Easy Beef Cube Steak

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/10/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Easy Beef Cube Steak

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 steaks

This easy beef cube steak recipe is not only fast, but can easily be a budget-friendly meal. The fuss-free dish gets its great flavor from caramelized onions. Feel free to add the mushrooms or leave them out if you aren't a fan. Either way, get ready for a tasty, comforting meal with boiled or mashed potatoes and your favorite side vegetables. Cream-style corn, steamed green beans, peas and carrots, or roasted vegetables are all excellent choices.

Cube steaks are portions of top or bottom round that have been tenderized by being run through a special machine. The tenderized steaks are usually quite thin, so they cook quickly. Onions pair nicely with the cube steaks, and they add flavor.

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Ingredients

  • 4 (6-ounce) beef cube steaks

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or more as needed

  • 2 large onions. sliced

  • 1 pound mushrooms. sliced, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Beef Cube Steak ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Season the cube steaks generously with salt and pepper.

    Season the cube steaks generously with salt and pepper

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the onions, and cook until they are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, if using, and sauté 10 minutes or until the onions have caramelized, the mushrooms are nearly cooked, and the mushroom liquid has almost evaporated.

    Saute onions and mushrooms with butter in a pan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Push the vegetables to one side and add the cube steaks (in batches, if necessary) and more butter, if necessary. Fry the steaks quickly―about 2 to 3 minutes per side―until done.

    Fry cube steaks quickly with mushrooms and onions to side in a pan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Portion cube steaks with caramelized onions and mushrooms on heated plates and drizzle any accumulated juices over the meat. Serve with rye bread and boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes.

    Portion cube steaks and serve with onions and mushrooms

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • Don't overcook cube steak, otherwise it'll become tough.
  • Contrary to what you might think, cubing is a technique, not a cut of steak. Cubing is the process of running any tough cut of meat, be it beef, pork, venison or another protein, through a machine that cuts through tough sinew in a crosshatch pattern and gives the meat a cubed appearance and, thus, its name.
  • If you're short on time, sauté the onions (with the mushrooms, if using) for about 8 to 10 minutes and skip the extra 10 minutes it takes to caramelize them.

Recipe Variations

  • Add color to the cube steaks with a garnish of parsley, chives, or green onion tops.
  • Make a simple brown gravy to go with the steaks and onions.
  • Brush the steaks lightly with Worcestershire sauce before they go into the pan.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Refrigerate cooked steak in a covered container and use within three to four days.
  • To reheat leftover cooked cube steaks, place them in a foil-lined pan and cover with the onions. Cover the pan with foil and heat in a 350 F oven for about 10 to 20 minutes, or until the register at least 165 F on an instant-read thermometer.
  • Freeze leftover cube steaks and onions in an airtight container for up to four months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Can I make my own cube steaks?

You can make your own cube steaks with a meat tenderizing tool. There are several options on the market, including blade type, roller type, and textured mallets. Use precut thin round steaks or cut a larger steak into portions. Just run the tenderizing tool over both sides of the meat or pound with a textured meat mallet. You can even use a knife, just make sure to make cuts only about 1/8-inch into both sides of the steak .

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
492 Calories
30g Fat
7g Carbs
47g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 492
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 13g 66%
Cholesterol 172mg 57%
Sodium 407mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 47g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 681mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)