Perfectly Tender Crock Pot Cube Steak

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If you’re looking for a simple and delicious way to cook cube steak, try using your crock pot! With just a few ingredients and some patience, you can create a tender and juicy meal that will satisfy your taste buds.

As it cooks, it makes a rich, luscious gravy that is fantastic served over mashed potatoes. You will be looking forward to dinner all day long, because your house will smell amazing!

plate of mashed potatoes, cube steak, and gravy, garnished with parsley

Up until a few months ago, I had never even heard of cube steak. But when we ordered a quarter of a cow to stock our freezer with beef, it was one of the cuts that was delivered.

I tried cooking it in a skillet, and although the flavor was there, it was so hard to chew. One of the toughest cuts of meat I’d ever served. 🙁

So I set out to find a way to use the remaining cube steak in a way that my family would enjoy it. Slow cooker to the rescue! After simmering all day long, it became a mouthwatering cut of beef that my entire family completely devoured.

Frequently asked questions:

How to make cube steak tender?

Cube steak is a tougher cut of meat, so you definitely want to use the right cooking method to ensure fork tender meat. Low and slow is definitely the way to go! After several hours in a crock pot, your cube steak will be falling apart!
I’ve tried other methods for preparing cube steak, and none of them had the same melt in your mouth results as this slow cooker cube steak. So let your crock pot do the work!

Does cube steak get tender the longer it cooks?

Yes, I have found that the longer the cube steak cooks in the slow cooker, the more tender and flavorful it becomes. After some experimentation, we found that cooking on high for at least 5-6 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours makes for meat that is fork tender. Even longer is better.

How to Cook Cube Steak in a Crock Pot

DREDGE – In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, garlic salt, and pepper. Dip both sides of the cube steak in the flour mixture. Set aside.
BROWN – Heat the oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Sear each cube steak for 4-5 minutes per side. I like to use my splatter screen to keep my stove and counter clean!
COMBINE – Transfer the cube steak to the slow cooker. Layer the sliced onion, bouillon, dry soup mix, worcestershire, and water over the beef.
SLOW COOK – Add the lid and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours, or on LOW for 8-9 HOURS.
SERVE – As soon as the meat is tender, serve it with the gravy over mashed potatoes with your choice of sides. Enjoy!

Leftover cube steak and gravy will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. We simply reheat it in the microwave for a minute or two.

Pro tips:

Make sure to thaw your meat before making this dish. I like to put the frozen cube steak in the refrigerator the morning before. To thaw it quickly, you can place it in a ziplock bag in cool water.
Don’t skip the browning step. Yes, it’s one more dish to wash, but it adds so much flavor!
For easier clean up, spray your slow cooker pot with non stick cooking spray.

CROCK POT CUBE STEAK VARIATIONS:

This made enough gravy for my family, but if you like a lot of gravy, you can add a can of cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup with the other ingredients.
Feel free to substitute a can of beef broth or beef consume for the beef bouillon and water.
If you love mushrooms, you can toss some in for the last hour of cooking. Any type of mushroom will work, and you can use them whole or sliced.
We love serving cube steak over mashed potatoes, but you can substitute pasta or rice if you prefer.

MORE CROCK POT RECIPES:

CROCK POT CUBE STEAK RECIPE

Yield: 6 servings

Tender Cubed Steak Recipe

After slow cooking all day, your cube steak will be so tender and flavorful. And it makes its own gravy!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds cube steak
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (you may need 4 Tbsp)
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp beef bouillon
2 Tbsp Lipton onion soup mix
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 3/4 cups hot water

Instructions

Mix the flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each steak in the mixture; set aside.
Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat with the oil. Sear both sides of the meat for 4-5 minutes, or until brown. Transfer to the crock pot.
Layer the onion slices, bouillon, dry soup mix, worcestershire, and hot water over the beef.
Cover your crock pot. Cook on HIGH for at least 5-6 hours, or on LOW for 8-9. Longer is fine; you want to cook it until it can be pulled apart with a fork.
Serve the meat and gravy over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice with your choice of sides.

Notes

-This cubed steak recipe was adapted from Cincy Shopper.

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