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This slow cooker Salisbury Steak is one of my favorite crock-pot recipes. “Comfort food at its finest” is how I describe these beef patties that are lightly seasoned and simmered in a rich, velvety gravy infused with onions and mushrooms. Serve over my mashed potato or rice recipes, or you can serve it with wide egg noodles. Make a quick salad or steamed vegetables like broccoli or carrots for a side. With very little hands-on preparation time you’ll have a meal that the whole family will love!

Table of Contents hide

1 Ingredients for Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

1.1 For the Steaks

1.2 For the Sauce

1.3 Added to the Slow Cooker

2 Tips for Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

3 How to Make Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

3.1 Making the Patties

3.2 Making the Gravy

3.3 Preparing the Slow Cooker

4 Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

4.1 Ingredients

4.2 Instructions

4.3 Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

The first step to preparing this, or any recipe, is to read and understand the recipe, collect all the necessary equipment, then gather and measure all the ingredients required to make this Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak recipe. In culinary terms, this is called “Mise en Place,” which means “Everything in its Place.” Prereading the recipe, preparing ingredients, and setting up any needed equipment in advance not only speeds up cooking but also ensures you are familiar with each of the recipe steps, and that all the necessary components of the recipe are within reach and ready for the dish.

For the Steaks

Lean Ground Beef – A 93/7 or 90/10 blend is best in my opinion. They patties will remain juicy because of the gravy they cook in.
Crushed Saltine Crackers – I recommend crackers instead of bread crumbs for this recipe. They add a depth of flavor that bread crumbs don’t bring to the dish. Unsalted saltines are preferred so you will have complete control of the salt content. If you use salted crackers, reduce the salt added to the hamburger mixture by half.
Eggs – In this recipe, eggs act as a binder, holding the meat mixture together during cooking.
Ketchup – Use your favorite ketchup as it will add a subtle tanginess to the patties.
Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a layer of complex flavor. I recommend using the best Worcestershire Sauce you can find.
Garlic – Crushed and minced. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute garlic powder.
Kosher Salt – If you don’t have Kosher salt, you can substitute with half as much table salt.
Fresh Ground Pepper

For the Sauce

Can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup – You may substitute with store bought plain wrap soup however the flavor won’t be as intense.
Can of Campbells Beef Consommé – If you don’t have Beef Consommé, you may add a second package of Aus Jus mix. Be sure to taste the sauce before you add any additional salt.
Package of Lipton’s Beefy Onion Soup Mix – The Beefy Onion Soup mix may be difficult to find in rural areas of the United States. Lipton Onion Soup mix can be substituted (or the plain wrap equivalent).
Package of McCormick Aus Jus Mix – The Aus Jus intensifies the beef flavor in the sauce. Plain wrap can be used although the flavor may be less bold.

Added to the Slow Cooker

Vidalia Onion – Sliced into 1/4 inch slices
Fresh Mushroom Slices – Store bought sliced fresh mushrooms are perfect. You can also use canned sliced mushrooms in a pinch.

Tips for Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

Make Your Own Patties: I’ve seen recipes that call for frozen hamburger patties. To make this recipe extraordinary, I encourage you to make your own beef patties. It doesn’t take that long, it’s very easy to do, and they will have a depth of flavor and texture that frozen patties simply won’t have.
Add some Char to the Patties: I use a grill pan. It’s perfect for adding just the right amount of char to enhance the flavor. Be careful not to overcook the patties at this point. You only want to cook the patties enough to help hold them together while cooking.

How to Make Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

Making the Patties

Make Clean-up Easy – First thing, spray your crock pot with non-stick spray.
Crush the Saltine Crackers – You’ll need one tube of crackers. A food processor makes short work of crushing them, or you can place the crackers into a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
Combine the Beef Patty Ingredients – Using a large mixing bowl, add the hamburger, crushed crackers, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix the ingredients by hand until the ingredients are just combined. Over mixing can lead to overly dense patties that can become tough while cooking.
Form the Patties – I use a scale and measure 8 ounces per patty. Of course you can adjust the size of your patties. Form the patties by hand or use a burger press. For this recipe, either method works well. Set the patties aside.
Sear/Char the Patties – Using a very hot cast iron skillet, sear the patties for 2 minutes per side. I use a grill pan for this step. It creates nice grill marks and the perfect amount of char. You aren’t cooking the patties. simply beginning the cooking process to help them hold together while cooking in the slow cooker.

Making the Gravy

Combine the Ingredients – Into a medium sized mixing bowl, add the Cream of Mushroom soup, the Beef Consommé, the Lipton Soup mix, and the Aus Jus mix. Using a whisk, stir until evenly combined and smooth. Taste the sauce, add salt and pepper to your preference.

Preparing the Slow Cooker

Arrange the onion slices in a single layer on the bottom of the crock pot.

Place the beef patties on top of the onions.
Spread the mushrooms evenly over the patties.

Pour the sauce over the mushrooms. I try to evenly distribute the sauce as I pour it. Don’t worry if it’s not covering all of the mushrooms or patties. It will cover everything during the cooking process.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.