This round steak recipe takes a humble cut of beef and turns it into a tender, gravy-smothered supper straight from the heart of the South. Serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a down-home meal that’s pure comfort food.
If you love beef recipes, be sure to try this Dutch oven pot roast, a London Broil marinade on the grill or in the oven, and this Southern meatloaf, too!
Round steak is a moderately tough cut of meat because it includes a lot of connective tissue and comes from a heavily exercised muscle. Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling, so this cut is best suited for slow cooking methods with gentle, moist heat. That’s why round steak is typically used for braising, Crock Pot meals, Swiss steak, and beef stew. The low-and-slow cooking process tenderizes the meat, maintains its moisture, and results in fork tender steaks.
Top Round Steak Recipes are Affordable, Family-Friendly Meals
You don’t often find delicious top round steak recipes, since this less-popular cut of meat isn’t as common as ground beef or as “fancy” as filet mignon. That said, when prepared with the proper cooking methods, you can transform the affordable round steak into a family-friendly, flavorful dish that practically melts in your mouth.
We braise the tenderized steaks in a savory mushroom and onion gravy, then cook it low-and-slow for a few hours to break down the tough fibers. Serve the smothered round steak with red skin mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles for a nostalgic, cozy meal that tastes like Grandma’s kitchen!
I made this last night, it was outstanding! My husband kept commenting how good the gravy was. I almost left out the dry onion soup part, but didn’t. So glad I didn’t, it really added something. So good. I just found your website, I’m looking forward to exploring other recipes you have!
– Beth W.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Round steak is a lean, versatile cut of beef that comes from the “round,” the rear leg of the cow. The round is divided into cuts including the eye of round, bottom round, and top round. For this recipe, I recommend either beef round tip or ideally, the top round, which is the most tender part of the round. Bottom round steaks aren’t my preference.
- Do not substitute with flank steak. Flank steak is a different cut of beef than round steak, and is best when seared or grilled.
- I prefer lower-sodium beef broth for the braising liquid, as it allows you to control the salt in your dish. Replace a little bit of the broth with red wine for a richer, deeper flavor.
- You only need the dry seasoning from a Lipton soup and dip mix packet (do not prepare the soup according to package instructions). See the Variations section below for other options, too.
- Cornstarch thickens the gravy at the end.
How to Cook Round Steak
As I mentioned above, slowly cooking the round steak in moisture (i.e., braising) is one of the best ways to enjoy moist, tender meat. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview.
- Tenderize the round steak. Tougher cuts of meat require tenderizing in order to start breaking down the tough fibers and connective tissue. The easiest way to tenderize round steak is by pounding it to ½-inch thickness with the textured side of a meat mallet or tenderizer.
- Brown the steaks in olive oil in a cast iron braiser, just to give them some color on the outside. The caramelized surface adds extra flavor to the beef, while the browned bits and drippings in the pot contribute even more flavor to the gravy. Remove them to a plate. Sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in butter. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce.
- Return steaks to the pan and sprinkle with dry onion soup mix. Tuck fresh herbs into the broth.
- Cover and bake in a 300°F oven for about 2 ½ – 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. If the meat is not tender at the end of the cooking time, return it to the oven. It probably just needs some extra time for those tough fibers to break down. If the pan is getting dry during the cooking process, add extra broth so that the meat is about ½ – ⅓ submerged in liquid. You can also add extra broth to the skillet at the very end if you’d like more gravy in your pan.
- Remove the meat from the pan and discard the herb stems.
- Thicken the gravy with a little bit of cornstarch slurry, adding extra broth to thin, if necessary. Add the cornstarch slurry slowly. Start with just half of the mixture, since that’s likely all that you’ll need to thicken the gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Thinly slice the steak against the grain, smother in the mushroom and onion gravy, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Round steak recipes pair well with mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, Jiffy corn casserole, Southern-style green beans, creamed peas, broccoli and cheese sauce, okra and tomatoes, crusty no-knead Dutch oven bread, and Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe.
Made this today, I bought bottom round steaks by mistake and didn’t know how to use them. I followed your receipt as written, only added 1 tbs. of sherry. It came out perfect and the smell cooking on this rainy cold day was the best. Thanks
– Norma
Did you make this recipe?
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Watch How to Make It
Smothered Round Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs. boneless beef round steak (use top round steak if possible, since it's the most tender part of the round)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 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 (from a 1-ounce packet) (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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Use a meat mallet to tenderize the meat by pounding to ½-inch thickness.
- 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.
- 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. You want about ½ – ⅓ of the steaks submerged in the liquid for proper braising. If the steaks are still tough at the end of the cooking time, return the pan to the oven and continue baking. Remove the meat from the pan and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Discard the herb sprigs.
- To thicken the gravy, bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. If you’d like even more gravy in your pan, you can 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 (I find that I don’t usually need all of the cornstarch). To thin the gravy, add extra broth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Thinly slice the meat against the grain (perpendicular to those long fibers that you see). It should be so tender that it practically falls apart! Spoon the gravy over top and serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Worcestershire sauce adds salty umami flavor. Substitute with soy sauce or balsamic vinegar for a different flavor.
- Add more vegetables to the gravy, such as diced carrots or drained, canned diced tomatoes.
- Don’t have Lipton soup mix? You can substitute with other fresh herbs or seasoning of your choice. Dry dried minced onion, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper, or extra fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, or parsley would all be great. Our favorite all-purpose seasoning is also a nice option!
- Slow Cooker Method: you can also make this easy recipe in the Crock Pot. Brown the meat and sauté the vegetables in a skillet first. Transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Thicken the gravy with cornstarch in a skillet at the end.
More Round Steak Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Swiss Steak
3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Beef Tips and Gravy (Oven or Crock Pot)
6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
35 minutes mins
Originally published in May, 2019, this post was updated in June, 2025.
Thank you! Making this next week!
Yay! Enjoy, Jennifer!
I completely agree. I tried it and it came out tough.
Did you guys bake it or use a slow cooker? I’m trying the slow cooker tonight.
Can you cut the round steak before putting in tue crockpot or iven method
Hi, Barb! I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it should work fine for both cooking methods. 🙂
La prepare y quedó muy rica.
Lo único que hice diferente fue picarlo en slice y marinar la carne por 24 hrs. Al estar en slice el tiempo de cocción fue menos y quedaron muy suaves y con gran sabor.
Gracias por compartir
Slicing and marinating ahead of time is a great way to reduce the cooking time. Thank you for trying it out. We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this before and it turned out great. Maybe you got a bad cut of meat.
Super disappointed in this. Made it for hubby before he had to go to work. I was embarrassed to give it to him. It tasted like boiled beef in broth. Never again.
This was not good. I followed this recipe’s instructions and all I got was a hard piece of boiled meat.
At least the mushrooms and onions were good on top of the mashed potatoes I made as a side.
I’m making this right now for supper. I’m adding a few extra spices so think it will have a great taste….
Awesome! Enjoy, Joetta!
This came out pretty good. I did brown them first, but don’t think it was necessary. I also added only a half cup water at first because I was worried about “boiling” the meat and then just added the rest as needed.
I also cooked it in the oven the full 90 minutes.
Steak can be so expensive and this was cheap and easy! Thanks
Thanks, Monique! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe. The steak needs to be 1/2 inch thick. I also use 3/4 amount of low sodium beef broth to 1/4 amount of sweet red wine. Such a savory gravy. Turns out great every time.
Thank you for the feedback, Dawn! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe.
This sounds scrumptious! I don’t have a crockpot and the oven in the RV is kaput, but…I totally see this as adaptable to the electric multi pressure cooker! So I’m going to give that whirl tomorrow. Thank you! Love the simple and affordable ingredients too!
That’s perfect, Catherine! Let me know how it works in the pressure cooker! I want to try it in my Instant Pot soon. 🙂
Round steak works well for a ‘swiss steak’ recipe as well. Low and slow is def the key. Swiss steak is tomatoe based gravy, add whatever veg you have on hand.
Exactly! I have a Dump-and-Bake Swiss Steak recipe that uses round steak here, too: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/swiss-steak/
Hope you get to try this one! 🙂
Has anyone tried this in an Instapot??
Hey, Laura! I haven’t tried it that way, yet. Maybe I’ll do so next time I make it. Good idea!
works wonderful in the insta-pot – I think better than baking or slow cooker! Always comes out tender and for seasoning you simply add what your preference is. I used garlic powder, smoked paprika, a little chili powder and a can of petite diced tomatoes with chili’s along with beef broth, onion soup mix, onions and mushrooms. IT WAS AWESOME!!
Awesome! Thanks for that helpful tip, Victoria!
How long per pound would you cook the round steak in the insta pot?
Hi, Jason! I haven’t tried it in an Instant Pot, so I am hesitant to give specific cooking times. I found this similar recipe for round steak in the Instant Pot, though: https://www.recipesthatcrock.com/easy-instant-pot-round-steak/
It looks like 2 lbs. of steak in the IP on the meat setting for 20 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes. I would give that a try! Enjoy!
Hi Laura I made this tonite in my instant pot. A 2 1/4 lb top round steak. I used the sous vide setting on 180° for 2 1/2 hrs with a lid from my crock pot that fit. I like the sous vide setting because it’s not a pressure setting and I can approximate an oven situation. I did brown the steak on the sauté setting first. It turned out great.
How could something so quick and with common ingredients be so good? It is. Made it last night with mashed potatoes. Had a friend over and she and my husband both liked it a lot. I’m going to try more of your dump and bake recipes. Thank you!
That’s awesome, Julie! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Quick and easy, and great for sandwiches.
Thanks, Brian!
I made this tonight, and it was wonderful! I do make my own onion soup mix, and I used beef stock instead of water. Very tender and flavorful!
Great tips, Linda! So glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
I made this tonight and my husband I really enjoy. I cooked mine in the oven at 325 for 90 minutes. It was a hit tough, but I expected that, seeing as it was round steak.
It was quick and easy to prepare and a very inexpensive meal for my husband and I.
We put in on hoagie buns that I toasted in the oven the last few minutes while it was baking and I added cheese and broiled them until the cheese melted.
I will definitely make this again.
I made this last night. I left out the mushrooms and used beef broth instead of water. I also added slice mini potatoes around the meat. And I have to say this was great. We had a salad as the side and there was nothing left! My family of four devoured this meal. Thank you so much for sharing. This is going in the recipe box.
Thanks, Dovey! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note and let us know. 🙂
Dovey, I was just reading these reviews and was thrilled to see your name. I have an aunt with the same name but she spells it Dovie. I have never known anyone else to have this very unique name. 🙂
BTW~ I am trying this recipe today in the slow cooker.
Delicious ! An emergency came up while it was in the oven about half way through. I came back home and dumped it all in the instant pot for 5 mins and it was awesome!!
Awesome, Debbie! So glad to know that it worked out — even with an interruption halfway through! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
Ever tried tomatos & round steak? My motherin law made it
But I dont know how
Hi, Lavonne! I think you might be thinking of a dish called Swiss Steak? Here’s my recipe: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/swiss-steak/
Hope that helps!
Hi, Seraiyah! Yes, you can absolutely sear the meat before cooking it. 🙂
USE 2 POUND ROUND STEAK, SEASONED AND DREGDE IN FLOUR, BROWNED AND PUT IN 11X13 BAKING DISH. DIDN’T HAVE ONION SOUP MIX, SO USED CAN OF TOMATOES, BEEF BROTH, CAN OF FRENCH ONION SOUP AND WORCHESTER. ADDED CARROTS, CELERY AND A FEW RED PEPPERS. BAKED 2 HOURS AND 300 AND CAME OUT DELISH AND TENDER!
Great! Thanks, Lorraine!
wow! really really good and tender. i used 2 lbs of bottom round steak, the beef broth instead of water, and also added one can of campbells cream of mushroom soup/one half can of water, and some minced garlic. fi fi delish!
Thank you! So glad that it worked well for you. I appreciate you taking the time to come back here and leave a note. Have a great day!
Turned out great! I probably cooked it for the whole 2 hours or almost. It didn’t feel overcooked. I used an enameled Dutch oven instead of a baking dish. It came out very soft and flavorful.Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That’s great, Bel! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Made this in the crockpot. Came out tender and delicious. My husband loved it too. He’s a very fussy eater. The only extra I did was crush garlic and added it.
Thank you, Kathie! I’m so glad that your husband approved, too! 🙂
cooked 1 lb eye of round steak for 55 min at 300. came out amazing
Awesome. Thanks for letting me know, Ajay!
Has anyone tried it in the slow cooker with semi-frozen meat? Mine didn’t completely thaw last night, guess it’s time to move stuff in from the outside fridge here in Idaho!
Hi, Samantha! I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work fine!
I made this for dinner today and it was wonderful. The meat was fall apart tender. I used beef bottom round steak. It was cut into about 2 inch thick slices before cooking. I started out with frozen meat. I thought the flavor was good. But when I made my sandwich I put a little horseradish on it.
Thanks, Kathy!
Hi I don’t have onion soup mix I have vegetable soup mix. Can I use that instead of the onion soup mix
Hi, Joanne! I think so — it will just give the dish a different flavor. 🙂
Love it, so easy and my family raved, there were no leftovers. I made it in the crockpot, I added a packet of dry roast beef gravy and a can of beef broth instead of water.
That’s great to hear, Jane. Thanks for your tips, too!
Made this in the slow cooker last night. Followed directions (using beef broth in lieu of water), although I omitted the mushrooms. The meat was fork tender, and the gravy was thick and rich. This recipe is a keeper for our family!
Wonderful! Thanks, Robin!