The Best Old-Fashioned Swiss Steak Recipe
The Best Old-Fashioned Swiss Steak is a comforting, classic dish featuring tender cubed steak simmered in a rich tomato-based gravy with savory vegetables. This traditional recipe bakes the steak in a flavorful sauce until fork-tender and finishes with a thickened gravy, perfect over mashed potatoes or noodles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Steak Coating
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 pounds cubed steak or round steak, cut into serving-size pieces if necessary
For Cooking
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or other high-temperature cooking oil)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1–2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes (or 1 pint home-canned tomatoes)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch celery seed (optional)
For Thickening Gravy
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare the flour mixture and coat steak: Preheat your oven to 325°F. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Add the steak pieces a few at a time, shaking gently to coat evenly. Set aside the coated steak.
- Brown the steak: Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy oven-safe pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the steaks on both sides until a nice crust forms. Once browned, transfer the steaks to a plate.
- Sauté vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add diced onion, celery, bell pepper, and sliced mushrooms to the same pot. Sauté for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften. If needed, add a little more oil. Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- Add liquids and seasonings: Pour in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, sugar, and celery seed (if using). Stir gently, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot to incorporate flavor. Return the browned steak pieces to the pot, ensuring they are fully submerged in the sauce.
- Bake the steak: Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. When done, carefully remove the pot from the oven.
- Thicken the gravy: Transfer the steaks onto a plate, leaving the gravy in the pot. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir this mixture into the gravy in the pot. Place the pot back on the stovetop over medium heat and bring the gravy to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until it thickens.
- Serve: Serve the steaks generously topped with the thickened gravy. Pair with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or cooked white rice for a hearty meal.
Notes
- For extra tenderness, you can use round steak or cubed steak as recommended.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, adjust cornstarch slurry quantities accordingly.
- Feel free to substitute vegetable oil with canola or avocado oil for high-heat cooking.
- Leftover Swiss steak tastes great reheated and may even develop richer flavors overnight.
- Oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot is essential for transitioning from stovetop to oven seamlessly.
Keywords: Swiss steak, old-fashioned, cubed steak, tomato gravy, comfort food, baked steak
