Salisbury Steak is comfort food that has been around for many years. Made up of Hamburger Patties, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy with frozen Vegetables or other vegetables often served on the side. It’s the gravy that brings it all together, and there are different gravies that can be made and served for Salisbury Steak. The only key thing is that a good Salisbury Steak Gravy is Beef based, contains Worcestershire, most often includes Ketchup. In this Salisbury Steak recipe, we go back to a very old recipe called Brown Sauce, that uses a Mirepoix & Roux and takes about 1 hour to make. It is such a remarkable gravy used across many recipes, with slight adjustments to the Brune Sauce to make Salisbury Steak Gravy.

Original Salisbury Steak recipe

The earliest documented recipe for Salisbury steak comes from Dr. James Henry Salisbury, an American physician who advocated for a meat-centered diet as a health remedy. In his 1888 book, The Relation of Alimentation and Disease, he described a preparation of finely minced beef, molded into patties, and broiled or grilled.

The Salisbury Steak Patties were made with Lean Ground Beef (minced very fine), Salt & Pepper to taste, and formed into oval patties about 1/2 inch thick, that’s it. This has evolved to include additional ingredients in the meat patties themselves, as well as a gravy that is served over the patties.

Salisbury Steak & Gravy

The next earliest record of a more modern Salisbury steak appears in early 20th-century American cookbooks. One of the first known printed recipes resembling modern Salisbury Steak with Gravy is found in the 1912 edition of the “Manual for Army Cooks” published by the U.S. War Department.

This included onion juice, Worcestershire sauce, and stale bread to the original recipe. It was also served with a Brown Sauce mainly of Beef Drippings, Flour, and Beef Broth with Worcestershire. The brown sauce/gravy itself goes further back and is based on “Sauce Espagnole”.

Salisbury Steak Ingredients

Beef Patties (Ground Beef, Beef Powder, Worcestershire, Baking Soda), Salisbury Steak Gravy (Brown/Brune Sauce (Lard, Onion, Carrot, Celery, Flour, Tomato Paste, Beef Bouillon, Water, Pepper, Parsley, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Clove, Mushroom Soy Sauce), with Worcestershire & Ketchup), optionally with Onion, Garlic, and Mushrooms.

Salisbury Steak Burger Patties

Make the Burger Patties the same way as in How to make Burgers. But exchange the Baking Powder with Baking Soda to yield a Sausage like texture to the patties, instead of using breadcrumbs, usually added to Salisbury Patties. Add 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda to 1 lb (ca. 454 g) of Ground Beef and mix. This changes the PH level, yielding a Burger Patty much like a Sausage. Typically, found with Salisbury Steak. If you want more of a Burger texture, then stay with using Baking Powder or omitting it altogether.

Throw in whatever additional ingredients you want if making this fresh. One of my favorites to boost the beefiness is chopped beef suet, about 1-4 Tbl worth. The Beef Suet can also be used as the fat for the Brown Sauce Gravy, to derive a beefier taste. If using medium Ground Beef, then no beef suet needs to be added or at max 1 Tbl. If using Lean Ground Beef, then 2-4 Tbl can be used.

Salisbury Steak Patty recipe

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, before shaping into patties to allow the baking soda to work and create a sausage like texture. If the sausage texture is not desired, then omit the baking soda or replace with baking powder, with no need to refrigerate the meat before shaping.

• 1 lb Ground Beef, optionally with chopped beef suet
• 1 tsp Beef Broth Powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Use Salt & Pepper to season the burger patties as they sear.

Additional ingredients can be added to shape the overall flavors, such as Onion or Garlic Powder, Oregano, Thyme or other Herbs & Spices.

Salisbury Steak Size

You can make them any size you want. To achieve closer to the original Salisbury Steak, then use 1/4 lb shaped into an oval and about 1/2 inch thick for a single serving. From 1 lb of Ground beef, this will yeild 4 Burger Patties. But requires a longer sear or to cook longer in the gravy until fully cooked through.

I tend to Just divide the total weight of the meat mixture into 8-10 (45-55g patties) to serve 2 smaller patties per person for a family of 4. If Burger Patties (45g+) are already made up, use these and sear. For a lighter version, just serve 1 smaller Burger patty (45g) for Salisbury Steak with Potatoes and a side of Vegetables to fill it out.

Frozen Burger Patties

Once the patties are formed, place them on a baking sheet to transfer to the freezer. This makes handling the burger patties easier and gets optimal sear on the outside while the inside remains juicy.

Salisbury Steak Gravy

This Salisbury Steak uses Brune/Brown Sauce for the Salisbury Steak Gravy. The original rich and silky smooth Brown Sauce with the addition of Worcestershire & Ketchup. This is not only such a beautiful color that comes from the Mushroom Soy Sauce mainly. But offers up mushroomy, roasted vegetable flavors, complexity from the Worcestershire and a sweetness coming from the Ketchup. It’s a remarkable old time gravy that has many uses.

Brune Salisbury Steak Gravy Recipe

For the full recipe visit Quebec Brown Sauce. To turn it into a Salisbury Steak Gravy, Worcesterhire & Ketchup are added to the Quebec Brune Sauce. I use Mushroom Soy Sauce in the Brune Sauce for coloring, and it pairs really well for a Salilsbury Steak Gravy. Other choices may be Kitchen Bouquet or other similar products.

Brune Salisbury Steak Gravy Ingredients

• 3 C Water
• 3 Tbl Lard – Beef Suet or Rendered Beef Fat
• 3 Tbl Flour
• 1 Cube Beef Bouillon
• 1 Large Onion – sliced
• 1 Small Carrot – sliced
• 1 Stalk Celery – chopped
• 1 tsp Tomato Paste – Double Concentrate
• 1-2 Bay Leaves
• 2-3 Stems Parsley – or 1-2 tsp of dried Parsley
• 1 Sprig Thyme – or 1/2 tsp dried Thyme
• 2 Whole Cloves – or a pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tbl Mushroom Soy Sauce, Worcesterhire, and Ketchup, each

How to make Salisbury Steak Gravy

The Brune Salisbury Steak, is based off of the original Brown Sauce, with the addition of both Worcestershire & Ketchup. It is a bit more extensive and takes about 1 hour to make. Follow the below steps to make the Brune Salisbury Steak Gravy.

Mashed Potatoes

Just your standard mashed potatoes will do, at the consistency you like. Check out our recipes for Magic Mashed Potatoes, or Buttery Mashed Potatoes. The mashed potatoes will have gravy ladle over top, so you don’t want the mashed potatoes to be too loose.

You can also opt for some Fries with Gravy, maybe a bit of Ketchup over the Gravy Fries too.

Salisbury Steak Vegetables

Mushrooms, Onions & Garlic are optionally added for Umami. As well as texture and assisting in a darker colored gravy that is associated with Salisbury Steak. These are optional, but do elevate the flavors. Other than that, there is a whole host of other Vegetable sides that can be served with a Salisbury Steak Platter.

• Corn with Corn Butter
• Green Peas
• Waxed Beans
• Carrots
• Frozen Vegetable Mix

How to Cook Salisbury Steak

In later additions came the gravy for Salisbury Steak. So to maximize on flavor, it only makes sense to make it all about the fond creation. Searing the Burger Patties to create a fond that the Salisbury Steak Gravy can pick up and incorporate, then to add the burger patties back in, that’s it.

Stovetop Salisbury Steak

First have the Salisbury Steak Gravy ready to go or sitting on the back burner at the lowest heat. Any Vegetable side dishes can be prepared and kept warm too.

Salisbury Steak Ideas

They are many ideas when it comes to Salisbury Steak and a few of them are listed below.

Salisbury Meatballs

Shape the meat into meatballs and sear. Then add the Salisbury Steak Gravy for Salisbury Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes or Fries.

Salisbury Baked Potato

Scoop out the mash from the Baked Potatoes and season any way you’d like or just open them up to mash with Butter, Salt & Pepper. Cook the ground Beef, breaking it up into medium chunks, and add the Gravy. Simmer for a bit and set aside. Fill the Baked Potatoes with the seasoned mash and/or ladle the gravy over top. Garnish with Parsley and/or Green Onions for a Salisbury Baked Potato Dinner.

Salisbury Poutine

Cooked Ground Beef or Meatballs over Homemade Fries with the Cheese Curds, or use Shredded Mozzarella Cheese & Provolone at a ratio of 3:1. Ladle Gravy over top and serve for a Salisbury Poutine.

Hot Salisbury Hamburger Sandwich

Make a Hot Hamburger Sandwich using this Gravy. Just place the cooked Burger on 1 or 2 slices of Butter Bread, Toast or buttered and toasted hamburger buns and ladle Salisbury Steak Gravy over top.

Montreal Salisbury Steak

A Montreal Salisbury Steak version uses Montreal Steak Spice. Include when adding the other Herbs & Spices to the Gravy. Or add to taste after the solids have been strained out and to simmer a bit to soften the spices.