Smothered Cube Steak Recipe

Cube steak is tenderized breaded beef, pan fried, and smothered in a delicious homemade brown gravy. Serve this savory dinner entree with mashed potatoes and your favorite veggies, for a mouthwatering meal.

Looking for more savory main courses smothered in gravy? Try my Brown Gravy Smothered Hamburger Steaks, Brown Gravy Pot Roast, or this quick and easy Beef Tips and Gravy recipe.

Jump to:

• Why We Love These Cube Steak Recipes:
• What is Cube Steak?
• How to Tenderize Cube Steak:
• Ingredients you need:
• How to Cook Cube Steak:
• Pro-Tips:
• What to Make with Cube Steak:
• Storing and Reheating:
• FAQ:
• More Beef Recipes to Try
• Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!

Cube steak is a tasty departure from other steak recipes. It has a unique texture and flavor that makes it stand out from other beef dishes. Juicy and fork-tender, this pan fried cube steak recipe is bound to become a family favorite.

Why We Love These Cube Steak Recipes:

Easy Weeknight Dinner! Make this with a quick side dish like roasted broccoli and rice, and dinner is on the table in less than an hour.

Made with a Savory Gravy Recipe! Do not throw away those pan drippings! After pan frying the steak, use it to build a luscious gravy.

Super Affordable! This is a cheaper cut of meat, cut from either top sirloin or top round beef.

What is Cube Steak?

Cube steak (sometimes called minute steak or swiss steak) is thin, flat, tenderized top round or top sirloin beef. It looks similar to ground beef but tastes like steak.

A textured meat mallet creates cubed-shaped indentations on the meat. This tenderizes the tough cut of beef. It is also how the cut of meat got its name. Pounding the meat breaks down tough muscle fibers, resulting in a tender cut.

How to Tenderize Cube Steak:

There are a few methods to tenderize cube steak.

• Use a meat tenderizer or mug to pound and soften the meat. (Your butcher usually does this or you can request it at the counter. But honestly, it does not hurt to do it a second time at home after purchasing it.)
• Bread the steaks before frying them. The coating keeps the beef moist and tender.
• Simmer the steaks in gravy.
• Simmer the steaks in a slow cooker.

Ingredients you need:

• Vegetable oil: For frying.
• Cube Steaks: See notes above for more details.
• Seasoning: I use seasoned salt (adjust to taste), garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika.
• Flour: Season the flour with the same spices used to season the beef.

Gravy

• Reserved oil from frying cubes steaks
• Flour: To absorb the hot oil.
• Beef broth: This provides flavor and a deeper color but vegetable broth will work too.
• Browning seasoning: This darkens the color of the gravy and adds a savory taste.
• Seasoning: I sprinkle it with seasoned salt (adjust to taste) and black pepper.

How to Cook Cube Steak:

Season & Bread Cube Steaks

Heat your oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 350°F. 

Then place the cube steaks on a clean flat surface. Mix all of your seasonings together in a small bowl, including the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. 

Sprinkle the seasoning over each cube steak, both on the front and the back. Use your hand to press the seasoning into each side of the steak. 

Add your flour to a large mixing bowl or Ziploc bag. Then season the flour with the same seasonings you used for the cube steaks. 

Place each cube steak in the flour mixture, one at a time. Fully coat the steaks with flour. Remove them from the flour and set them on a wire rack so that the coating can settle. 

Fry Cube Steaks

Once all of the cube steaks have been lightly breaded in the flour mixture, gently place them in the hot oil one at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet. 

Fry them on each side for 7 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place them on a clean wire cooling rack (use a bed of paper towels if needed), to drain the excess oil. 

Prepare Gravy

Remove all but 3-4 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet and heat it up over medium heat. Slowly sprinkle the flour into the oil and use a whisk to mix it together. The flour should start to absorb the oil. 

Once most, or all of the oil is absorbed, slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking at the same time. Continue whisking until it starts to thicken. If it begins to get too thick, add more broth, one tablespoon at a time. 

Sprinkle in all of the seasonings and mix until everything is combined. 

Nestle the tender cube steaks back into the gravy. Then cover with a lid, or aluminum foil, and allow the steaks to simmer over medium-low for another 30 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes to carefully stir the gravy so that it does not stick to the bottom or burn. 

Finally, serve over a bed of mashed potatoes, or with your favorite sides.

Pro-Tips:

• Use a large skillet in order to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• When the cubed steaks reach an internal temperature of 125° F, they are done.
• Continuously whisk the gravy in order to prevent it from burning.

What to Make with Cube Steak:

• Caramelized Onions: For the ultimate savory meal, top it with softened yellow onions.
• Rice: Nothing absorbs gravy like some white rice.
• Mushrooms: Make it a one-pan meal and saute the mushrooms in the same skillet.
• Potatoes: I love a good steak and potato meal. Try it with these delicious steakhouse mashed potatoes.
• Vegetables: Make this meal nutritious with green beans, sauteed spinach, or roasted asparagus.
• Cornbread: Sop this saucy dish up with

Storing and Reheating:

Store leftover cube steak and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. To defrost, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to reheat, warm it up on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of beef or chicken broth to thin out the gravy.

FAQ:

Is cube steak a good cut?

Cube steak comes from top round or top sirloin beef. It is a tougher cut of meat but when properly tenderized and prepared, it is melt-in-your-mouth good.

How do you cook cube steak so it's not tough?

Quickly pan fry it (like we do in this recipe) or let it simmer over an extended period of time, in a slow cooker or crockpot.

What is the difference between cube steak and regular steak?

Because it is pounded until thin and tender, cube steak has a distinct flavor and texture from other cuts of steak.

More Beef Recipes to Try

• Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
• Oxtails Smothered in Red Wine Gravy
• Reverse Sear Steak Recipe
• Quick & Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe
• Beef Fried Rice
• Ground Beef Stuffed Shells
• Roast Beef Sliders

Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!