Experience the soul-warming comfort of Cracker Barrel’s most beloved dinner right in your own kitchen. This Southern classic features perfectly seasoned ground beef patties cooked to juicy perfection and smothered in rich, savory onion gravy that’s been satisfying families for generations. With simple ingredients and straightforward techniques, you can create this restaurant favorite that feeds a hungry family for under ten dollars while delivering maximum flavor and satisfaction.Â
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Smothered hamburger steak
Smothered hamburger patties have been a favorite Southern dinner for generations. And why not? This is one meal that is easy to make and oh, so delicious. You can feed a whole family for less than ten bucks, and no one will complain.
Don’t confuse hamburger steaks for Salisbury steak. While Salisbury steak can taste a little like meatloaf, these hamburger steaks have a much meatier flavor and better texture. If you have never tried hamburger steaks before, you don’t know what you are missing!
What makes this Cracker Barrel hamburger steak recipe so good
This dish is the classic smothered hamburger steak Cracker Barrel Old Country Store customers have been ordering for decades. It’s one of Uncle Herschel’s favorite items on the menu. Prepare this recipe as written, or try jazzing it up to suit your preferences.
Plus you’ll get a taste of true southern tradition with this hearty and budget-friendly meal. It’s total comfort food.
Ingredients you will need
For the Hamburger Steaks:
- Ground beef – Use 80/20 ground chuck for optimal flavor and moisture retention
- Salt – Enhances the natural beef flavors and helps with seasoning penetration
- Ground black pepper – Adds warmth and complements the savory beef taste
- Onion salt – Provides subtle onion flavor throughout the meat patties
- Garlic powder – Contributes aromatic depth without overpowering the beef
For the Onion Gravy:
- White onion – Sweet variety that caramelizes beautifully for rich flavor
- Flour – Creates the roux base that thickens the gravy to perfect consistency
- Beef broth – Provides savory liquid base with proper seasoning balance
Ingredient notes
The best store-bought beef for this recipe is ground chuck. Select a blend that is 80 percent fat to 20 fat. This mix will keep the hamburger steaks tender and moist while allowing you to cook them to a safe temperature. Lean ground beef is not a good choice because the patties will be dry.
If you have a meat grounder at home and the budget, 80 percent lean sirloin and 20 percent fatty pork shoulder (ground pork) also make an excellent blend. Use the coarsest grinding disk you have for better texture.
If you want to use other ground meat, you can use ground turkey or chicken. Those tend to have less fat so they may not be as moist as ground chuck.
Be sure to use beef broth, not beef stock, to make the gravy. Beef broth gives the onion gravy the correct level of seasoning, while beef stock may leave it tasting a bit flat. If you want, you can use a mushroom broth instead for an even more flavorful gravy.
Some people like to add shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, or hot sauce to the meat mixture. You can also add sliced mushrooms to cook with the onions.
How to make Cracker Barrel hamburger steak
To make Cracker Barrel Hamburger Steak:
- Peel and cut onions into thin slices. Set aside.
- Combine the ground beef and seasonings in a large bowl. Use the tips of your fingers to work the seasonings into the meat.
- Form four patties about half an inch thick. Traditionally, hamburger steaks for this recipe are oval, but you can make them in any shape you prefer.
- Heat a large heavy-bottom large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a cast-iron pan if you have one for the best sear.
- Once the pan is hot, cook the hamburger steak patties for about 4 minutes on the first and three minutes on the second side.
- Remove the hamburger steaks and blot them dry with a paper towel. Cover them to keep them warm or place them in the oven on the lowest heat setting.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sliced onions. Let the onions caramelize, stirring occasionally. The slower you cook the onions, the sweeter and more flavorful they will become.
- Remove the caramelized onions from the pan.
- Check the pan to ensure there is enough grease. If there isn’t a good coating on the bottom of the pan, add some butter.
- Sprinkle the flour into the grease in the pan and stir. Cook the flour until it turns tan, and then add the beef stock.
- Stir up the bits on the bottom of the pan, and continue to stir and simmer until the gravy is smooth and slightly thickened.
- You can add the onions to the gravy or keep them separate.
- Use a spatula to transfer the heated hamburger steaks to the serving plates.
- Put the onions and gravy over each burger steak and serve.
What to serve with smothered ground beef patties
For an authentic down-home meal, stick to a traditional country side like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, and buttermilk biscuits.
Other sides to consider are broccoli, egg noodles, and rice.
Alternatively, you may want to try to get creative with more unusual sides like carrot pudding, avocado fries, and loaded tater tots.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Cool hamburger steaks to room temperature and store in airtight containers for up to 3 days. The flavors often improve overnight as they meld together.
- Reheating Method: First, bring the patties to room temperature. Then, place them in a covered pan with the gravy and a splash of water. Heat over medium-low for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and continue heating until properly warmed through.
- Freezing: Store patties and gravy separately in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. This prevents texture changes and makes reheating more successful.
Love Cracker Barrel? Try These Copycat Recipes!
- Coca Cola Cake
- Country Style Steak
- Glazed Baby Carrots
- Ham and Egg Casserole
- Hashbrown Casserole
- Sawmill Gravy
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Tomato Cucumber and Onion Salad
Popular Ground Beef Recipes
- Air Fried Hamburgers
- Brown Sugar Meatloaf
- Mexican Casserole with Tortillas
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Check out my easy beef recipes and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes here on CopyKat!
Cracker Barrel Hamburger Steak – Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Hamburger Steaks
- 1½ pounds ground beef chuck
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Onion Gravy
- 1 cup white onion slices
- 1 to 2 teaspoons butter if needed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups beef broth
Instructions
Hamburger Steaks
- Combine the ground chuck, salt, ground black pepper, onion salt, and garlic powder in a medium-sized bowl. Mix to combine well.
- Form the meat mixture into 4 equally sized round, flat patties.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat.
- Place the hamburger steaks in the hot skillet, being careful not to crowd the steaks too much. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Flip the steaks over, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side. The steaks should be seared and browned.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet, and set aside.
Onion Gravy
- Place the sliced onions in the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they have softened and begun to brown.
- Remove the onions from the skillet.
- If there isn’t enough grease in the skillet, add a teaspoon or two of butter. Then add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the flour cooks evenly.
- Add the beef broth to the skillet and stir until the gravy is smooth.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. You can add the onions to the gravy or keep them separate.
To Serve
- Place the hamburger steaks on a plate and top with onions and gravy.
YUM, YUM, YUM…love h’burger stks with gravy!!!
Thank you.