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This easy Swiss steak is classic comfort food made with tender cube steak braised in a rich tomato gravy with onions and carrots. Searing the beef first builds plenty of savory flavor, while slow cooking turns an inexpensive cut into a fork-tender meal. I like making it in a Dutch oven because the steady, gentle heat is ideal for braising. It’s an easy, hearty dinner that’s perfect for Sunday suppers or cozy weeknight meals when you’re craving something warm and satisfying. Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles to soak up every bit of the delicious gravy.
Why You’ll Love It
This old-fashioned Swiss steak recipe transforms affordable cube steak into a fork-tender comfort food dinner with a rich tomato gravy that’s perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.
Easy to prepare: Brown the cube steak, build the flavorful gravy, and let the Dutch oven do the rest while the beef slowly braises until tender.
Classic comfort food: Slow cooking creates melt-in-your-mouth beef in a rich tomato gravy with onions and carrots for a hearty, satisfying family meal.
Perfect for make-ahead meals: Swiss steak tastes even better the next day, making it a great option for meal prep or busy weeknight dinners.
More cozy favorites include steak pizzaiola, corned beef hash, homemade beef au jus, beef braciole, and this Mediterranean chicken pasta.
Easy Swiss Steak Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Cube steaks: Cube steak is beef that has been mechanically tenderized, which gives it its distinctive dimpled appearance. It is a convenient choice for Swiss steak because it becomes tender more quickly than an untenderized round steak.
Flour: All-purpose flour lightly coats the steaks, helps them brown in the pan and thickens the tomato gravy as the dish cooks.
Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper season the beef. Smoked paprika can be used for a slightly deeper flavor.
Diced tomatoes: Use the tomatoes along with all the juice in the can. They form the base of the savory tomato gravy and add a touch of sweetness and acidity.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds plenty of flavor to the sauce. Feel free to add another clove or two for a stronger garlic taste.
Brown gravy mix: One envelope of brown gravy mix adds richness, seasoning and body to the sauce. Any brand will work, but choose a lower-sodium version if you prefer more control over the salt.
Vegetables: Carrots and yellow onion add sweetness, flavor and texture. Sliced mushrooms, celery or bell peppers would also be delicious additions.
Fresh parsley: A sprinkle of chopped parsley adds a little freshness and color just before serving, but it is completely optional.
How to Make Old Fashioned Swiss Steak
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Sear the steaks: Season the cube steaks with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, then dredge in flour. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and sear the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned. Work in batches if needed, then transfer to a plate.
Sauté the vegetables: Add the onion and carrots to the same pot and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Make the sauce: Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes with their juices, then whisk in the brown gravy mix until dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Braise: Return the steaks to the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat until the beef is fork tender. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a splash of beef broth or water.
Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley, if liked, and serve hot with mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend, and be sure to use gluten-free beef broth and brown gravy mix.
Beef: Cube steak is traditional, but top round, bottom round, or chuck steak also work well. Tenderize thicker cuts with a meat mallet before cooking.
Tomatoes: Swap the diced tomatoes for fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes for a slightly different flavor.
Vegetables: Add sliced mushrooms, celery, parsnips, or turnips. Bell peppers are also delicious but should be added during the last 30 minutes so they don’t become too soft.
Oil: Olive oil can be replaced with avocado oil, vegetable oil, or another neutral cooking oil.
Boost the flavor: Stir in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a spoonful of tomato paste, celery seed, soy sauce, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra depth and richness.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Begin your meal with spinach artichoke stuffed mushrooms.
Side dishes: Serve garlic mashed potatoes and roasted artichokes on the side, or perhaps white or brown rice or egg noodles. Roasted vegetables, crack green beans or peas would work too. Add some crusty bread as well, if you want.
Dessert: This lemon mascarpone cake would be wonderful for dessert.
How to Store
Store: Allow to cool completely before storing. Leftover Swiss steak keeps well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.
Freeze: You can freeze Swiss steak for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm your Swiss steak back up in a skillet on the stove.
Top Tips
Taste before adding extra salt: Brown gravy mixes vary in saltiness, so wait until the end of the cooking time before adjusting the seasoning. Taste the sauce first, then add more salt and black pepper as needed.
Don’t skip the sear: Browning the floured cube steaks creates a flavorful crust and leaves browned bits in the pan that add richness to the tomato gravy. Sear the steaks in batches if needed so they brown rather than steam.
Braise until fork tender: Swiss steak needs a low, slow cooking time to become tender. Begin checking it after about 1½ hours, but don’t rush it if the meat is still firm. It is ready when you can easily cut it with a fork.
Keep the pot covered: A tightly covered pot traps moisture and helps the steaks cook gently in the sauce. If the gravy becomes too thick during cooking, stir in a small splash of water or beef broth.
Let it rest before serving: Allow the Swiss steak to sit in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking. This gives the gravy time to settle and helps the meat stay juicy.
Old Fashioned Swiss Steak FAQs
The gravy mix thickens it up but if it still isn’t thick enough you can uncover the pot and simmer it uncovered for another 10 to 20 minutes or until reduced. It thickens up a little more as it sits too. If you need to thin it, add beef broth and simmer to warm it through.
These interchangeable terms refer to a tough cut of beef that is pounded to make it tender and “minute beef” is yet another term. The meat goes through a meat cuber or swissing machine which makes cube-shaped indentations on the beef. There’s not much marbling on cube steak so it can become tough and dry unless you cook it in one of two ways: cook it for 1 to 3 minutes per side over a high heat or sear it and then braise it like in this easy Swiss steak recipe.
Swiss steak isn’t named after Switzerland. The name comes from the old-fashioned technique of “swissing,” which means tenderizing tougher cuts of beef by pounding or rolling them before cooking. Today, cube steak is commonly used because it has already been mechanically tenderized, making it perfect for slowly braising in a rich tomato gravy until it’s fork tender.
Easy Swiss Steak Recipe
Easy Swiss Steak
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Heavy Pot
Ingredients
- 6 beef cube steaks, about 2 Pounds
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ Teaspoon paprika
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ Cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 Can diced tomatoes, 28-Ounce,undrained
- 2 Cups beef broth
- 1 Envelope brown gravy mix, 0.87-Ounce
- 2 carrots, large, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, large, diced
- 3 to 5 Cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, or preferred cooking oil
Optional Garnish:
- parsley, freshly chopped
Instructions
- Season the steaks all over with salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, pressing it in so it sticks.
- Dredge the steaks in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven.
- Add the steaks and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, working in batches if needed, adding more oil too if needed.
- Transfer the seared cube steaks on to a plate.
- Turn the heat down and remove any excess oil from the Dutch oven.
- Sauté the onion and carrots for about 4 minutes or until tender.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or 2 until fragrant.
- Add the beef broth, brown gravy mix and diced tomatoes with their liquid.
- Stir well to dissolve the powder.
- Put the seared steaks back in the Dutch oven and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot, turn the heat down and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the steaks are tender.
- Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley, if liked.
Notes
Don’t skip the sear: Browning the floured cube steaks creates a flavorful crust and leaves browned bits in the pan that add richness to the tomato gravy. Sear the steaks in batches if needed so they brown rather than steam.
Braise until fork tender: Swiss steak needs a low, slow cooking time to become tender. Begin checking it after about 1½ hours, but don’t rush it if the meat is still firm. It is ready when you can easily cut it with a fork.
Keep the pot covered: A tightly covered pot traps moisture and helps the steaks cook gently in the sauce. If the gravy becomes too thick during cooking, stir in a small splash of water or beef broth.
Let it rest before serving: Allow the Swiss steak to sit in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking. This gives the gravy time to settle and helps the meat stay juicy.
Nutrition
This easy Swiss steak recipe with cube steak is ideal for dinner on a busy weeknight. Once you’ve seasoned and floured your steaks and seared them, you just need to braise it in a delicious tomato and garlic gravy until tender. A classic Swiss steak is beautiful paired with creamy mashed potatoes and your preferred vegetables and making Swiss steak is really simple. This budget-friendly dinner favorite is such a cozy and hearty choice; the whole family will love it.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You are very welcome!
My mom grew up inn the Great Depression. Her swiss steak was exactly like this EXCEPT, like her mother, she dumped every vegetable she could find in it with the tomatoes, etc. I use packaged mixed vegetables to do the same thing in order to add a bump of nutrition and flavor. The dish kept us going during some dark days in the 70s when my son had multiple brain surgeries (he’s fine now).
I’m happy to hear your son is fine now! Yes, it’s one of those recipes you can dump all kinds of things into, to make it stretch further and boost nutrients.
This is pure comfort food at its best! The steak turns out so tender, and that rich gravy is absolutely perfect over mashed potatoes.