This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy + disclosures for details.
When nostalgia meets gourmet, you get the beefy comfort food known as French Onion Salisbury Steak with gravy. This easy method is a modern twist on the classic, and promises gourmet flavor on a ground beef budget! This elegant dinner is ready to eat in 1 hour and is sure to become a family favorite.
Serve this over browned butter mashed potatoes with Southern corn pudding on the side.
Quick Look: French Onion Salisbury Steak Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 4 servings
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: French and American
- 🍽️Calories: 655 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: can be made Gluten Free & Dairy Free
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Stovetop & Oven
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: succulent ground beef patties in a rich wine and onion gravy.
- 🔑Top Tip: Use fresh beef that’s bright red without excess liquid in the package. Opt for organic or grass-fed for richer flavor if possible.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: A glass of the same red wine used in the gravy pairs seamlessly, heightening the rich flavors of the dish. Try a stout if you’re wanting beer.
- ❄️ Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For more extended storage, freeze the steak and sauce separately. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
Summarize or share this post:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Merging of Two Classics: French Onion Soup and ground beef Salisbury Steak offers eaters a dual culinary experience in a single bite!
- Ready in 1 Hour: You can now relish an elegant Salisbury steak dinner without hours of labor, even on busy weeknights! Serve with mashed potatoes for a cozy and delicious meal.
- Gourmet Flavors in a Simple Dish: Taking inspiration from the Lipton onion soup mix ground beef steak my mom used to make, and TV dinners of the past, this French onion steak recipe is a marriage of ordinary ground beef patties and a sophisticated wine and onion reduction.
- Served Atop Cheese Toast: This fun presentation recreates the classic charm of French onion soup’s baguette croutons and cheese.
“THIS! What a fabulous and EASY recipe. I went a bit off trail and added in sliced mushrooms to the brown gravy and received a unanimous ‘it’s awesome, mom!’ Thank you for a favorite new meal!”
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Ground beef takes center stage in this method, along with a handful of pantry items like tomato paste, beef broth, and dried herbs. Grab these key ingredients, and you’ll be ready to start cooking.
- Ground Beef: Choose an 80/20 beef mix for this dish; it ensures moist patties and a richer sauce from the beef juices.
- Herbs de Provence: The heart of this dish; a fragrant blend of dried herbs, typically containing thyme, lavender, and rosemary. Thyme (fresh or dried) is an acceptable substitute.
- Red Wine: A good quality wine you’d also enjoy drinking will intensify the the onion gravy.
- Beef Broth: Provides the foundational liquid for the sauce. Opt for low-sodium broth to better control the salt content.
- Onions: Sweet varieties, like Vidalia, give the gravy balance with some sweetness.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
When making substitutions, keep in mind that texture, cooking time, and flavor may change.
- Beef: Substitute ground chicken or turkey for lighter Salisbury steaks, though it may alter the flavor profile. For a variation mix ground pork with beef for a richer, nuanced taste.
- Scallions: Substitute fresh chives. For a variation use a mix of white and green parts of the scallions.
- Red Wine: Substitute beef broth mixed with a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth without alcohol.
- Cheese Swaps: For the Parmesan cheese, substitute Romano or Asiago for similar salty, nutty flavors. For the Swiss, substitute Gruyère or Emmental for similar creamy textures and flavors.
- Baguette: Substitute thickly sliced ciabatta or sourdough. For a variation, use store-bought frozen Texas Toast and prepare according to package directions, omitting all ingredients for the cheese toast.
How to Make French Onion Salisbury Steaks
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Assemble the Patties
- Combine the ground beef with the chopped parsley, white and green parts of scallion, Kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper.
- Divide the mixture in half, and then in half again to ensure roughly equal portions. Shape the portions into oval patties, about the size of hamburgers but slightly oblong, with a thickness of 3/4″ to 1″. This form complements the shape of the cheese toast.
2
Brown the Hamburger Steaks
- Place ¼ cup of flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each patty in the flour, tapping off any excess back into the dish. Reserve the remaining flour for the gravy.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a deep sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and sauté 3 minutes on each side until browned. Do not cook all of the way through.
- Remove from pan to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan. (Do not wipe the pan clean before adding the onions, as all of the visible fond or ‘brown bits’ in the bottom of the pan will help ‘build’ the gravy.)
3
Sauté the Onions for the Steak Gravy
- Sauté for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, stir, and sauté 1 minute more. The onions should resemble Image 7 before you stir in 2 tablespoons of garlic. Use the back of a spoon to scrape off the fond on the bottom of the pan.
- Make a well in the center of the pan amidst the onions, then add the tomato paste to the well. Sauté until paste begins to brown and slightly burn; keep it moving to prevent it from burning completely.
- Sprinkle onions with flour you have reserved from dredging the beef patties. Cook 1 minute.
- Stir in ½ cup of red wine and scrape off the fond. Season with Herbs de Provence, Kosher salt, or Worcestershire sauce if you feel you need it. Add beef broth, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4
Assemble the Cheese Toasts & Serve
- Place four slices of bread onto a baking sheet. Combine the compound butter ingredients, then spread it evenly onto one side of each slice.
- Sprinkle the shredded Swiss evenly over the butter. Bake at 400°F until bread is quasi-crisp, and the cheese is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Return the steaks and all accumulated juices to the onion gravy. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and allow to stand for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- To assemble, serve each steak atop a cheese toast. Ladle the red wine and onion sauce over the beef. Garnish with parsley and additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Pour remaining onion gravy into a gravy boat to be passed tableside. It’s amazing spooned over mashed potatoes!
French Onion Salisbury Steak FAQs
The latter is inspired by the flavors of French onion soup, and usually features a richer sauce.
Yes, though it will alter the taste slightly. If using white wine, choose a dry variety. Old Vine Zinfandel’s serve as great alternatives to red wine and are a better overall choice to using white wine.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the steak and sauce separately. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
Certainly! Prepping some elements of the French onion Salisbury steak ahead of time can simplify the cooking process. With components ready in advance, final assembly becomes quicker and easier!
Patties: Form the ground beef patties into oblong patties after mixing with scallions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate them in an airtight container using parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Brown Gravy with Onion: Make the onion gravy up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight. To reheat, add the onion gravy to the skillet after browning the beef patties.
Cheese Toast: Prepare the garlic butter up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate. Pull from refrigeration 1 hour before ready to use to soften.
Serving Suggestions
To plate the Salisbury steak, place a hamburger patty atop a cheese toast and spoon some onion steak gravy over the top. Garnish with parsley and additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. This dish is elegant enough to serve to guests for a heavy lunch or dinner, and offer extras such as a simple strawberry blueberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette. and simple dessert, like a pear tart with shortbread crust or county fair lemon pie.
Keep the side dishes simple, given the French onion gravy is quite rich. I like to serve alongside Southern mashed potatoes and with a simple vegetable such as brown butter French green beans.
Expert Tips
- Buying Guide for Beef: When selecting beef for this dish, focus on freshness. The color should be bright red without excess liquid in the package. Organic or grass-fed beef provides richer flavors. I prefer 80/20 for this dish so the beef juices give some body to the sauce and also so the patties will hold together.
- Using a well-seasoned skillet or cast-iron pan can add additional depth of flavor to the French onion hamburger steaks. Use the same pan to brown the steaks and prepare the onion gravy, as this builds flavor from the beef drippings and reduces the number of dishes to clean.
- Use boxed wine for cooking; reserve pricier bottled wine for drinking. Ensure the cooking wine is drinkable, but it doesn’t need to be top shelf.
- Feel free to pre-shape and freeze the patties. On a busy weeknight, you can pull out as many as needed, allowing them to thaw while you prepare other ingredients.
- Storage and Freezing Instructions: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For more extended storage, freeze the steak and sauce separately. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
More French Onion Recipes to Try
French Onion Salisbury Steak
Video
Ingredients
For the Salisbury Steak Patties
- 1¼ pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic, divided
- 2 tablespoons scallions, fresh chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, fresh chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, reserve what you do not use after dredging
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the French Onion Gravy
- 2 cups sweet onions, like Vidalia, sliced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, substitute with fresh or dried thyme
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 cups beef broth, or bone broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
For Cheese Toasts
- 4 thick slices French bread, or baguette, sliced diagonally
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon garlic, minced fine
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
Instructions
Making the Salisbury Steak Patties
- Combine the ground beef, parsley, scallion, salt and pepper. Divide evenly into four portions by first halving, then halving each half. Shape each into 3/4"-1" thick oval patties, about the size and thickness of hamburgers.
- Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each patty and reserve any remaining flour.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a deep-sided cast iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add beef patties. Sauté 3 minutes on each side until browned. Do not cook all of the way through. Remove from pan to a plate and cover with aluminum to keep warm.
Make the French Onion Gravy
- Add onions to the pan and sauté 5 minutes. Scrape up the fond or 'brown bits' in the bottom of the pan as the onions cook down. Sprinkle with sugar and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in garlic.
- Make a well in the center of the pan amidst the onions. Add the tomato paste to the well and sauté until the paste begins to brown. Allow the tomato paste to brown and burn slightly. Keep moving the paste around the well using a metal spatula to keep it from burning completely.
- Sprinkle onions with reserved flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and scrape the fond. Add Kosher salt if desired. Add Herbs de Provence and stir, scraping the fond again. Add the beef stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes while preparing the cheese toast.
Make the Cheese Toasts
- To prepare the cheese toasts, preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet.
- Combine softened butter, garlic, and shredded Parmesan into a paste using the tines of a fork. Spread on one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle the shredded Swiss evenly over the butter. Bake until bread is about halfway to crisp and cheese is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes.
Finish & Serve
- Return the hamburger steaks and all accumulated juices to the French onion gravy. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve steaks atop cheese toasts with the red wine and onion sauce ladled over. Load all remaining French onion gravy into a gravy boat to be passed tableside. Garnish with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Buying Guide for Beef: When selecting beef for this dish, focus on freshness. The color should be bright red without excess liquid in the package. Organic or grass-fed beef provides richer flavors. I prefer 80/20 for this dish so the beef juices give some body to the sauce and also so the patties will hold together.
- Using a well-seasoned skillet or cast-iron pan can add additional depth of flavor to the French onion hamburger steaks. Use the same pan to brown the steaks and prepare the onion gravy, as this builds flavor from the beef drippings and reduces the number of dishes to clean.
- Use boxed wine for cooking; reserve pricier bottled wine for drinking. Ensure the cooking wine is drinkable, but it doesn’t need to be top shelf.
- Feel free to pre-shape and freeze the patties. On a busy weeknight, you can pull out as many as needed, allowing them to thaw while you prepare other ingredients.
- Storage and Freezing Instructions: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For more extended storage, freeze the steak and sauce separately. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! Will be making again!
Khutt, Oh I’m SO GLAD! Isn’t it swell when dinner is just so darn easy? x- Jenny
THIS! What a fabulous and EASY recipe. I went a bit off trail and added in sliced mushrooms to the brown gravy and received a unanimous ‘it’s awesome, mom!’
Thank you for a favorite new meal!
Sallie, I am tickled you and your family are enjoying this! I never considered adding mushrooms, but I think I may try it now! x – Jenny
This looks so incredibly satisfying!! I love onions. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Hope your week is going great.
Hi Jenny! I’m absolutely loving your site, after accidentally finding it on another blog. Quick question. Is the sodium content for both the steaks and the cheese toast together? I have to follow a low sodium diet for health reasons, and if I can lower the sodium content of this dish by skipping the cheese toast, this meal will be going on my weekly meal plan, because it looks absolutely delish!!
Deanne, in fact, the sodium count is for both the steaks and the cheese toast. I also lessen the salt I use, so oftentimes will substitute a low-sodium tomato paste as well as a low-sodium beef broth. Because I do both of these things, I also forgo the teaspoon of salt, instead adding 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire. This offers that salt flavor without actually adding additional salt. If you want to skip the cheese toasts, consider a slice of baguette, Texas toast – whatever – but rubbed with raw garlic, then lightly toasted, then simply sprinkled with herbs BEFORE loading the steak and gravy on top. Rosemary is my go-to for a beef entree like this one!
Please be sure to let me know how you enjoy this dish should you choose to assemble it. I would also love to know what alterations you make as there are other readers who will want to know the same! 🙂 Jenny
This looks so mouth-watering!! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Thank you Jhuls! My family asks for this at least twice each month and I don’t complain because it’s so easy! Thank you also for hosting Fiesta Friday and sparing some space for the new kid on the block – Jenny
This looks delicious! I do have a question: the cook time at top of the recipe says 20 min, however if I read the recipe right, the patties cook for 10 min one side, 10 min on the other, then 10 min in the gravy? So are they supposed to cook for 30 minutes, or am I reading it wrong?
Thank you for begging clarification! You will want to cook the patties over high heat for 3 minutes each side. This gives them a good browning, but will not cook them through. After the gravy is complete, the remaining 20 minute simmer in the gravy will cook the patties the rest of the way and allow them to remain nice and juicy. If you feel like you need to go longer per side, I would not go much beyond 4 minutes otherwise you run the risk of drying out your beef patties, something not even the gravy can rescue 🙂
Please let me know how you and yours enjoy this recipe – it has been a go-to for me for over a decade. If you don’t have the ingredients for the garlic bread, I have cheated before and used frozen store bought Texas toast! Also, any sauce/onions leftover can be frozen and added to chili later which is somehow absolutely game-changing…..
OMG, this looks soooo good Jenny!! I am going to try this using ground turkey & venison and mashed cauliflower on the side. Hopefully it will be weight watchers approved with those changes! 🙂
Anne, I’d like to know how it turns out, but I’d also LOVE to see a pic or three if you have your phone handy when you get it plated!
This looks so and tasty!
Cathy, this IS a tasty one! If you plan to make it, please let me know how it turns out – I’d love your take on it!