Description
This Smothered Swiss Steak recipe is old-fashioned comfort food at its best! Tender cubed steak slowly braised in savory tomato gravy with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Perfect for cozy family dinners!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 pounds cubed steak or round steak (cut into serving-size pieces if necessary)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or other high-temperature cooking oil)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces of cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes (or use 1 pint of home-canned tomatoes)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch celery seed (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of water + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic in a large resealable plastic bag. Add steak pieces a few at a time, shaking gently to coat evenly. Set aside.
-
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy oven-safe pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown steaks on both sides until a nice crust forms, then transfer them to a plate.
-
Lower heat to medium, then add onion, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms to the same pot. Sauté vegetables for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they soften. Add a little more oil if necessary. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook for another minute until fragrant.
-
Pour diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, sugar, and celery seed into the pot. Stir gently, scraping the flavorful browned bits from the bottom. Return browned steaks to the pot, ensuring they’re fully submerged in the sauce.
-
Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. Once done, carefully remove the pot from the oven and transfer the steaks to a plate, leaving the gravy in the pot.
-
Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the gravy. Place the pot back onto the stovetop and bring the gravy to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
-
Serve steaks generously topped with gravy alongside mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or cooked white rice.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Method: After browning meat and vegetables as described above, transfer everything to your slow cooker. Reduce beef broth to 1 cup. Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours until meat is tender. Thicken gravy using the cornstarch slurry before serving.
- Stovetop Method: After browning steaks and vegetables, simmer covered on low heat for about 1½–2 hours, checking occasionally, until meat reaches desired tenderness. Thicken gravy as described above.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes