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Smothered Round Steak Recipe

Smothered Round Steak Recipe

This smothered round steak recipe transforms an affordable cut of beef into a tender, flavorful comfort meal through slow braising. Cooked low and slow with mushrooms, onions, and a rich gravy, this dish creates melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Perfect served over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice for a soul-warming family meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ - 2 lbs. boneless beef round steak (use top round steak if possible)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth (plus more as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton brand)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (about 3-4 inches long each)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 5-6 inches long)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or thyme

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or deep braising skillet
  • meat mallet
  • wooden spoon

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Use a meat mallet to tenderize the meat by pounding to ½-inch thickness.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep braising skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add the steak and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium; add the butter to the drippings in the pan. When the butter melts, stir in the mushrooms and onion; cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  3. Stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the steaks and any juices to the pan. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over all. Tuck thyme and rosemary sprigs into the broth. Cover and bake for 2 ½ - 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. Check the steaks once or twice during the cooking process, adding more broth to the pan if necessary. Remove the meat from the pan and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Discard the herb sprigs.
  4. To thicken the gravy, bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. If you'd like more gravy, add more beef broth at this time. Add about half of the cornstarch slurry, whisking until the mixture thickens. If you'd like a thicker gravy, add the remaining cornstarch slurry. To thin the gravy, add extra broth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
  5. Thinly slice the meat against the grain (perpendicular to those long fibers that you see). Spoon the gravy over top and serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

Notes

Slice meat against the grain for maximum tenderness. Top round steak works best for this recipe. The long cooking time is essential for tenderizing the round steak - don't rush the process. Adjust gravy thickness with cornstarch slurry as needed.