Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy & Fried Onion Rings
Hamburger steak with gravy, often called Salisbury steak, is a staple in meat-and-three restaurants in the South.
The meat typically has a rich brown gravy such as a mushroom or onion gravy on top. It nestles alongside mashed potatoes, onion rings, and maybe a side of green beans.
In the comfort food category, hamburger steak with gravy and fried onion rings is one of the South’s best and most beloved combinations. The flavors just naturally go together, creating a plateful that tastes like home.
This recipe post is really three in one: a hamburger steak recipe, a mushroom gravy recipe, and the ultimate topping, fried onion rings!
The Hamburger Steak and Mushroom Gravy
Hamburger steak with gravy is all about rich, hearty flavors made from simple ingredients. Juicy ground chuck burgers get a boost from bread crumbs, sweet Vidalia onion, a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce, and fresh thyme.
But real magic happens when you simmer the beef in buttery, beefy mushroom gravy. It’s the kind of Southern family dinner that tastes homecooked yet reminds you of your favorite diner. (See the story below about one of mine from Love Language of the South.)
The Homemade Onion Rings
Who doesn’t love crunchy-tender homemade onion rings? I also love the fact you don’t have to use many onions to end up with a ton of onion rings. These crispy fried onions bring crunch and flavor to most dishes, including a vegetable plate. These are great on burgers, on steaks, and as a side for just about everything, even fish.
This recipe, along with the hamburger steak, is in the first chapter of my book Love Language of the South.
Vidalias have the perfect flavor for this recipe because they are naturally sweet and mild. If Vidalias are out of season, you can substitute other large yellow or white onions of your choice.
This onion rings recipe is simple and quick yet tastes incredible. Along with the right onions and Tabasco sauce for kick, you’ll want to get that classic crunch by watching the oil temp. Be sure to get the oil to 375 degrees F.
If desired, add paprika or the seasoning salt of your choice.
Storage of Leftovers
If you have leftovers, the hamburger steak will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can put patties in the freezer as soon as they cool. They will keep frozen for about 4 months.
Moisture makes for soggy onion rings, so for this type of onion ring, it’s better to fry them up fresh each time.
Excerpt from Love Language of the South: Meat and Three
The homestyle meat and three could have easily disappeared through the years, but it hasn’t. It’s the foundational Southern meal, and I believe it always will be. During the early twentieth century, as the would-be farmers came to the city in search of better job opportunities, they’d find a restaurant that served a meat and three–style meal like they were used to getting at home. Still today, businessmen and -women daily trek to one of my local favorite meat-and three restaurants: Martin’s.
Martin’s has been a fixture in Montgomery since the 1930s. You can smell the chicken frying as you walk across the parking lot toward the corner of the strip mall. Its casual atmosphere makes it perfect for lawyers, students, politicians, and salespeople. Not only is it the perfect place to conduct business, but it’s also the perfect place for Sunday lunch on those days the dinner cook is not up for the task. And it happens—there are weeks that Sunday sneaks up so fast, it will bite you! But since every Southerner knows Sunday dinner must not be canceled for any occasion, we also know the next best thing to a homemade meat-and-three meal at home is having it at a homey restaurant.
The only thing more comforting than a meat and three
is a meat and twelve shared with the ones you love.
“Hey y’all. How many?” are the first words you hear upon entering, along with chairs scraping and happy voices. I often hesitate to answer the greeter’s question because seating our family of nine can be a problem. We’ve gotten all kinds of reactions from startled laughter to “Don’t you know what causes that?” Soon enough we’ll be seated, but in the meantime, I can’t help but look at the plates full of food, hoping I’ll be able to choose a meat and only three vegetables. I see hamburger steak with mushroom gravy. Crispy onion rings. Crumbly cornbread. Squash casserole. Creamed corn. Crispy fried chicken. Lima beans. Fried green tomatoes . . .all the meat-and-three classics.
How in the world can a person choose? Luckily Scott and I came up with a plan long ago that we still stick to: we share. Divide and conquer the menu, we call it. Over the last few years, when we go to Martin’s, I’ve noticed the kids doing the same thing! The only thing more comforting than a meat and three is a meat and twelve shared with the ones you love.
Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
Hamburger Patties
- 2 pounds ground beef chuck
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ large onion Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Mushroom Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms or a mixture sliced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place the first 9 ingredients (ground chuck, bread crumbs, onions, and seasonings) in a large bowl and gently mix until incorporated. Divide the meat mixture into six portions, shaping each portion into 6 meat patties.
- In a large skillet — I use a cast iron skillet — heat oil on medium high heat until shimmering and then add the meat patties. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until browned. Remove the patties from the skillet and tent foil over the top to keep them warm.
- Add butter to the skillet and allow to completely melt over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté 5 to 6 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and golden. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon about 2 minutes or until the flour is well incorporated into the mushrooms.
- Slowly add the broth to the skillet and whisk until gravy is smooth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the hamburger patties to the pan. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the patties are cooked through. Top the patties with Crispy Fried Onions and serve over rice or potatoes.
Crispy Fried Onion Ring Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco hot sauce
- 2 large Vidalia onions very thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil such as canola oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add buttermilk and Tabasco and mix well. Add the onions and cover completely with the buttermilk.
- In a separate large bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, add oil to at least the depth of 4 inches. Heat oil over high heat until the oil temperature is 375 degrees F.
- In batches, remove onion slices from the buttermilk mixture and dredge onions in the flour mixture until completely coated, shaking off any excess flour. With a spider or slotted spoon, slowly lower the onions into the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the batter is golden brown. If the onions are bunching, break them apart with the slotted spoon. Use tongs to remove onions to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet and allow to drain.
