Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy–a dump and go recipe with only 4 ingredients! Just like the cube steak and gravy mom used to make (and better than a TV dinner). You can make this in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot.
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy
I don’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t really remember having cube steak in my life! I’m sure I did when I was growing up but it’s been a real long time. I did feel like I was eating a TV dinner (a really good TV dinner) when I ate this!
Cube steak is a cut of meat that has been run through a mechanical tenderizer, called a meat cuber. The result is a piece of meat with cube-shaped indentations. Traditionally, cube steak is taken from the beef round cut. But it can be made using any tough cut of beef. Sometimes when you see cube steak at the grocery store you may think that is ground beef because of the indentations. It almost looks like hamburger patties.
Cubed steak is best served with lots of flavorful gravy. Because cubed steak doesn’t have much fat in it the flavor from the gravy helps a lot! And this gravy tasted so good! We served our cubed steaks and gravy with mashed potatoes and it was a winner. If you’d like to make mashed potatoes at the same time you can place a steamer basket full of peeled, cubed potatoes on top of the cubed steaks in the pressure cooker and make mashed potatoes out of them.
If you’d like more flavor on your cubed steaks you can brown them in a bit of olive oil before pressure cooking them. Use the sauté setting to do this. Make sure to deglaze the pot after browning the meat so you don’t get the burn message.
More Beef Recipes You’ll Love…
Instant Pot Tennessee Meatloaf
Instant Pot Steak Diane Casserole
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Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A dump and go recipe with only 4 ingredients! Just like the cube steak and gravy your mom used to make.
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz) can Campbells French Onion Soup
- 10 oz water
- 4 cubed steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 (1 oz) packet Au Jus Gravy Mix
- 2–3 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pour soup in the Instant Pot. Fill the empty soup can with water and pour water into the pot.
- Place the steaks into the Instant Pot. Don’t stack them straight on top of each other, stagger them.
- Sprinkle the Au Jus gravy mix over the steaks.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 20 minutes. When time is up let the pot release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté setting. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken up the gravy. Once gravy is thickened turn off Instant Pot (or turn it to keep warm setting).
- Serve the cube steaks with gravy.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Pour soup in the slow cooker. Fill the empty soup can with water and pour it into the pot. Add in the steaks and Au Jus gravy mix.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken up the gravy. Turn slow cooker to high. Once gravy is thickened serve the cube steaks with gravy.
Notes
If you’d like you can place a steamer basket full of peeled, cubed potatoes on top of the cubed steaks in the pressure cooker and make mashed potatoes out of them.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Could you use frozen cube steaks or would they need to be thawed (in the Instant Pot of course, not the slow cooker version).
Yes you can use frozen!
Same cooking time?
yep!
It sounds great; I can’t wait to try it! But, between instant pot steps 4 & 5: Do you take the steaks out before adding the slurry, or do you leave the meat in for that?
Thanks
You really could do either. It’s probably easier when you move the meat out of the pot.
Yumm! Dinner from my childhood! My mom used to make cubed steak often. FYI, cubed steak is also great to use for country fried steak! 😀
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars!
Winner! Hubby loved it. I took others advice and added sliced onion and mushrooms. Had mashed potatoes and green beans just like the TV dinner! Thanks for the recipe!!!
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars! What a great dinner 🙂
This is absolutly an Outstanding recipe that I have made it twice now. I did substitute the Beef Cube Steak with Venison backstrap steaks and used packaged Brown Gravy vice the Au Jus Gravy Mix also added on 4 oz. can of mushrooms. Followed your recipe for everythig else. This is an excellent Recipe and must be in your next Instant Pot Cookbook
Nice! Thanks for sharing your verison. Sounds awesome!
Karen,
Can I substitute a dry pkg of onion soup mix + 10 oz of water for the cn of French Onion Soup?
Yes I think that would be fine. I do think that might be a little more potent. You may want to only use half a package.
What other cuts of meat can be used for this recipe, besides cubed steak?
Can this be made with hamburger patty”s instead of cube steak,cant afford the steak.
I haven’t tried that but I bet if you did you’d only need a 4 minute pressure cook time
I’m curious, does this really come out tender? I’ve always had a problem making the steaks and they’re always chewy and rubbery?
Mine came out great!
I don’t care whether she tells us the recipe name or not, all her recipes are good & I love surprises!
What a shame, Sarah. You are the one losing out.
This was delicious — followed your recipe completely. I LOVE the onion soup as gravy, rather than a cream of ____ soup. The steaks were very tender. Will make again (and again and again and…)
★★★★★
So glad to hear it!! Thanks for the 5 stars!
So glad you enjoyed it Kathy! Thanks for the review!
Another great recipe Karen!! I did add sliced baby bella mushrooms and Vidalia onions along with a splash of worcestershire. Hubby said for me to make this again but double up on the cube steaks lol
★★★★★
Mmm! Love those ideas!
This was really good but my cubed steaks came out dry, should I try a shorter time?
★★★★
You could try a shorter time, but I would keep the natural pressure release
I make mine with cream of mushroom soup, n it’s delicious! I don’t add the au ju sauce either. They are tender n it’s a set it n forget it meal. I usually make 6 paddies n we always have it the next day. You can do white rice or noodles too. I kind of mix it up a bit.
Sounds like a great version!
Thank you it really is really delicious!
Could you put the white rice and/or noodles in a steamer in the Instant Pot with the beef? I love these dump and go recipes as long as they are not too bad healthy. By too healthy, sometimes the dump and go recipes are more calories. But the healthier approach takes too much time and work. I love dump and go if it is pretty healthy! I check the calories!
Sure I think you could do that! It would be nice to have everything cooked in the same pot!
I think I would want to put it on braise for a few minutes and brown the meat a bit. I ate this growing up, but the meat was always fried first.
Good ideas!
Thank you! Have you ever doubled this recipe?
No, but you totally could. You could even double the meat without doubling the rest of the ingredients. There was quite a bit of gravy for 4 steaks.
Curious, after that much time in the Instapot, does it come out tender? I too grew up on cube steaks but they were really chewy. Not knowing any better, I loved them for the texture and taste. I’d like to try them again as an adult banned with a pressure cooker!
★★★★
“Armed”
Typo above “armed”
They were pretty tender!
Had this steak all my life. Remember my Grandma pounding round steak with this meat tenderizing hammer thing…BAM! BAM! BAM! Always knew what was for supper, ha! It was always dredged in flour, fried & then gravy made from the bits & drippings. So good. Will have to give this new way a try.
Finally someone else that had those growing up. It was always my favorite supper.
Mmmm, your grandmas version sounds great.
It was. I can taste it now. I miss my Grandma.
This is a good starting recipe, but I added both thinly sliced white onion and sliced mushrooms. Never had cube steak without those two ingredients.
★★★★
I was thinking that mushrooms would be amazing with this gravy! good call!