.
How is $1.87 a plate figured?
About $7.48 for four steaks and the gravy, four servings, so roughly $1.87 each. The cube steak is most of the cost. Mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles to serve are figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
This one is also part of our American Comfort Classics collection.
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