Pan Seared Cube Steak with Gravy
Whip up this easy Pan-Seared Cubed Steak and Gravy for a hearty and comforting dinner. It’s melt-in-your-mouth good and super versatile: First sear the meat in a skillet, then you can continue to cook it on the stove or in the oven, slow cooker or Instant Pot.
2025 Update: This recipe was originally shared in November 2011 and republished in October 2017. The recipe and post have been updated to include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love this dinner.
Easy Pan-Seared Cube Steak and Gravy Recipe
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Everyone has their own comfort food recipes from childhood, and this one is mine. Seared cube steak in a pan gravy that’s decadent and fall-apart-delicious in your mouth? I’d eat it every day of the week (even though I don’t usually like leftovers).
For some reason, my family always called this “baked steak” but it’s not necessarily baked, though you can use the oven if you want! (Though if you want a true oven recipe with a classic cut of beef, try broiled steak.)
But first, the meat is seared in a pan to get a nice texture and add flavor to the gravy with a rich red wine pan sauce, then cooked low-and-slow — until the meat falls apart when you touch it with a fork. You can do this part on the stovetop, in the oven or even in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
More beef recipes to try for a busy weeknight: Steak Alfredo | Ground Beef Tacos | Beef Taco Pasta Salad | Pan Fried Hamburgers | Easy Steak Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Why I love this recipe:
Once you try this pan-seared cubed steak recipe, you’ll see why it’s a favorite in my family:
- This recipe makes a cozy, satisfying and delicious meal perfect for chilly nights or Sunday night dinner.
- It uses pantry staples like broth, wine and seasoning but delivers deep flavor with minimal effort.
- The pan drippings turn into a delicious and decadent gravy… all without the flour mixture or the addition of cream of mushroom or chicken soup.
- Whether you’re using a skillet, oven, slow cooker or Instant Pot, it’s easy to adapt to your schedule and kitchen tools.
Serve these cubed steaks atop perfectly cooked rice, egg noodles, Israeli cous cous, etc., and with your favorite side dishes. We love to add a green vegetable to serve alongside this ultimate comfort food meal, like Lemon Pepper Green Beans.
More steak recipes to try: Grilled Skirt Steak | Garlic Butter Steak | Skirt Steak Tacos | Cast Iron Ribeye | Steak Alfredo
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Saute Pan with Lid (if you plan to use the oven, be sure it is oven-safe) OR a large cast iron skillet with high sides
- Tongs
- Glass measuring cup
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Paper towels
- Wooden spoon
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here are the simple ingredients that you need to purchase at the grocery store to make this recipe:
- Extra virgin olive oil — you can also use any neutral-tasting oil such as avocado oil.
- Cubed steak — it’s sometimes referred to as cube steak or minute steak. This is an inexpensive cut of meat (that’s from the top round or bottom round, which are both typically used as stew meat.) These minute steaks are tenderized with a meat mallet. Cube steaks come in thinner cuts (pictured), as well as thicker ones, which are sometimes referred to as hamburger steaks. I prefer thicker ones but cannot easily find them at my grocery store these days! Both will work.
- Black pepper — we love to use freshly-cracked black pepper in our kitchen!
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to. Sea salt is a fine substitute, but avoid table salt.
- Red wine — choose a dry red wine that adds depth without too much sweetness. See the section on Best Red Wine below!
- Beef broth — beef stock or broth has the best flavor, but chicken broth or vegetable broth will work just as well.
Feel free to vary up the seasonings here. Add a sprinkling of garlic powder or onion powder to the steak itself before searing.
While this recipe does not call for cream of mushroom soup or dry onion soup mix, you could very easily add some sliced mushrooms to the skillet to add robustness and great flavor to the gravy itself. (This’ll also make it a mushroom gravy.) Cook those until golden brown, then remove from the pan before adding the steak. Add those back to the pan for the simmer.
WHERE TO FIND IT
You can find cube steak at your grocery store’s meat department. Ask the butcher or someone working there. They should be able to help find this cut of beef.
How to make this Cube Steak recipe
Ready to make this delicious pan-seared cubed steak? Here’s how!
Season the cubed steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or a sauté pan (with a lid).
Pro tip!
Make sure the sides are deep since the entire mixture will be cooking together. If you plan to use the oven, be sure your skillet and its lid are oven-safe.
Add the thin steaks to the hot skillet.
Sear the cube steak in the hot oil over medium-high heat, browning on both sides.
Pull the steak from the pan, patting with a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.
Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze. Scrape any browned bits from the pan using a wooden spoon.
Continue cooking until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
Next, pour the broth into the pan, and stir. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to pull up any browned bits. These add excellent flavor!
Carefully place the cubed steak back into the pan, too.
Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat to LOW and cover, letting the mixture simmer. You may also do this in the oven in an oven-safe container.
Let the mixture cook down until the pan gravy is thick and the steak falls apart easily when touched with a fork.
Then it’s ready to eat!
Pro tip!
At this point, you can continue cooking the cube steak on the stove top OR you can transfer it to a baking dish and toss it in a 350F oven, covered in foil, for another 45-55 minutes. It takes a long time and some effort to transform this tough cut of meat into a tender steak.
Other cooking methods
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). After you pan-sear the steak and make the pan sauce, cover the pan and cook in the oven for about 1½ to 2 hours. Check the meat after 1½ hours — it should be tender and easy to cut with a fork. If it’s not quite there, you can give it a bit more time. You can remove the lid for the last 15–20 minutes if you want the sauce to thicken up a bit more.
Slow cooker method: Pan-sear the steak and deglaze the skillet with the wine. Be sure to scrape up the browned bits, then pour that into the slow cooker along with the broth and steak. Add additional broth or water during the last hour of cooking if the sauce needs thinning or earlier if you prefer a thinner gravy.
Instant pot method: First, season and sear the cubed steak in batches using the Sauté setting with olive oil. Remove steak and deglaze the pot with wine, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in beef broth and return steak to the pot. Then cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10–15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Switch back to Sauté mode if you’d like to reduce and thicken the gravy, and stir in a little broth or water as needed for consistency.
How to store
Let the pan-seared cubed steak cool slightly, then transfer the pan-seared cubed steak to an airtight container. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between. Add a splash of broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.
You can also freeze it: Place it in a freezer-safe storage container (allowing as little air as possible) and freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze with the sauce to keep the meat moist and flavorful.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This delicious soup is an excellent choice to serve to friends, along with your whole family, because it is a simple recipe that is jam-packed full of flavors.
I also really like that everyone can customize their experience with optional toppings.
- Serve with tasty side dishes. We like it over mashed potatoes or rice with plenty of the gravy. We also like a green side like green beans or a side salad.
- Use the slow cooker method before entertaining. See above for directions, but essentially you can sear this off in the skillet, and then transfer everything to a slow cooker. It works like a charm. (You can do the Instant Pot too!)
- This recipe makes for a great dinner party dish for a small group. If you need to double it, you might want to cook it in two pans, or use the slow cooker method.
What should I pair with this baked cube steak recipe?
Frequently Asked Questions
For a 1-inch thick steak, sear for 2–3 minutes per side over medium-high to high heat, until a golden brown crust forms. Don’t move the steak around — let it sit to develop that crust.
Normally, you’d want to reach a certain temperature or doneness for steak recipes, e.g. medium rare or well-done. But this is different! For cubed steak recipes with a pan sauce, the goal isn’t a pink center — it’s tenderness. You’re cooking it low and slow until it reaches at least 160 to 170°F internally, which breaks down the connective tissue and makes it fork-tender.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best Pan-Seared Cubed Steak
- When you are pan searing, resist the temptation to move the steak around! You want to let it sit to develop a nice crust.
- The key to this recipe is cooking it low and slow until the meat falls apart when you touch it with a fork.
- Head to Steak 101 if you want to learn more about cooking delicious steak!
More comfort food recipes
- Chili Cornbread Casserole
- Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings
- Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Here’s how you can make this…
Baked Steak
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. cubed steak
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup red wine
- 4 cups beef broth
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Instructions
- Season the cubed steak with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or a saute pan (with a lid). Make sure sides are deep since the entire mixture will be cooking in here.
- Sear the cube steak over medium-high heat in the pan, browning on both sides.
- Pull the steak from the pan, patting with a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.
- Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze. Scrape any browned bits from the pan using a wooden spoon. Continue cooking until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
- Pour the broth into the pan, and stir using the wooden spoon. Carefully place the cubed steak back into the pan, too.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat to LOW and cover, letting the mixture simmer. You may also do this in the oven in an oven-safe container.
- Let the mixture cook down until the pan gravy is thick and the steak falls apart easily when touched with a fork.
- Serve over mashed potatoes (or rice) with plenty of the gravy and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Good lord that looks amazing. And I trust any recipe of yours that has submerged meat, a la pot roast.
Hahahaha. That pot roast IS pretty amazing, huh? I hope this can compare to it!
Yuuummm!!! Pinning this so that I’ll remember to make it for dinner one night!
Awesome! I cannot wait to hear what you think of it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
My mom used to do something similar in the crockpot, but I’m DEFINITELY trying this one!!
We refer to corned beef as “that good meat” because I requested it once for my birthday growing up and couldn’t remember what it was called. So on St. Patrick’s day, I make that good meat with cabbage.
Let me know what you think of this, lady! What does your mom’s version entail?
And how does one make “the good meat?” I don’t know if I’ve ever had corned beef before, and I might have to try some now that you’ve mentioned it… Too funny about that story!
Just saw this comment since I’m putting together my menu for the week and may be making baked steak.
Not sure what mom’s recipe entails… will have to ask. Corned beef, though, is CRAZY simple. It comes with its own spice packet, so I just throw the beef, the spices, and half a head of cabbage (sliced in big chunks) into the slow cooker with about 1 1/2 cup water and let it simmer all day!
Hey Erin. How do you know when the wine has cooked out. I always wonder this when I see this in a recipe, and when I move to the next step, I always cross my fingers like “oh boy, hope this is the right time!”.
Just saw your comment, Erin. I don’t know if there is an exact point, but I always like to boil mine for a few minutes. You can generally tell the alcohol has cooked off when the liquid starts evaporating, and you’re left with about half.
I also just found this article for you: http://www.ochef.com/165.htm
Yum – Baked Steak sounds de-licious! We used to have a dish called Taganini when I was a kid – long, long ago. Saute ground chuck in some olive oil (and some garlic if you choose), or use garlic powder later. drain as much oil as you can off of meat. Add one can tomato sauce and one can tomato soup to meat in pan (or 2 and 2 for a larger amount). Simmer sauce and meat adding oregano, basil and garlic powder to taste. Cook wide egg noodles, strain and add sauce (leave it a little saucy so the noodles don’t soak up too much sauce. Put in 13X9 baking dish or pan – cover with generous amount of grated sharp cheese and pop into a 375 degree oven till cheese is bubbly and melted. Joy
Hey Erin. How do you know when the wine has cooked out. I always wonder this when I see this in a recipe, and when I move to the next step, I always cross my fingers like “oh boy, hope this is the right time!”.