Poor Man's Steak

Name: Poor Man's Steak
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1½ cups saltine crackers, (crushed); 1 cup whole milk; ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon cayenne; salt and pepper, (to taste for the flour dredge and patties); 1 cup flour for dredging, (or more if needed); 2 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup; 1½ cups whole milk; 1½ tablespoons fresh parsley, (chopped)

This poor man's steak recipe creates a hearty family dinner that is easy to whip up and tastes delicious.

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Table of Contents

Poor Man’s Steak Ingredients
How To Cook This Poor Man’s Steak Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
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An easy dinner recipe, this poor man’s steak recipe is packed with lots of flavor! Ground beef is perfectly seasoned and cooked, then covered in a simple, delicious gravy before being baked in the oven.

Poor Man’s Steak Ingredients

You’ll need:

For the Steaks

2 pounds ground beef
1½ cups saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
1 cup flour for dredging (or more if needed)
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Mushroom Gravy

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1½ cups whole milk
1½ tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

PRO TIP:

Try to use lean ground beef so you don’t end up having your steaks turn out really greasy.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

VEGGIES: You could add fresh or canned mushrooms to this recipe. You could also add chopped onions to your hamburger meat.

CREAM SOUP: You can use a different cream soup if you don’t like mushrooms. Cream of celery is a popular alternative choice.

How To Cook This Poor Man’s Steak Recipe

Poor man’s steak, also known as hamburger steak, is an old-fashioned recipe that uses ground beef in place of a more expensive cut of meat.

The meat is combined with flavorful seasonings and formed into patties before being baked and topped with a delicious gravy.

Here’s how you make our recipe:

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soups and milk and then stir in the chopped parsley. Set aside.

Poor Man's Steak process shot of ingredients combined in a bowl

STEP THREE: In a large bowl, mix ground beef, saltine cracker crumbs, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Poor Man's Steak process shot of ground beef and ingredients combined in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Using a spoon or your hands, combine the ingredients until mixed. Shape mixture into even-sized patties.

PRO TIP:

I like to make the patties on the big side as they will shrink down while cooking.

Poor Man's Steak process shot of ground beef shaped into a pattie

STEP FIVE: Place 1 cup of flour in a shallow dish. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge all the meat patties in the flour.

Poor Man's Steak process shot of steak cooked on a skillet

STEP SIX: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter, and add the olive oil. In the hot skillet, sear patties on both sides until golden brown. Work in batches if your pan is not large enough for your patties to cook in a single layer. It will continue cooking in the oven.

STEP SEVEN: Transfer the browned patties to the greased baking dish. Pour the gravy evenly over the top of the patties. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Poor Man's Steak process shot of gravy being poured over steak in a baking dish

STEP EIGHT: Cover the dish with aluminum foil to help prevent a mess. You could also set your casserole dish on a lined baking sheet for easy cleanup. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake steaks for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Poor Man's Steak process shot after dish is baked

How To Serve

Usually any hamburger steak recipes are topped with a delicious, savory mushroom gravy and served with tasty side dishes.

You can serve these hamburger steaks with glazed carrots, scalloped potatoes and sauteed vegetables. Add some garlic bread or a salad too!

Great options also include creamy mashed potatoes, a Caesar side salad, and fluffy dinner rolls to mop up the gravy.

Plus, try our decadent Instant Pot cheesecake for dessert!

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For more easy dinner recipes, our skillet lasagna, chicken and rice casserole and buffalo chicken mac and cheese are all tasty options.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover hamburger steaks in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze either the cooked leftovers or the raw patties for a meal later. Store in an airtight container for up to two months.

MAKING AHEAD: If you’d like to make the patties ahead of time and freeze them for future meals, this would be fine. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and pan-fry as directed in the recipe.

PRO TIP:

You can put this recipe together up to eight hours in advance and keep it in the fridge, so it’s a great option when you know you’ll have a busy evening.

close up shot of a plate of close up shot of a pan of Poor Man's Steak garnished with parsley

Old-fashioned comfort food, these poor man’s steaks have plenty of great flavor and make for a hearty dinner you’re sure to enjoy! Topped with tasty mushroom gravy, you’ll love how quick this recipe comes together.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I freeze the leftovers?

This simple recipe can be frozen either as leftovers or you can prepare the raw patties and freeze them to enjoy later.

Can I use different ground meat for this recipe?

These poor man’s hamburger steaks would be delicious using ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken as well.

Can I add cheese to the hamburger mixture?

Adding cheese to the ground meat would be a delicious way to dress up this dish even further.

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Poor Man’s Steak

5 from 37 votes

This poor man's steak recipe creates a hearty family dinner that is easy to whip up and tastes delicious.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

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Ingredients

Steaks

2 pounds ground beef
1½ cups saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper, to taste for the flour dredge and patties
1 cup flour for dredging, or more if needed
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mushroom Gravy

2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1½ cups whole milk
1½ tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soups and milk and then stir in the chopped parsley. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crushed saltines, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Using a spoon or your hands, combine the ingredients until mixed. Gently form into even-sized patties.
Place 1 cup of flour in a shallow dish. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge all the patties in the flour.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter and add the olive oil. Once hot, sear patties on both sides until golden brown. Work in batches. It will continue cooking in the oven.
Transfer the browned patties to the greased baking dish. Pour the gravy evenly over the top of the patties. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Video

Notes

Try to use lean ground beef so you don’t end up having your steaks turn out really greasy.
You can put this recipe together up to eight hours in advance and keep it in the fridge, so it’s a great option when you know you’ll have a busy evening.
I like to make the patties on the big side as they will shrink down while cooking.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Poor Man’s Steak

Poor Man’s Steak Ingredients

How To Cook This Poor Man’s Steak Recipe

How To Serve

Recipe for Meatloaf

Goulash

Storage

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