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Mouthwatering and cozy Salisbury Steak Meatballs are a twist on the traditional recipe. I love making these tender meatballs and serving them with a hearty onion + mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, or buttered egg noodles.
Cozy, warm, and so delicious!
Tender Salisbury steak meatballs that have been seared until golden brown, rolling around in a hearty caramelized onion and mushroom gravy. They’re warm and cozy and perfect for this time of the year when you’re looking for comfort food to warm you through and through.
Don’t be surprised if you catch the fam sneaking off with a meatball or two straight from the pan. My husband said he could guzzle the sauce with a spoon and insisted that I didn’t waste even a drop of it. I take that as a good sign.
Salisbury steak meatballs are a twist on the original recipe you might have eaten quite a bit of when growing up. But is it just me, or is it kind of annoying to cook flat Salisbury steaks in a pan? Not to mention that it’s totally retro. I never really know when to turn them, and now and again, one of them will fall apart and crumble right into the sauce – which good for my husband. It makes the gravyextra meaty. But bad for my perfectionist self, who despises when that happens.
Salisbury Meatballs are a nice little compromise. All the flavor and perfect eye appeal too.
What do you need to make Salisbury steak meatballs?
- Grated onions: add flavor and moisture to the meatballs
- Breadcrumbs: are used for binding. I prefer to use panko breadcrumbs because they melt right into the meatballs, and you don’t even realize they’re there!
- Seasonings + sauces: I’ve got some garlic, onion, and mustard powder, along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
- An egg: the egg is the binder to hold everything together.
- Ketchup: a couple of squirts of ketchup help add both moisture and flavor. I prefer to use this ketchup; it’s a Texas favorite!
- Ground beef: I prefer to use 90% lean ground beef for this recipe. You could use anything between and 90-97% to keep these meatballs on the leaner side. If you use ground beef with a higher fat content, you might need to dispose of any additional grease that might have been rendered in the pan before making the onion and mushroom gravy. This will keep it from being too greasy.
How to make the perfect meatballs:
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the meat. I use a fork to mix all the ingredients. When the ingredients are mixed, add the ground beef and combine using the fork until *just* incorporated. You don’t want to overwork the meat mixture at this point. That’s why we mix everything else first. Then, portion out the meatballs using a scoop.
- Add a drizzle of oil to a hot skillet and cook the meatballs for 6-9 minutes or until they are mostly cooked. Don’t worry if they haven’t cooked all the way through just yet. We’ll let them simmer in the sauce a bit later.
Ingredients for the onion mushroom gravy:
- Butter: the butter is used for both the roux and to cook the mushrooms and onions.
- Mushrooms: you can use white button mushrooms or baby bellas for this recipe. I prefer to use baby portobello mushrooms because they add a bit more flavor to the gravy.
- Onions: ¼-inch thick slices of onions keep the onions from disappearing in the gravy. They caramelize and develop the most delicious flavor.
- Garlic: minced garlic adds just the right amount of garlicky punch to the mushrooms.
- Flour: just a bit of flour to help thicken the sauce and make the roux
- Beef stock: adds flavor and is the base of the mushroom gravy.
- Sauces: we’ll add another dash of Worcestershire sauce, a hint of dijon, and another splash of soy sauce to help flavor the sauce
How to make the best gravy for Salisbury steak meatballs:
- Add a knob of butter to the pan and when it melts, add the mushrooms. Let them cook down and saute until golden, then add the onions and let them cook for a bit too. Season with minced garlic, and when fragrant, add the remaining butter to the skillet. We’ll make the roux by adding flour and letting it cook until that raw flavor has been cooked out. Then, gradually pour in the stock as you stir.
- Season the gravy with the sauces and allow it to cook and simmer until it has thickened a bit. Then, we’ll add the meatballs back to the skillet and allow them to simmer in the sauce and cook all the way through. If you find the gravy thickens too much at any point, you can add a little splash of water of stock to help thin it back out to your preference.
Tips for making Salisbury Steak Meatballs faster:
- Portioning out the meatballs: Once you’ve made the mixture, divide it into 18-22 meatballs. I like to use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop so that all the meatballs are relatively the same size. This takes the guesswork out of cooking them because they take about the same time.
- Keep the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands. I find that this happens more with chicken meatballs than with beef but if you find it sticking, either keep a small bowl of water next to you when rolling so that you can frequently wet your fingertips and palms from the bowl or spray your hand with a little cooking spray before rolling. This should keep your hands nice and meatless.
- You can use store-bought meatballs to make this meal faster for weeknight dinner. Now, undoubtedly the homemade meatballs will taste better with this recipe as they’re flavored with ingredients that complement the hearty onion and mushroom gravy. But if you are in a pinch and want something semihomemade, the store-bought meatballs will work for this recipe. All you have to do is brown them in a pan (or pop them in the oven) and make the sauce portion of this recipe.
Other meatball recipes you might like:
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Greek Chicken Meatballs in Lemon Cream Sauce
- Comforting French Onion Meatballs
- Mongolian Beef Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
- Rustic Chicken Piccata Meatballs
- Cheesesteak Meatballs
- Cajun Meatballs in Cream Sauce
- Italian Meatball Soup
Yield: serves 6
Mouthwatering Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Hearty Mushroom Gravy
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Mouthwatering and cozy Salisbury Steak Meatballs are a twist on the traditional recipe. I love making these tender meatballs and serving them with a hearty onion + mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, or buttered egg noodles.
Ingredients
Salsbury Steak Meatballs:
- ¼ cup grated onions
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder AND onion powder
- 2 teaspoons EACH: Worcestershire sauce, low sodium soy sauce, AND ground mustard powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more)
Mushroom Gravy:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6-8 medium baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup onion, sliced in 1/4-inch thickness
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock
- 2 teaspoons EACH: Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, AND low sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- MIX: In a medium bowl, combine the grated onions, panko breadcrumbs, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and all the remaining ingredients except the ground beef and oil. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes so that the excess liquid from the onions gets soaked up by the breadcrumbs. Then, add the meat and mix until *just* combined. Divide the meat mixture into 18-22 meatballs that are 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
- COOK: Add the tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and let it heat through on medium-high heat. When hot, add the meatballs in a single layer, do this in batches if the pan is not large enough. Cook the meatballs for 6-9 minutes, flipping halfway through until all sides brown evenly, don’t worry if they aren’t cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate. Add additional oil and cook any remaining meatballs the same way.
- GRAVY: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. When melted, add the mushrooms and allow them to cook and brown, about 3-4 minutes. When brown, add the onions and saute for 3 minutes before adding in the garlic. Let the garlic cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add the remaining butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. When melted, add the flour and stir to combine. Allow the flour to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the beef stock with one hand while you stir with the other hand. Then, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and soy sauce. Allow the sauce to cook and simmer, once simmering, let cook for 3 minutes or until it thickens just a bit. Then add the meatballs to the skillet (with any released juices that may have collected on the plate) and let cook for 4 minutes. If the gravy thickens too much, you can add a splash of water to thin it to your liking. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes or egg noodles!
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Beef Comfort Foods Dinner Winterbeef meatballs brown gravy comfort food gravy meatball recipes meatballs mushroom gravy onion gravy salisbury steak Salisbury steak meatballs
originally published on Jan 7, 2021 (last updated Jul 9, 2022)
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41 comments on “Mouthwatering Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Hearty Mushroom Gravy”
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Jo Murphy — Reply
Can I use more soy and omit Worcestershire sauce. not a fan of it.
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Jo! Yes, I think you can make that swap!
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Lynn — Reply
In the write up you mention that you use grated onions. The recipe calls for onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick. Which do you use?
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Lynn! Onions are mentioned twice under ingredients. The grated ones are used in the meatball portion and the sliced are used for the gravy. Step 1 mentions the use of the grated onions.
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Katja Blomenkamp — Reply
This was very tasty – as all recipes I try from your website. The gravy was delicious over egg noodles. The only “problem” I had was that the meatballs fell apart.
5
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Katja! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Bummer! Sorry to hear the meatballs fell apart for you. Did you happen to cook them in batches? Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
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Rose Hill — Reply
Yummy
5
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Rose! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂
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Lisa E — Reply
I made the meatballs the first night (mixed and formed), stored in fridge overnight, and continued with recipe the next day for dinner. Everyone loved it! Easy and tasty recipe! Thank you!
5
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Lisa! Love that you prepped them ahead of time and that they were enjoyed by all! Appreciate you circling back to leave a review!
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Tammy — Reply
Made this yummy meatball recipe the other night. It was a huge hit. We had it over mashed potatoes with roasted broccoli. We had enough for leftovers so I sliced up the remaining mushrooms sautéed them in a little butter and heated them up with the meatballs. We put it on Kings Hawaiian rolls for sliders and was a great simple meal the next day. Thank you for this recipe. It will be in rotation around here!
5
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Tammy! I’m glad to hear they were enjoyed! What a great idea to turn leftovers into sliders. Thanks for sharing!
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Katie — Reply
I made this and loved it, then ate leftovers for three days in a row and if I could eat it again today I totally would. Very tasty and simple to put together.
5
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Katie! That’s awesome; so glad to hear you enjoyed them! Really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂
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Nancy — Reply
Different recipe , i will try it.
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Nancy! So glad to hear you’re planning on giving these a try 🙂
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Jeni — Reply
I can’t eat hot spicy foods. With the two teaspoons dry mustard will it be too hot? I intend to use Colman’s. Thank you in advance.
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Jeni! I’ve only made the recipe with regular ground mustard powder from the spice aisle which isn’t spicy at all. Haven’t tried the particular brand you’ve mentioned, so I’m unsure how spicy that brand will make it.
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Jeni — Reply
Thank you. The one I have is the really hot one from England that they make Chinese mustard in the Chinese restaurants with. Do you mind telling me what brand you use?
Thank you, Jeni
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Lauea — Reply
Wonderful recipe and easy to make. I definitely recommend this recipe.
5
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Jeffrey Ketterer — Reply
Wonderful recipe! I made this last night exactly as written & it was so good! Served it with mashed potatoes and fresh cooked buttered asparagus. The meatballs and portabella mushroom & onion gravy have such a delishous rich flavor. I am looking forward to eating the leftovers! This recipe will be added ro my favorites. Thank you!
5
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Libby — Reply
My teenager had a frozen Salisbury Steak tv dinner at a friend’s house and asked me to pickup a few at the store for him. I saw the sodium and calories and promised instead to make it for him. He loved this recipe and I have a feeling I will be making double batches for him and his friends. Thanks!
5
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Melanie — Reply
Delicious recipe! I made it today in a hurry and turned out GREAT! It’s a keeper
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Kevin E Coursey — Reply
Made it for my family and they loved it! Great flavors. You can make it burger size also.
5
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Ashley — Reply
This was great! I made a few very small changes. Didn’t use mushrooms, as my husband and I don’t like them – so I added a bit more onion to make more of an onion gravy than a mushroom gravy. I only used 1lb of meat but still kept all the other measurements the same for lots of flavor. I didn’t use a skillet to cook the meatballs. The 1lb of meat made 18 meatballs, slightly larger than a golf ball each, that I cooked in the oven at 425 for 14 minutes before adding to the gravy that I did make in the skillet, and allowed them to simmer in the sauce for a few mins. They turned out tender and perfect. I added about a teaspoon of browning sauce to the gravy because mine turned out a very light brown and I wanted to add a bit of darker color. The only thing I’ll do next time that I didn’t this time, is add pepper to the recipe. I thought with the kosher salt and so much soy this dish might turn out super salty but it didn’t. My husband said he wants Salisbury steak like this from here on out!
5
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Ashley — Reply
Oh! I forgot to add that I like my sauce a little thicker as well so I made a slurry – took about a 1 1/2 tablespoons of the gravy and put it in a small bowl and added 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch and mixed well and poured it back into the gravy. It thickened it to my exact liking.
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Dinora Vaughan — Reply
My family LOVES this.
I made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. And made it again, tonight.5
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Susie — Reply
This is an excellent recipe. It is a bitter cold evening and this meal was warming and delicious as we ate by the fire. So easy as well. The only change I made was I also baked the meatballs. Thank you so much.
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Becky — Reply
This was very good served over mashed potatoes (and filling)! Made 20 meatballs and it filled up my family of 5 with the addition of a small side salad. I baked the meatballs at 425 for 15 minutes to cut some calories and fat, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I always make a recipe as written the first time, but usually find I need to double the sauce/gravy and increase the spices a tad to meet my family’s preferences – but this made the perfect amount and was perfectly seasoned. Next time, I’ll slice vs chop the mushrooms. Something about the texture of small pieces threw my “iffy on mushrooms” 12, 14 and 16 yos off a bit. They were good with the mushroom taste though which was a win!
4.5
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Linda Kinsman — Reply
Yum! I made this recipe for dinner tonight and my family and I loved it! I’ll be making this again.
4.5
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Joan Bourke — Reply
This is a great recipe….the meatballs are soft and lovely and they do not loose their shape….being a beef producer I added my secret ingredient to the mushroom gravy that I alway do with anything beef that has a gravy or a stew like quality. My secret ingredient 🙂 is a ¼ cup of a full bodied dry red wine like a Merlot or Cab/Merlot etc. The dry red wine adds a more full bodied flavour to any gravy or stew like sauce. For those who are worried about alcohol….it is all burned off in the cooking. Give it a try. I would give this recipe a 5 star and all the people I have passed this on to say the same.
Love It !!!! 🙂5
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Kara Kahmann — Reply
Made this tonight over homemade egg noodles and it was delicious and very filling! Thanks for the recipe!
5
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Ana Plaisted — Reply
Can I use store bought meatball? I have a package of them and don’t know what to do with them.
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Tami — Reply
My husband has been begging me for Salisbury steak. I didn’t have a really good recipe so was browsing and this was the only one that caught my eye. I loved that it was meatballs, not a big patty. No complaints on any of it, it was delicious! Will go in my keeper pile!
5
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Cynthia — Reply
Overall a good recipe. I added sour cream to the dish after cooking it was creamy rich delicious.
3.5
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Kimberly — Reply
Could these be done in a crock pot? I’m thinking of taking these to our family Christmas party next month.. Or maybe make them on the stove and then just keep warm in the crock pot?
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Elizabeth — Reply
Hi! Sorry to be that person, is there a nutritional value table I can view? The recipe looks great I just need the calorie intake, sodium, etc. Thank you!
5
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Katie K — Reply
These are amazing! I served over mashed potatoes, and they were *chef’s kiss*.
My only complaint is that it took me a while to make this recipe along with sides, and its only enough for 4 servings at our house. But if you were debating on giving this a go, do it!!
5
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Lauren — Reply
Made these the other night and they were absolutely amazing!! I did have issues with frying them in oil so next time I’ll bake them but the flavor was so good and the gravy was awesome!!
5
