Easy Crock Pot Cube Steak

Crock Pot Cube Steak is a simple 5-ingredient slow cooker recipe that creates melt-in-your-mouth tender cube steaks and luscious beefy gravy.

Some dishes are just 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 cube steaks slow cooks in a deeply flavorful gravy and become deliciously tender. The aromas of savory beef fill the house as it cooks. And the meal it delivers is heavenly!

That exceptional flavor is due in large part to my homemade beef bouillon powder / umami seasoning. I will outline possible substitutes in the post, below.

But, I really do encourage you to source the ingredients and take the five minutes to make this delectable seasoning. Especially for use in this mind-blowingly delicious recipe for cube steak in the crock pot.

In my opinion, you will not find a whole food and healthy substitute that can bring the same level of scrumptious flavor as my homemade beef bouillon powder does to Crock Pot Cubed Steak with gravy.

Cube steak is fairly economical, as well. I can get 4 cube steaks for under $8.00. So, it’s not only a fantastically delicious meal, it’s also affordable.

You and your family are gonna love Crockpot Cube Steak! I can’t wait for you to try it!

The Ingredients

• Cube Steaks (may be labeled cube steak, cubed steak, minute steak or swiss 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 just 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 Cube Steak?

Depending on where you’re from, you may see cube steak labeled as cubed steak, minute steak or swiss steak, too.

To create cube steak, top or bottom round beef steak (or sometimes sirloin) is run through a special tenderizing machine. 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, you can find tougher cuts of pork steak that have been tenderized in the same way. You could try those in this Crockpot Cube Steak recipe, but we prefer beef.

And, 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 you have, 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 Crock Pot 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, some soy and wheat. It is not gluten free. So keep in mind that what you will mostly taste from adding it, is salt.

If using store-bought bouillon, instead of tossing everything in the slow cooker to make your Crockpot Cube Steak, mix the soup, broth and bouillon in a bowl, first. And 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 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired saltiness.

My homemade beef bouillon powder is also deeply mushroom-y and herbaceous. It contains many herbs, along with dehydrated vegetables and seasonings that complement beef. Commercial bouillon powder won’t have those. So, that will affect the flavors in your Crock Pot 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

What to Serve With Crock Pot Cube Steaks

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 Crockpot Cube Steak

(Full How-To Video in Recipe Card)

1. Small dice the onion and spread it in the bottom of your slow cooker insert.
2. Lay the cube steaks over the onion.
3. Add in the homemade beef bouillon powder (or onion soup mix) and pour the beef broth over that.
4. 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.
5. Cover the crock pot and set it on low.
6. Cook the Crockpot Cube Steak for 6 to 8 hours or until the steaks are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
7. 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.
8. Serve the crockpot cube steak and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with your favorite veggie sides.

The Recipe

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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