Smothered Steak with Brown Gravy
You’ll love this traditional Southern Smothered Steak with Brown Gravy! Braised round steak, nestled in a savory brown gravy with hints of onion and bell pepper!
Cooked low and slow, this dish is ready in about an hour!
This is the perfect meal to throw together when you’ve got a million other things to do because it doesn’t require babysitting…just put it in on the stovetop and walk away!
Smothered Beef and brown gravy is a staple menu item in the South. Tenderized round steak “smothered” in a savory brown gravy served over a fluffy bed of rice.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Affordable– you don’t have to buy an expensive cut of sirloin, just use a round steak…it’s cheaper and it will tenderize when cooked
- Minimal effort – once you’ve brown the steak, just add everything to the stockpot and go on about your business. In about an hour, you’ll have a tender and flavorful dinner ready!
Here’s what you’ll need:
One pound of round steak, an onion, bell pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, ground garlic and ground thyme.
Round steak isn’t generally super tender, but the slow braising process tenderizes the beef perfectly!
You can also use sirloin steak.
Here’s how to make it:
Note that when you brown the beef, you’re just searing the outside…it won’t really be “brown,” but kind of gray. That’s ok. We’re gonna put it back in the pan and let it cook low and slow.
The light coating of flour serves as a roux, or thickener for the brown gravy. The smothered steak with not be fried, but slow simmered in beef broth and seasonings.
Tips:
Get a thin cut of meat; it tenderizes better than a thick piece
After you’ve browned the beef, be sure to use a wooden spoon and scrape up the pieces in the pan; this is what’s gonna make really good brown gravy!
Use a whisk to combine the flour with the broth; this removes any lumps
Use enough water to cover the meat, onions and peppers; (this is where the “smothered” comes from); the amount of water will depend upon the size of your pan
What to serve with it:
I usually serve Smothered Steak and Brown Gravy over rice with a side salad. You could also serve this with roasted broccoli, Orange Glazed Carrots or homemade Creamed Style Corn.
Of course, you can never go wrong with mashed potatoes 🙂
Smothered steak and brown gravy makes a perfect weeknight dinner!
Related recipes:
- Beef Tips with Rice
- Mom’s Pot Roast
- True Texas Chili
- Beef Stroganoff
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Salisbury Steak
- Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Smothered Steak with Brown Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 pound round steak thin (less than 1"inch thick)
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into thin slices
- 1 medium bell pepper cut into thin slices
- 1 cup flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt kosher
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- water
Instructions
- In a flat pan or pie dish, combine flour, salt, ground thyme and garlic powder; set aside1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Thinly slice onion and bell pepper; set aside1 medium yellow onion, 1 medium bell pepper
- Heat oil on medium in stockpot⅓ cup oil
- Slice beef into 4 pieces; lightly salt and pepper1 pound round steak
- Dredge beef through flour mixture and place in hot oil; cook 5 minutes on each side; remove beef and set aside
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape up remnants in stockpot; stir in beef broth; continue to scrape bottom of pan2 cups beef broth
- Add Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons of the reserved dredging flour to the broth; whisk till smooth1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- Add browned beef back to stockpot; top with sliced onions and sliced peppers; add enough water to barely cover the meat;reduce heat to simmer and cover; cook until meat is tender (about 1 hour)water
- Serve over prepared rice
Notes
- If you want, you can cut the steak into strips; it's up to you
- When you brown the meat in the oil, it won't actually be "brown"-but kinda gray. That's okay. We're not actually cooking the meat in this initial step, just browning the exterior.
- The last amounts of water depends upon how big your stockpot is...you want to add enough water to barely cover the onions and peppers
My mama made smothered steak often. She did, however, tenderize the steak (with a saucer edge!). This is a much tastier recipe than hers! Sorry, Mama!
Thank you!