Amish Hamburger Steak Bake is tender, seasoned hamburger steaks browned in a skillet and baked in a creamy mushroom gravy until they are soft enough to cut with a fork. It is old-fashioned comfort food for a chilly weeknight, and one pan feeds 8.
How to make Amish hamburger steak bake: Mix ground beef with saltines, milk and seasonings, shape 8 patties, dust them in flour and brown them. Cover with a mushroom soup gravy and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered.
Why You’ll Love It
- Soft, juicy steaks: saltines and milk keep the beef tender through the long bake.
- Gravy made for you: the soup and milk bake into a creamy sauce for mashed potatoes or rice.
- Feeds a crowd: 2 pounds of beef makes 8 steaks in one 9×13-inch dish.
- Hands-off finish: once the steaks are browned, the oven does the rest.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Two pounds make 8 good-sized steaks. Any everyday ground beef works; the flour coating and the gravy keep it moist.
Saltine crackers and milk: This is what makes the steaks tender instead of dense. Crumble the crackers finely so they soak up the milk and disappear into the meat.
Italian herbs, onion powder and garlic powder: They season the beef all the way through. A dash of cayenne is optional; I add it for a little warmth under the mild gravy.
Flour: A light coat helps the patties brown and slightly thickens the gravy as they bake. Tap off the excess so the crust stays thin.
Cream of mushroom soup and milk: Whisk them together until smooth before pouring, so the gravy bakes up creamy with no lumps.
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups saltine crackers, crumbled
- 1 cup milk, for the beef mixture
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper, a dash, optional
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk, for the gravy
How to Make Amish Hamburger Steak Bake
1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix the beef. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crumbled saltines, 1 cup of milk, Italian herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne if using, salt and pepper. Mix until evenly combined.
3. Shape the steaks. Form the mixture into 1/2-inch-thick patties. You should get about 8 steaks of even size.
4. Flour them. Lightly coat each steak in flour, tapping off the excess.
5. Brown. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, adding a little oil if needed. Brown the steaks for about 2-3 minutes per side until they have a golden crust.
6. Arrange. Place the browned steaks in the greased baking dish in a single layer.
7. Add the gravy. Whisk the condensed cream of mushroom soup with the remaining cup of milk until smooth and pour it evenly over the steaks.
8. Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more, until the gravy bubbles and the steaks reach 160°F on a food thermometer.
9. Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for a few minutes, then serve the steaks hot with mashed potatoes or over rice.
How to Keep the Steaks Tender
The crackers and milk do the most important work. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes after mixing so the saltines soften, then shape the patties gently. Pressing and packing the beef makes a tight, springy steak.
Browning is only for color and flavor. Two to three minutes per side gives a golden crust without cooking the steaks through, because they finish slowly in the gravy.
The foil matters too. I keep the dish covered for the first 30 minutes so the steaks braise in the gravy instead of drying out, then uncover it so the sauce thickens and bubbles.
Tips for Success
Why do my hamburger steaks fall apart?
They were shaped too thin or flipped too early. Keep them about 1/2 inch thick and wait until the first side has a golden crust before turning.
Why is my gravy thin?
The dish stayed covered the whole time. The last 10 minutes uncovered let the gravy reduce and thicken.
Why is the flour coating pasty?
Too much flour stayed on the steaks. Tap off the excess so only a thin layer remains before browning.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers; they keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator, cold water or microwave, not on the counter. Reheat the steaks and gravy until a food thermometer reads 165°F, bringing the gravy to a boil.
What to Serve With It
Mashed potatoes are the classic partner, with green beans or corn on the side, and rice works just as well for soaking up the gravy. For more gravy-and-beef dinners, try hamburger steaks with onion mushroom gravy or ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes. For a slow cooker day, there is Salisbury steak meatballs, Amish pot roast or Amish ground beef gravy noodles. And if you want everything in one dish, bake the 5-ingredient hamburger potato casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Amish hamburger steak?
A hamburger patty softened with crumbled saltines and milk, dusted in flour, browned and then baked in a creamy mushroom gravy. The result is a tender, fork-soft steak that is plain, filling and made from pantry ingredients.
Can I use breadcrumbs instead of saltines?
Yes. Plain breadcrumbs soak up the milk the same way. Saltines add a little saltiness, so taste before salting if you switch.
Can I make it ahead?
Shape and brown the steaks, then refrigerate them in the dish. Add the gravy just before baking and allow a little extra time, since the steaks start cold.
Final Notes
Give the cracker mixture a few minutes to soak before you shape the patties, and the steaks will stay soft. If you have a question or make it for dinner, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Amish Hamburger Steak Bake
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups saltine crackers crumbled
- 1 cup milk for beef mixture
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- cayenne pepper dash, optional
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 cup milk for gravy
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crumbled saltine crackers, 1 cup of milk, Italian herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (optional), salt, and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Form the beef mixture into 1/2-inch-thick patties. This recipe should make about 8 evenly-sized steaks.
- Lightly coat each steak in flour, tapping off any excess.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, adding a bit of oil if needed. Brown the steaks on each side until they develop a golden crust, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place the browned steaks in the greased baking dish, arranging them in a single layer.
- In a bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the remaining cup of milk until smooth. Pour the gravy evenly over the steaks.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the gravy is bubbling and the steaks reach 160°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve the hamburger steaks hot with mashed potatoes or over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
