Slow cooker cubed steak and gravy is the set-it-and-forget-it comfort food dinner that feeds the whole family from one crockpot and requires about five minutes of actual work. Cubed steaks layered in the slow cooker, covered in a rich gravy made from au jus mix, French onion soup mix, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth all whisked together and poured over the top, and cooked on high for 6 to 7 hours until the meat is so tender it nearly falls apart when you lift it and the gravy has reduced into something thick, deeply savory, and extraordinary over a pile of mashed potatoes.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Slow Cooker Cubed Steak and Gravy (Easy Comfort Food)
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: family pack cubed steak, packet au jus gravy mix, packet French onion soup mix, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth
- Why You'll Love It: This slow cooker cubed steak and gravy cooks family-pack cubed steaks in a rich gravy made from au jus mix, French onion soup, cream of chicken, and broth for 6 to 7 hours until fall-apart tender.
The four-ingredient gravy is the formula worth memorizing. Au jus adds a beefy, slightly roasted depth. French onion soup mix adds concentrated savory onion flavor. Cream of chicken adds body, creaminess, and a richness that holds everything together. Chicken broth provides the volume. Together they produce a gravy that tastes like it was made from scratch over hours without any roux, any browning, or any effort beyond whisking four things together in a bowl.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Five minutes of prep and the slow cooker handles the rest for the next 6 to 7 hours. This is one of the most hands-off dinners you can make.
The four-ingredient gravy tastes like it took significantly more effort than it did. Au jus, French onion soup mix, cream of chicken, and broth combine into something deeply savory, slightly rich, and thick enough to coat every bite of the tender cubed steak.
Cubed steak after 6 to 7 hours in the slow cooker is a completely different texture than any other cooking method produces. It becomes fall-apart tender in a way that the stovetop simply cannot replicate in the same amount of time.
It feeds a large family from one pot. A family pack of 8 to 10 cubed steaks serves a crowd generously with plenty of gravy for everyone.
Ingredients Needed to Make Cubed Steak and Gravy
Five ingredients and five minutes. Here is what you need.
The Cubed Steak
Cubed steak is a cut of beef, typically top round or top sirloin, that has been mechanically tenderized by a meat mallet or a machine that creates the characteristic dimpled, textured surface. It is an affordable, widely available cut sold at every grocery store. The mechanical tenderizing gives it a head start but the long slow cooker cook is what produces the fall-apart tenderness that makes this dish so satisfying.
The Gravy
Au jus gravy mix adds a roasted, beefy depth and contributes to the rich brown color of the finished gravy. French onion soup mix adds concentrated onion sweetness and savory depth that is the backbone flavor throughout. Cream of chicken soup adds body, creaminess, and a richness that prevents the gravy from being thin or watery. Chicken broth provides the volume that allows all four ingredients to combine into a pourable gravy that covers all the steaks in the slow cooker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cubed Steak and Gravy
One slow cooker, five minutes of prep.
Step 1: Layer the Cubed Steaks
Place the cubed steaks in the slow cooker. They can overlap slightly if needed to fit the whole family pack but try to spread them as evenly as possible so the gravy reaches every piece.
Step 2: Make the Gravy Mixture
In a large bowl, whisk together the au jus gravy mix packet, French onion soup mix packet, both cans of cream of chicken soup, and the chicken broth. Whisk until the soup mixes are fully dissolved and the cream of chicken is completely incorporated into the broth with no lumps remaining. The mixture will be fairly liquid at this stage and will thicken significantly during the long cook.
Step 3: Pour and Cover
Pour the gravy mixture evenly over the cubed steaks in the slow cooker, making sure every piece of meat is submerged or at least well covered by the liquid. Cover the slow cooker with the lid.
Step 4: Cook
Cook on high for 6 to 7 hours. The steaks are done when they are completely tender and yield with almost no resistance when pressed gently with a spoon. The gravy will have thickened into a rich, spoonable consistency and will smell deeply savory and caramelized from the long cook.
Step 5: Serve
Serve the cubed steaks over a generous mound of mashed potatoes or white rice with plenty of the gravy spooned over everything.
Storing and Reheating
Store the cubed steaks and gravy together in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The gravy will thicken further as it cools. Reheat in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat with a small splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the gravy back to a pourable consistency, or in the microwave on medium power in 60-second intervals stirring between each. The gravy reheats beautifully and the steaks stay tender throughout the storage window.
This dish freezes very well for up to 3 months. Store the steaks and gravy together in freezer bags or airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Cubed Steak and Gravy
Serve over a generous mound of creamy mashed potatoes with the gravy spooned liberally over both the steak and the potatoes so everything is swimming in it. White rice is an equally excellent base. Egg noodles are a hearty alternative that hold up well under the thick gravy. Serve with warm dinner rolls or cornbread alongside for mopping up the gravy from the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Slow Cooker Cubed Steak and Gravy
What is cubed steak?
Cubed steak is a cut of beef, most commonly top round or top sirloin, that has been passed through a mechanical tenderizer that creates the distinctive indentations across the surface of the meat. The mechanical tenderizing breaks down some of the tough muscle fibers and makes the cut significantly more tender than it would be otherwise. It is one of the most affordable beef cuts available and is a staple of Southern home cooking, most often used in chicken fried steak, smothered steak, and slow cooker recipes where the long cook time finishes the tenderizing process completely.
Why cook on high for 6 to 7 hours rather than low?
Cooking cubed steak on high for 6 to 7 hours produces a more deeply tenderized result than a shorter cook at any temperature because the extended time at heat fully breaks down the remaining connective tissue and muscle fibers in the mechanically tenderized steak. The high setting maintains a more active simmer throughout the cook that helps the gravy reduce and develop flavor more than the low setting would over the same time period. If you need to use the low setting, cook for 8 to 10 hours for a comparable result.
Can I brown the cubed steaks before adding them to the slow cooker?
Yes. Browning the cubed steaks in a hot skillet with a little butter or oil for 2 minutes per side before placing them in the slow cooker adds a Maillard-reaction crust that contributes additional flavor to the finished gravy. It is not a required step since the four-ingredient gravy produces excellent flavor without it, but if you have 10 extra minutes the browning step adds a detectable depth to the finished dish. Deglaze the skillet with a splash of the broth and add those drippings to the slow cooker as well.
Can I use beef broth instead of chicken broth?
Yes. Beef broth produces a slightly richer, more deeply beefy finished gravy that pairs naturally with the au jus mix and the cubed steak. The chicken broth version produces a lighter, more neutral gravy that lets the French onion and au jus flavors be more prominent. Both are excellent. Beef broth is the more traditional choice for a beef dish and produces a darker, more robust finished gravy. Either works depending on personal preference.
Why does the gravy taste so complex from just four ingredients?
Each of the four gravy ingredients was developed specifically to produce concentrated, complex flavor efficiently. Au jus mix contains roasted beef flavor compounds, caramelized onion, and MSG that produce a deep, beefy depth. French onion soup mix contains dehydrated onion, beef stock, and additional savory compounds that add a completely different but complementary dimension. Cream of chicken contributes fat, protein, starch, and a rounded savory richness. Together these four products each contribute a different flavor component that stacks into something that tastes genuinely developed and complex despite requiring no cooking technique whatsoever.
Slow Cooker Cubed Steak and Gravy (Easy Comfort Food)
Ingredients
Method
- Place the cubed steaks in the slow cooker in a single layer or slightly overlapping if needed.
- In a bowl, whisk together the au jus packet, French onion soup mix, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the gravy mixture evenly over the cubed steaks, making sure every piece is covered.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours until the steaks are completely tender and the gravy is rich and thick.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or white rice with plenty of the gravy spooned over the top.
Notes
The gravy will thicken significantly during the long cook as the cubed steak releases collagen and the soup bases reduce. It will be rich and spoonable by the time it is done.
Cubed steak is already tenderized at the butcher but the 6 to 7 hour slow cook takes it to a completely new level of tender. Do not cut the cook time short.
This gravy is outstanding over mashed potatoes. Make a big batch.
