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Slow Cooker Smothered Steak

Slow cooker smothered steak made with fork-tender cube or round steak slow-cooked in a rich onion-mushroom gravy. Sear first for a deep brown crust, then low-and-slow until the beef is fall-apart soft and the sauce turns velvety.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Steak
  • 2 lb cube steak or round steak
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
Smothering Gravy
  • 1 yellow onion large, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 packet (1 oz) onion soup mix
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp cold water for slurry
  • 3 tbsp cold water for cornstarch slurry
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.25 fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Serve with
  • mashed potatoes
  • white rice
  • egg noodles

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and sear the steak
  1. Pat the steaks dry and season both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear steaks for 2–3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms, but do not cook through; set aside.
Build the onion-mushroom mixture
  1. Add sliced onions to the same skillet and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened and slightly golden.
  2. Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, then cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat.
  3. Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
Slow cook
  1. Place the seared steaks into the slow cooker and pour the onion-mushroom mixture over the top.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining beef broth, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Pour over the steaks.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until steaks are tender and fall-apart soft.
Thicken and finish
  1. In the last 20 minutes, mix the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch with cold water) and stir it into the slow cooker.
  2. Add butter, replace the lid, and let the gravy thicken.
  3. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper, then garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles.

Notes

For extra velvety gravy, whisk the cornstarch slurry until completely smooth before adding it in the last 20 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze the cooked steak and gravy for up to 2 months. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium onion soup mix and reduced-sodium broth while keeping the same thickening method.