Prepped in minutes, this slow-cooker cube steak is a perfect weeknight meal! Savor tender, flavorful cube steaks with mushroom onion gravy! No onion soup mix or cream of mushroom soup needed!
This slow cooker cube steak is similar to Swiss steak without the canned tomatoes — if you want, add a can of diced tomatoes when making the gravy!
We love slow cooker meals, and so do our readers! Try our popular Crockpot London Broil, our 3-ingredient Olive Garden Chicken, or this crockpot Cracker Barrel Hashbrown casserole.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why You Will Love This Slow Cooker Cube Steak
- Fix and Forget It – With a little morning prep this slow cooker recipe will cook all day and be ready when you get home!
- Dump and Go Option – This easy recipe is excellent for meal prep and making a weeknight dinner the whole family will love effortlessly and hassle-free.
- Best Comfort Food – Tender cube steak smothered in savory, buttery gravy – What more do you need?
Simple Ingredients Crockpot Cube Steak
- Cube Steak | Cube Steak is an affordable cut of meat found at your local grocery store. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before slow cooking.
- Flour | Add all-purpose flour to the seasoned steak to form a seared crust before cooking in the slow cooker; for gluten-free use GF AP flour.
- Oil and butter | To saute the veggies and sear the steaks, use olive oil or vegetable oil and butter.
- Cube Steak Seasoning | Sweeten the simple steak seasoning with brown sugar, then add kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder for a kick, and ground mustard for a burst of flavor!
- Homemade Gravy | Easily make a homemade gravy for the cube steak as it cooks in the crockpot using these few essential ingredients–
- Cornstarch
- Beef broth
- A beef bouillon cube or a teaspoon of Better-than-Bouillon beef.
- Onion powder and garlic powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Onion and mushrooms
- Butter
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak
Step 1 | Prepare seasonings and gravy
First, add the steak seasonings to a small bowl and set it aside for later. Next, set out a medium bowl and add the beef broth, cornstarch, beef bouillon, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce, whisking to combine.
Step 2 | Season and sear cube steaks
Now, rub the cube steaks with the seasoning mixture, covering all sides evenly. Then, sprinkle the steaks with flour as you heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan and add the cube steaks once it is nice and hot.
Sear the steaks on each side for two to three minutes to form a thin crust. Remove the steaks to a plate and continue with the recipe.
Step 3 | Cook onions and mushrooms
Next, add butter to the pan and cook the onions and mushrooms until they have softened. If necessary, scrape the bottom of the pan, adding the gravy mixture to remove any browned bits. Cook the mushrooms and onions for about five or more minutes.
Step 4 | Add ingredients to crockpot, cook, and serve!
Then, pour half of the onions, mushrooms, and steaks into a six to seven-quart crockpot, adding any extra juices from sauteing. Keep the ingredients to a single even layer at the bottom of the pot for the best results.
Next, add the remaining onions and mushrooms and pour the gravy to cover the recipe.
Set the crock pot to LOW and cook for 6-8 hours cooking time or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
When finished cooking to the desired doneness, remove the steaks to a plate and cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm.
Then, add cold butter to the gravy in the slow cooker and stir until it is completely melted.
Plate the recipe and top with the savory gravy, serving with your favorite side dishes – Enjoy!
Fresh Tips
- If you’d like, place the cube steaks between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer to pound them until they are about ½ inch thick before rubbing them with the seasoning for even more tender steaks
- It’s best to cook the recipe on low heat. However, if you’re short on time, set it to HIGH and cook for three to four hours.
Don’t you love the days when you can prep some ingredients, set the crockpot, head off to your busy day of errands or work, and then return home to a dinner ready to plate? Try more of my crockpot entrés, like Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken, Tender Crockpot London Broil, and easy Butter Chicken!
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Variations
Gluten-Free Crockpot Cube Steak and Gravy Recipe
Replace the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose or almond flour, then ensure all other ingredients are labeled GF. Double-check your spices, seasonings, and sauces to make sure they do not contain gluten.
Keto (Low-Carb) Crockpot Cube Steak Recipe
For keto cube steak made in the slow cooker, swap the flour for almond flour or omit this ingredient. Then, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum instead of cornstarch to thicken the gravy – Easy!
Stove Top Cube Steak
Cube steak made on the stovetop is faster than the crockpot method but involves more hands-on work. If you prefer to cook the dish on the stove, continue the recipe after cooking the onions and mushrooms, leaving them in the pan as you add the gravy mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pan to collect all the flavorful bits and bring the gravy to a simmer.
Next, add the seared steak and juices to the pan, cover with some gravy, and place a lid on the skillet to simmer for five minutes. Once the gravy is thickened and the steaks are cooked, remove the recipe from the heat, stir in the cold butter, and serve!
Substitutions
- If preferred, use a brown sugar substitute for cube steak seasoning instead of brown sugar.
- Substitute the cornstarch with arrowroot powder.
- The butter can be replaced with a dairy-free butter substitute.
- Make it into Swiss steak and add a can of diced tomatoes to your gravy!
Recommended Tools
- I love these Scanpan Professional Skillets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both stew meat and cube steak come from a similar area of the cow, where the meat is often tough. Stew meat is cut to be stewed slowly, keeping it from becoming too tough. Cube steak, or minute steak, is tenderized with a textured mallet to break down the fibers, making it better for cooking on the stovetop.
It is not recommended that this cut of beef be cooked for longer than eight hours. If you know you will be away from home for longer than that, use the timer setting on your digital slow cooker to automatically switch to the ‘keep-warm’ setting after eight hours.
Cooking cube steak in the slow cooker with the moisture from the delicious gravy helps the meat stay tender without drying out or overcooking.
It’s unnecessary to rinse cube steak before starting the easy cube steak recipe as long as you cook it to the minimal internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Check the temperature of the meat by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center or thickest part of the meat.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – Store leftover cube steak and gravy in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave, pan, or crock pot before enjoying it again. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Cube Steak and Gravy
Best Side Dishes for Crockpot Cube Steak
Complete your easy weeknight meal by serving the steaks over classic mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles. Or create the ultimate comfort meal with the gravy-smothered cubed steaks and a side of Potatoes Au Gratin and Southern-Style Green Beans. Or try something lighter like this Steakhouse Wedge Salad with crisp romaine lettuce, chunky blue cheese dressing, and crisp bacon pieces.
Best Potatoes Dauphinoise Recipe (Potatoes Au Gratin)
Potatoes Dauphinoise or potatoes au gratin is a classic French side dish. Potatoes layered with herb-infused cream and Gruyère cheese, baked to golden, bubbly perfection! Naturally gluten-free!
Easy make-ahead instructions!
Southern-Style Green Beans
Homemade Southern-style green beans are a staple of the holiday celebrations in my home. Parmesan makes them rich and cheesy, and they have just the right amount of crunch from fried onions and toasted almonds. It's my take on green bean casserole with bacon!
Best Steakhouse Wedge Salad Recipe (with Romaine)
Healthier Romaine wedge salad is topped with creamy blue cheese dressing, bacon bits, blue cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and candied pecans; the best Steakhouse wedge salad.
Best Desserts to Serve with Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak
To go along with your easy meal, make a slam-dunk dessert! Below are a few of our favorites:
Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies, Key Lime Pie recipe, and these easy, make-ahead Traditional Shortbread cookies.
Best Chilled Sugar Cookie Recipe (Copycat Crumbl)
You are in for a HUGE treat with this easy copycat Crumbl Cookie Recipe for the best Chilled Sugar Cookies ever. Using simple pantry ingredients, in 30 minutes, you will enjoy large, soft, buttery cookies frosted with an amazing almond buttercream frosting.
The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe (Award-Winning)
Describe your BEST Key Lime Pie…is it citrusy, sweet-tart, creamy — with the perfect sweet-to-pucker ratio, light and easy with a crisp, not-to-sweet graham cracker crust? Look no further…you found it!
Best Easy Shortbread (Traditional Scottish Recipe)
The best tender traditional Scottish shortbread recipe is 4 basic ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Plus, I’ll show you how to make molded shortbread for beautiful cookie gifts.
More Delicious and Easy Steak Recipes
- Best Sous Vide Boneless Ribeye Steak Recipe
- Best Sous Vide London Broil Recipe (Top Round)
- Air Fryer Steak Tips (Bites) or this Crock Pot Steak Bites version!
- Try our fall-apart tender Crockpot Brisket!
- Best Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches Recipe (Shaved Steak)
- Olive Garden Steak Alfredo (Copycat Recipe)
- Healthy Mongolian Beef Recipe
Cube steak is already tenderized through the production process, but you can make it extra tender and flavorful by pounding the steaks before adding the seasoning and cooking.
I hope you loved this Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Easy Slow Cooker Cube Steak Recipe with Gravy
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Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- 2 lbs cube steaks about 4 ½ pound cube steaks
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or GF flour or almond flour
- 2 tablespoons oil olive or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Cube Steak Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Onion and Mushroom Gravy
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or sub arrowroot (1-1 replacement) or with ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum for keto
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon better than beef bouillon or 1 cube beef bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large yellow onion or sweet onion, sliced thin
- 1 package sliced mushrooms optional
- 2 tablespoons butter used at very end of recipe
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine steak seasonings and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the beef broth (2 cups), cornstarch (2 tablespoons) (or alternative) along with the beef bouillon (1 tsp/1 cube), onion powder (1 tsp), garlic powder (½ tsp) and Worcestershire sauce (2 tsp), set aside.
- If desired, place cube steak between two pieces of plastic wrap and using meat tenderizer, pound until ½ inch thin. Rub the meat seasoning evenly over both sides of the steaks, then sprinkle the flour (3 tablespoons) over the steaks. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 TBL oil and heat until shimmering. Add cube steaks and sear each side 2-3 minutes until a nice crust has formed. Remove to a plate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and saute the onions and mushrooms until softened and slightly caramelized, scraping the bottom to get all of the flavor. Cook 5-10 minutes or so. Add a splash of the gravy mixture if there are brown bits still stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Pour half the onion mixture into a 6-7 quart crockpot, add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the crockpot in as close to a single layer as possible. Add the balance of the onions and mushrooms. Pour the gravy mixture over, cover and set the time LOW 7-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours (tho, low is best).
- When time is up, remove steaks to a plate and cover to keep warm. Swirl cold butter into gravy stirring until melted. Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
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Notes
If you prefer the faster, stovetop method. Proceed with recipe up until removing the onions, keep the onions in the pan and add the gravy mixture, scraping the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Return the steaks and any juices to the pan, spooning a little gravy mixture over the top. Partially cover with lid and simmer for 5 minutes until the gravy is thickened and steaks are cooked.
When the steaks are cooked to your liking, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons cold butter to the gravy, stirring until silky and smooth. Serve with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower and broccoli and sweet potatoes for a delicious winter comfort meal. Keto (Low-Carb) Crockpot Cube Steak
Use almond flour in place of the regular flour or omit it altogether.
Whisk ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum in place of the cornstarch into the gravy mix or mix in just before serving to thicken if desired. Storage Tips Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Jim D
Kathleen, this is just delicious. We have made a lot of cube steak over the years. Rarely came out tender just fried in a cast iron skillet with a variety of recipes. Have done the slow cooker with Lipton’s Onion soup mix too. That is good also, but your recipe is tops. Used 2lbs of cube steak and followed your recipe exactly. The gravy on mashed potatoes was superb. Bravo!
So glad you loved it Jim!! Thank you!
Patti
i used to make this on the stove, but decided to try using the crockpot. It was just amazing! Meat was so tender and flavorful. I’m on a low sodium diet so make some changes. Used low sodium beef broth, no sodium bullion; used Mrs. Dash (no salt) and more pepper. It turned out great! The gravy was so good too, served over egg noodles and no leftovers! Thanks for the recipe, will be doing this one again!
I love your tweaks to make it yours Patti! So glad you loved it!!
Ron Gatts
Exactly the kind of Swiss steak I was looking for, and it did not disappoint! No tomatoes!! For my family, I would double the seasoning for the seasoning on the steak before searing. I ran out, and I was going pretty light.
I forgot to take a picture and there’s nothing left so . . . Next time!! AKA Next week!!
Yay!! So glad you loved it!! Thank you so much for your kind words!
Holley
This was easy to make and everyone enjoyed it! I will definitely make this steak recipe again! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
MacKenzie
My family and I had this yesterday. It’s absolutely perfect this time of year. I can’t wait to make again
Thanks so much, MacKenzie!
Carrie Robinson
I just love hearty comfort food recipes like this! And bonus points for being made in the slow cooker. 🙂
Yes, easy peasy!
Beth
This looks absolutely delicious! When I was a girl, my mom made cube steak all the time. I love this version because it takes so much of the work out of it.
It really does!!
Ashley
There are so many slow cooker chicken meals so this one for steak was refreshing! I love this dish!
Yassss!!!
Narvella M Nichols
Absolutely Delicious!!
Thank you!