Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak (Crock Pot Beef Cube Steak) is a simple 5-ingredient slow cooker recipe that creates melt-in-your-mouth tender cube steaks and luscious beefy onion gravy.
Some dishes are so homey and comforting that they will be attached to the best memories of family and home. This Crockpot Cubed Steak with Gravy recipe is one of those dishes. A single bite of these tender and flavorful cube steaks will transport you to one of those cherished times.
The beef cube steaks slow cook in a deeply flavorful sauce/gravy to become deliciously tender. The aromas of savory beef fill the house while it’s cooking and the meal it delivers is heavenly!
This delectable Slow-Cooker Cube Steak recipe’s exceptional flavor comes from my homemade beef bouillon powder/umami seasoning. I will outline possible substitutes in the post below if you just want to purchase a store brand.
But I really do encourage you to source the ingredients and take five minutes to make this delectable seasoning, especially for use in this mind-blowingly delicious recipe for cube steak in the crock pot.
You will not find a whole-food, healthy substitute that can bring the same level of scrumptious flavor to Crock Pot Beef Cubed Steak with Gravy as my homemade beef bouillon powder.
Cube steak is also fairly economical. I can get four cube steaks for under $8.00. So, it’s not only a fantastically delicious meal but also affordable.
Whether fall colors in Ontario inspire you to bust out the crock pot or the crisp cool temperatures of harvest time in the Midwest turn your mind to hearty, beefy dinners, this delicious cube steak recipe is going to be a hit.
No matter where you live, when the season merits a delicious and easy dish that satisfies everyone’s need for homey, satisfying, comfort food, this will be your go-to recipe.
You and your family are gonna love Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak! I can’t wait for you to try it!
The Ingredients
- Beef Cube Steaks (may be labeled cube steak, cubed steak, minute steak or swiss/swissed steak)
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup: Today, I opted for quick and easy prep, but you could definitely use homemade cream of mushroom if you prefer it to canned.
- Beef Broth: I used store-bought broth in this recipe. If you have homemade beef stock, it should be delicious in this Crockpot Cube Steak recipe.
- Red Onion: I always have red onion on hand. I love the color it adds to dishes and prefer the flavor. That being said, white or yellow onions will work equally well.
- Homemade Beef Bouillon Powder / Umami Seasoning (see below for possible substitutions)
What Is Beef Cube Steak?
Depending on where you’re from, you may see cube steak labeled as cubed steak, minute steak or swiss/swissed steak, too.
Top or bottom round beef steak (or sometimes sirloin) is run through a special tenderizing machine to create cube steak. The mechanical tenderizing appliance is called a cuber or swissing machine.
It pounds cube-shaped indentations into the meat to help break down tougher tissue and make it more tender.
Occasionally, tougher cuts of pork steak can be found that have been tenderized in the same way. You could try those in this Crockpot Cube Steak recipe, but we prefer beef.
If you have a meat mallet, you can use the cubing or swissing side to pound the same cube-shaped indentations into tougher cuts of meat right at home.
Homemade Beef Bouillon vs Commercial Bouillon vs Onion Soup Mix?
Can I Just Use Store-Bought Beef Bouillon Powder?
I haven’t tried this Slow Cooker Cube Steak recipe with commercial beef bouillon powder, though I do believe that you probably can use it. You are going to have to adjust how much you use, however. Here’s how I would start.
Commercial bouillon is mostly salt, some fillers and sugar with MSG, a small amount of beef fat, and some soy and wheat. It is not gluten-free. So keep in mind that by adding commercial bouillon the dominant flavor you will notice is salt.
If using store-bought bouillon, instead of tossing everything in the slow cooker to make your Slow Cooker Cube Steak, mix the soup, broth and bouillon in a bowl first. Only start with 1 Tablespoon of the store-bought beef bouillon.
Add 1 Tablespoon of a commercial brand bouillon and then taste it. If it needs more salt, add more bouillon, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired saltiness.
My homemade beef bouillon powder features many other flavors to mimic savory, umami beef. It’s deeply mushroom-y and herbaceous. It contains many herbs, along with dehydrated vegetables and seasonings that are familiar complements to beef. Commercial bouillon powder won’t have those. So, that will affect the flavors in your Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak, too.
Once again, I encourage you to mix the liquids in a bowl and add the commercial bouillon. Taste as you go and consider adding additional herbs and seasonings to create that delicious beefy umami flavor I get from adding just my beef bouillon powder.
As a caution, many familiar brands of commercial bouillon contain MSG. If you, or someone you cook for, are sensitive or allergic you will want to carefully read labels before purchasing bouillon.
What is Onion Soup Mix?
I’ll point out all the same issues with onion soup mix. Fillers, anti-clumping agents, possibly MSG, etc., so check the label.
That being said, I would always choose commercial onion soup mix over commercial bouillon when seasoning beef dishes, especially this crock pot cubed steak. Here’s why.
Onion soup uses beef bouillon as just one of it’s ingredients. Typically, it also contains dried onion flakes, onion powder, parsley, celery seed, paprika and black pepper.
So onion soup mix definitely expands a bit on the flavor profile of just plain commercial beef bouillon.
It doesn’t contain the deep umami flavor punching ingredients that homemade beef bouillon does, but it definitely goes beyond what commercial beef bouillon will bring to the table.
FAQ’s
Yes. Place the onions into a lightly sprayed 9×13 pan, instead of your slow cooker. Then layer the cube steaks over the top. Whisk together the cream soup, bouillon and beef broth. Pour over the meat. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350° F for 2 hours, until cube steak is very tender. Voila! Crock Pot Cube Steaks in the oven.
When we’re talking about beef, tougher cuts of meat do well in a slow cooker. They are less expensive and create a more flavorful, fall apart tender end result.
Think of chuck roast, rump roast, round steak, brisket, skirt steak, bottom round roast and ox-tail. Blade chuck, arm roasts or arm chuck, eye of round (not rib eye), short ribs and flank steak also do well in the slow cooker.
Fattier and bone-in cuts tend to produce more flavor. If you don’t have good fat marbling in the cut you choose, you can add one piece of oxtail or a beef shank or even one short rib to the slow cooker to help create the unctuous broth and deep beefy flavor you want.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak
We love Crockpot Cube Steak over creamy mashed potatoes. The cube steaks with gravy are also delicious served with brown rice, egg noodles or homemade pasta.
Any number of vegetable side dishes or salads would be fantastic with slow cooker cube steak and gravy. We have eaten it with roasted asparagus and with air fryer green beans. It’s scrumptious with Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, too. Green salads in every form are also delicious accompaniments to Crock Pot Cube Steak. We particularly enjoy it with this Kale Salad with Apple and Roasted Butternut Squash.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cube Steak
(Full How-To Video in Recipe Card)
- Small dice the onion and spread it in the bottom of your slow cooker insert.
- Lay the cube steaks over the onion.
- Add in the homemade beef bouillon powder (or onion soup mix) and pour the beef broth over that.
- Add both cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup and use a fork to combine the soup with the bouillon powder. It doesn’t need to be perfect. They’ll come together as the cube steak cooks.
- Cover the crock pot and set it on low.
- Cook the Crockpot Cube Steak for 6 to 8 hours or until the steaks are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Remove the steaks from the crock-pot and use a stick blender to whiz up the onions in the sauce the beef made. This will thicken it to be more gravy-like. (You could do this in a regular blender, too.) Alternatively, you could use the sauce as is. It will just be thinner and have more onion chunks in it.
- Serve the crockpot cube steak and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with your favorite veggie sides.
The Recipe
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Crock Pot Cube Steak
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Crock Pot Cube Steak is a delectable and comforting meal whether you serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice. Tender, beefy steak and a delicious savory gravy cook in your slow cooker all day, so you come home to a family favorite meal you can have on the table in minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks
- 2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery or chicken)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 large red onion minced (white or yellow also work)
- 3 Tablespoons homemade beef bouillon powder (or 1 packet onion soup mix)
Instructions
- Small dice the onion and spread it in the bottom of your slow cooker insert.
- Lay the cube steaks over the onion.
- Add in the homemade beef bouillon powder (or onion soup mix) and pour the beef broth over that.
- Add both cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup and use a fork to combine the soup with the bouillon powder. It doesn’t need to be perfect. They’ll come together as the cube steak cooks.
- Cover the crock pot and set it on low.
- Cook the Crock Pot Cube Steak for 6 to 8 hours or until the steaks are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Remove the steaks from the crock-pot and use a stick blender to whiz up the onions in the sauce the beef made. This will thicken it to be more gravy-like. (You could do this in a regular blender, too.) Alternatively, you could use the sauce as is. It will just be thinner and have more onion chunks in it.
- Serve the crock pot cube steak and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with your favorite veggie sides.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Main Dish, Beef, Slow Cooker
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
Salads to Serve Cube Steak With
- Bell Pepper Salad, Easy Delicious and Crunchy
- Shirazi Salad (Easy Persian Cucumber Salad)
- Coleslaw with Homemade Coleslaw Dressing
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Mandarin Orange Salad | Easy 5‑Ingredient Orange Jello Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad Recipe
- Easy Delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad Recipe
- Potato Salad | My Secret Ingredient to Make it Perfect
More Delicious Beef Recipes
- Easy Salisbury Steak, from Laura, at Little House Big Alaska
- Instant Pot Rump Roast, from Lara, at LaraClevenger.com
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
I had never cooked with cube steak before and was a little nervous but this turned out perfectly. We had it with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was a hit with my whole family – even my children!
Yay! Maria, I’m so glad your family enjoyed it!
This was great! I used frozen onion to save myself some time and it still turned out fantastic. Everyone raved over this and requested that I make it again soon.
Jan, frozen onion is so handy and a great idea in this recipe. Happy to hear everyone is ready for seconds!
I used a meat mallet to tenderize some round steaks I had on hand, and they turned out perfectly. The slow cooker did all the work, and the gravy was so tasty.
Pearl that’s awesome! Way to make the recipe your own!
My husband and I love this recipe. This is my 3rd time making this and always on point. Thanks!
So glad it’s a hit for you, Ali! I love having a handful of recipes that are easy, affordable and delicious for my family. This is one of our favorites, too!
How wonderful! My mom used to make cube steak in the crock pot and I never got her recipe. This one is exactly like she used to make – thank you!
Erica, I’m so glad. The memories surrounding food can be some of the most powerful and special.
I don’t see the homemade beef bouillon recipe on here. Can you give it to me please.
Linda, of course. The link in the post leads to the recipe. It is at https://glendaembree.com/beef-bouillon-powder. When you read the post it will give tips on sourcing all the ingredients.
Homemade Beef Bouillon Powder
4 Tablespoons mushroom powder (blended varieties or shitake)
2 Tablespoons tomato powder
2 Tablespoons fine sea salt
2 Tablespoons tamari powder
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 Tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Place all the ingredients in a smoothie blender or your high speed blender.
Blend them together into a fine powder.
Store your bouillon powder in an airtight container in a cool dark pantry or cupboard like all your herbs, seasonings and spices.
Question:can I prep this the night before and cook the next day in the crockpot?
Tanya, I have never tried it, but I don’t know why you couldn’t. If you’re setting the whole crock pot stoneware in the fridge, I might bring it out a half hour or so before cooking. I would think having an ice cold crock inserted into the heat of a crockpot might crack it. Just specualting. I would probably mix it all, toss it in a gallon ziptop bag and then dump it into the crockpot when I was ready to cook it. I’m curious now, too. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Loved this steak. It was easy and fast to make.
Two of my favorite things about using a slow cooker! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Talas!
This was spectacular over rice! Tender, creamy, and super comforting.
Oooohh! That sounds scrumptious! Glad you are enjoying it, Gene.
My whole family loved this dish! I threw it in the crockpot in the morning and when we were ready for dinner we had a fantastic meal. It is the best kind of comfort food- easy and delicious.
Perfect! I’m happy to hear it was a hit, Dana!
Sooo good! I used an immersion blender to make the gravy, and it was absolutely delicious. Will be making this again!
Thank you, Sara! That’s how I like to do it, too.
Crock Pot recipes are my go to for easy dinners and this cube steak did not disappoint. My family really enjoyed it.
I’m so happy you shared that, Lisa. Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
This was the perfect set it and forget it slow cooker meal. Super comforting and devoured!
Thank you, Gina! I’m happy it was a recipe you will be able to enjoy over and over, again.
Super enjoyed making this! And it turned out so delicious! Thanks for this recipe
You’re so welcome, Cam!
This reminds me of our Sunday lunches with our family. So cozy and gives me a lot of memories. Delicious.
Thank you, Greta! I’m glad you enjoy it!
Served this cube steak over pasta and it was sooo good! Everyone in the family enjoyed it!
It’s a great combo, Shar! Glad you made it your own.