Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

This Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy is honestly one of those recipes that just makes your whole house smell incredible! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked in the door after a busy day to the most amazing aroma wafting from the kitchen.

What I absolutely love about this dish is how it takes me right back to childhood Sunday dinners at my mum’s house. You know that feeling when you taste something that just wraps you in a warm hug? That’s exactly what this does – it’s proper comfort food that fills your belly and your heart.

I’ll be honest, the first time I made this, I was a bit skeptical about whether slow cooker Salisbury steak would actually work. But oh my goodness, I was so wrong! The patties come out incredibly tender, and that mushroom gravy… don’t even get me started on how good it is!

This has become such a regular in our dinner rotation that my kids now ask for “Mum’s special steak” at least once a week. Even my husband, who’s usually quite picky about anything that resembles meatloaf, absolutely devours this.

Love cozy comfort food dinners? You’ve got to try my Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff and Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Casserole too – they’re all family tested and approved!

“Making this recipe for the third time tonight—can’t get enough of that amazing sauce!” – Holly

Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe

It’s Like a Warm Hug on a Plate! Seriously, there’s something so comforting about tender beef patties swimming in rich, creamy mushroom gravy that just makes everything better.

Your Slow Cooker Does All the Hard Work! I love recipes where I can do a bit of prep in the morning, dump everything in, and come home to dinner basically ready. This is exactly that kind of recipe!

Even Fussy Eaters Love It. I’m not even kidding – my nephew who literally lives on chicken nuggets actually asked for seconds of this. If that’s not a testament to how good it is, I don’t know what is!

It Won’t Break the Bank. Using good old-fashioned mince to create something that tastes like you’ve been cooking all day? Yes please! It’s such a clever way to make a little go a long way.

The Leftovers Are Even Better. You know how some dishes just get better overnight? This is definitely one of those. The flavours just meld together beautifully, and it reheats like a dream.

Perfect for Meal Prep Sunday. I often make a double batch on weekends and freeze half for those crazy busy weeks when I can barely think straight, let alone cook!

What You’ll Need

I love how this recipe uses such simple, everyday ingredients but creates something that tastes so special! Most of this stuff, you probably already have sitting in your pantry and fridge.

Note: All the exact measurements are down in the recipe card – I promise I haven’t forgotten them!

Good Quality Beef Mince – I usually go for something that’s not too lean because a little bit of fat keeps everything lovely and juicy. Trust me on this one!

One Egg – this is what holds everything together and keeps the patties from falling apart in the slow cooker.

Onion – I use some diced up in the patties and some sliced for the bottom of the slow cooker. It adds such lovely sweetness.

Fresh Breadcrumbs – these make the patties so much more tender than just using mince alone. I often make my own from day-old bread.

Garlic – because everything’s better with garlic, right? I use fresh because it just tastes so much better.

Lovely Herbs – dried thyme and rosemary give these patties something really special. Sometimes I’ll grab fresh from my herb garden if I’ve got them.

Mushrooms – I go for button mushrooms because they hold up well to the long cooking, but honestly, use whatever you’ve got.

Beef Stock – this creates the base for that gorgeous rich gravy. I usually keep some good quality cubes in the pantry.

A Few Flavour Boosters – tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce might seem random, but they create such incredible depth in the gravy.

How I Make This Salisbury Steak

I’ve made this so many times now that I could probably do it with my eyes closed! It’s honestly such a straightforward recipe, but the results are just incredible.

Step 1: Mix Up the Patties I pop all the patty ingredients in a big bowl and mix them together really gently – and I mean gently! I learned the hard way that if you overwork mince, you end up with tough, dense patties that nobody wants.

Step 2: Get Them Golden This is the step that makes ALL the difference. I heat up a good glug of oil in my trusty frying pan and brown those patties until they’re gorgeous and golden. Yes, it’s an extra step, but the flavour it adds is absolutely worth it.

Step 3: Layer Up the Slow Cooker I scatter the sliced onions and mushrooms in the bottom of my slow cooker – they create this amazing flavour base and stop anything from sticking.

Step 4: Nestle Those Beauties In The golden patties go right on top of the veggies. I always feel quite proud at this point because it all looks so promising!

Step 5: Whisk Up Magic I mix up all the gravy ingredients in a jug – stock, gravy mix, and all those lovely flavour boosters. It might look a bit ordinary at this stage, but trust the process!

Step 6: Let the Slow Cooker Work Everything gets poured over, the lid goes on, and then I basically forget about it for the next 5-6 hours. This is when the magic happens – all those flavours just meld together beautifully.

Step 7: The Final Touch If I want extra-thick gravy (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), I’ll whisk up a little cornflour with some cold water and stir it through in the last half hour. Game changer!

My Best Tips

Don’t Rush the Browning I know it’s tempting to skip this step when you’re in a hurry, but honestly, those golden edges add so much flavour. It’s what takes this from good to absolutely incredible.

Less is More with Mixing When I’m combining the patty mixture, I use my hands but I’m really gentle about it. Think of it like you’re folding laundry rather than kneading bread dough!

Let Your Slow Cooker Do Its Thing I’ve learned not to lift the lid and peek too often. Every time you do, you’re letting heat escape and it takes ages to get back up to temperature. Trust that it’s all happening beautifully in there!

Fresh Herbs Make a Difference If you’ve got fresh thyme or rosemary growing in the garden (or even on your windowsill), use about half the amount of fresh instead of dried. The flavour is just so much brighter.

Make Friends with Your Freezer This recipe doubles beautifully, and the cooked patties freeze like a dream. I often make extra and stash some away for those nights when I’m absolutely shattered.

The Day-After Magic Honestly, this tastes even better the next day. All those flavours just settle in together overnight, and it reheats beautifully for lunch or an easy dinner.

Questions I Get Asked

Can I use turkey mince instead? Absolutely! I’ve done this loads of times when turkey mince has been on special. Just add a tiny bit more seasoning because turkey can be a bit milder than beef.

Help! My patties are falling apart! This usually happens if the mince is too lean or if it’s been overmixed. Next time, choose mince with a bit more fat content and be really gentle when you’re combining everything.

What if I don’t have a slow cooker? You can definitely make this in a low oven instead! Pop it all in a covered casserole dish and cook at about 160°C for roughly the same time. Just keep an eye on it.

My gravy’s a bit thin – what can I do? Mix a tablespoon of cornflour with a bit of cold water until it’s smooth, then stir it through. Give it another 20-30 minutes and it should thicken up beautifully.

Can I prep this the night before? Yes! I often shape the patties and pop them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I just brown them and get everything in the slow cooker. Makes mornings so much easier!

What do you serve this with? Oh, so many things! Creamy mashed potatoes are classic, but it’s also gorgeous with buttery egg noodles or even just some crusty bread to mop up all that delicious gravy.

More Cozy Dinner Ideas

When I’m in the mood for proper comfort food that just makes everyone happy, these are my go-to recipes that never, ever disappoint:

WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

The kind of comfort food that just makes everything better! Tender, herb-seasoned beef patties in the most incredible rich mushroom gravy that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds.

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Comfort Food
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 420kcal

Ingredients

For the Patties:

500g beef mince (not too lean!)
1 large egg
60ml finely diced onion
60ml fresh breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil (for browning)

For the Base:

1 large onion, sliced
225g button mushrooms, sliced

For the Gravy:

500ml beef stock
1 packet brown gravy mix (30g)
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cornflour (optional, for thickening)
2 tbsp cold water (if using cornflour)

Instructions

In a large bowl, gently combine the mince, egg, diced onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Mix just until everything comes together – don’t overwork it!
Shape the mixture into 4 thick, oval patties. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and brown the patties on both sides until lovely and golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Pop the sliced onions and mushrooms in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Nestle the browned patties on top of all those lovely vegetables.
In a jug, whisk together the beef stock, gravy mix, tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce until it’s nice and smooth.
Pour this gorgeous mixture over the patties and vegetables in your slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours until the patties are incredibly tender and cooked right through.
If you want thicker gravy (and who doesn’t?), mix the cornflour with cold water to make a smooth paste. Stir this through during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Serve those beautiful patties with loads of the mushroom gravy over whatever takes your fancy – mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice are all gorgeous!

Notes

MY TRIED & TESTED TIPS

Be Gentle: When mixing the patties, use a light touch – overworking makes them tough and nobody wants that!
Browning is Everything: That golden sear adds incredible flavour, so don’t skip it even if you’re rushing.
Veggie Base: The onions and mushrooms stop sticking and add so much flavour to the gravy.
Fresh Herbs: If you’ve got fresh thyme and rosemary, use half the amount for even better flavour.
Mince Matters: Choose mince with some fat content – ultra-lean makes dry, sad patties.
Gravy Consistency: Every slow cooker’s different, so adjust thickness to your liking with that cornflour trick.
Even Better Tomorrow: The flavours get even more incredible overnight, so leftovers are a blessing!
Storage: Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze portions for up to 3 months.
Other Proteins: Turkey or chicken mince work beautifully too – just season a bit more generously.
Serving Ideas: Divine over creamy mash, buttery noodles, or with crusty bread for mopping up that gorgeous gravy.