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?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
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.
I made this recipe for my family last night.. was a huge hit. Tender enough to use for sandwiches today. The only thing I did different was add an extra onion soup packet. Will definitely be using in the dinner rotation .
Perfect! Thanks, Brian! I’m so glad that your family enjoyed it. 🙂
Made this recipe tonight and it was a WINNER! My husband loved it and so I’m saving this. Thank you! Quick, easy and delicious— hard to beat!
Thank you, Victoria! I’m so happy to hear that!
Thanks, Tina! Glad that you were able to make it work in the pressure cooker!
It came out great. I added a diced fresh tomato, some garlic pepper, and smoked paprika
Thanks, Jim!
My husband & I loved this recipe. Instead of baking it I pressure cooked it in my Instant Pot for 45 minutes. When it was done I took out the meat, added the corn starch slurry, and cooked the sauce on the saute setting until it began to thicken. I sliced the meat, returned it to the sauce and served it over mashed potatoes. I’m so glad you recommended not adding salt or pepper until it was done. It was so flavorful that it didn’t need it. I will definitely be making this again!
Awesome, Jackie! Thank you for the tip about the Instant Pot. I know that will be helpful for others, too!
I made this as a week night dinner after work so didn’t have time for the 3.5 hr oven bake so I just covered the cast iron and put it on low for 20 minutes and it came out delicious. I’m sure the meat is super tender when following the recipe so I’ll have to try it as written on a day I have more time. Husband was a big fan and said he felt like he was eating at a restaurant
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Ashley!
I went through many, many, Instant Pot recipes for a pot roast. I was looking for a good ‘ole fashioned’ one like what my parents were used to making in the slow-cooker. She’s nailed the recipe and the instructions and please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
My family really enjoyed this and I loved the simplicity and ease of it. Will definitely make again. This is a hearty winter dish that left clean plates all around the table! I did not have the soup mix but used some crispy fried onions from Trader Joe’s.
Thank you so much, Cynthia!
Forgot to rate it!
Do you have instructions on how to make this in a slow cooker? Thanks!
Hi, Mindi! Yes, here are the instructions:
If you prefer to make this dish in the Crock Pot, I recommend browning the meat and sautéing 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.
This was fabulous! I did it in the instant pot, as one commenter suggested. Fall apart tender! Will do again and again!
Thanks, Angie!
We love this recipe. It smells so good while it’s cooking. Thanks for a keeper.
Thank you, Janet!
Can I omit the mushrooms? My family doesn’t care for them.
Absolutely. 🙂
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
Thanks, Norma. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I did not know what I was going to do with these top round steaks, I have never had good luck with this cut of meat, I followed the recipe exactly as posted and it was amazing, my family loved it, I noticed the recipe said you could use London broil, I have one in my freezer and was wondering if I should cut it in thick slices or keep it whole, I would appreciate your thoughts?
Hi, Helen! I would probably slice it so that it’s similar to the round steaks that you used. Glad that your family enjoyed the meal!
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!
This was good, but I felt there was something lacking. It somehow needed more “richness.” I’ll have to give this recipe some thought.
We’re sorry this didn’t quite meet expectations, Linda. Many readers like to add ingredients such as extra spices, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, a packet of dry roast beef gravy, cheese, and vegetables. We hope you find a combination you love!
The structure is there in this recipe! I did add garlic powder, onion powder, and some chicken bouillon for more flavor. I never knew how to cook this cut of meat before and it did come out tender, not as tender as I was hoping but my jaw did not hurt after eating at all so I’ll take it. It was so good and now I can buy this cut of meat comfortably knowing I can cook it and make a really great meal!
Thank you for the feedback, Anissa! We’re glad you enjoyed it and feel comfortable buying round steak now!
Wonderful recipe! Made this tonight and it turned out great! Skipped the fresh herbs because I did not have on hand. Cooked for about 3 hours and came out tender and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Thank you, Becky! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
This turned out amazing!! Paired with homemade mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. New favorite.
We’re so happy to hear it! Thank you for trying it out, Dana.
I was very disappointed in this recipe. It is very bland. We could not eat it.
I’m sorry to hear that, Maggie!