This Salisbury Steak For One is single serving comfort food at it's finest. Low in carbs and topped with a mushroom, onion gravy. Made with pantry staples, this comforting meal can be ready in minutes!

Salisbury steak has always been one of my favorite meals. Growing up I didn't eat a lot of packaged foods. My mother mostly made dinners from scratch. I rarely ate sweetened boxed cereal and sodas were strictly forbidden.
Once in a while though, when my mother had a particularly long day at the office and she didn't feel like cooking, she would open up a frozen dinner and salisbury steak was always my favorite.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Why This Recipe Works
- This Salisbury steak recipe comes together quickly and can be ready in just 30 minutes!
- It's a delicious way to use ground beef.
- This recipe yields the perfect amount for one person.
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Ingredients
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Ground beef: I typically use 80% ground beef for this dish. This means that the ground beef has a 20% fat content. You can use any percentage of ground beef you prefer.
- Beef Patty Ingredients: Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this Salisbury steak recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Gravy ingredients: butter, sliced onions, sliced mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and sour cream.
How To Make This Recipe
In many recipes you will find Salisbury Steak made with fillers such as bread crumbs. I decided I wanted to make this Salisbury Steak a low carb, keto version (as Dr. Salisbury did) so I chose to eliminate bread crumbs and other fillers from my recipe. I love the spices used in this recipe and don't think bread crumbs are necessary. Detailed Salisbury Steak recipe below.
- First step in making Salisbury Steak is to mix together ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Form the ground beef mixture into a round or oval patty and fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat on both sides until meat is no longer pink in the middle.
- Remove the beef patty from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil while you make the gravy.
For The Gravy
- Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in the same skillet.
- Add sliced onions and sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until softened.
- Stir in a little Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. As the gravy simmers, it will reduce. After simmering for 4-5 minutes, pour the gravy over the steak and enjoy.
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Expert Tips
- Feel free to use different meat or a combination of meats. Consider using ground turkey, chicken, or venison.
- Serve this dish over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
- You can make the beef patty a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salisbury Steak has been around since the late 1800's. It's a dish made of ground beef and spices and isn't really a steak at all. It's more of a seasoned hamburger patty typically served with brown gravy.
Salisbury Steak is named after Dr. James Salisbury, a 19th century American physician who had very interesting ideas about diet. He believed that food was the key to health and that certain foods could cure illnesses. He tested his theory during the Civil War treating soldiers.
Dr. Salisbury also believed that vegetables and starchy foods produced poisonous substances in the digestive system and his "Salisbury Steak" was the perfect food to cure many ailments. He advocated eating meat in large portions, and limiting fruits, vegetables and fats. He can actually be credited with starting the first low carb diet craze.
Typically, Salisbury Steak is served with mashed potatoes.
I like to keep my meals low carb when I can and enjoy mine with a side of green beans or other vegetable. You might also like to serve yours with any of these single serving recipes:
Roasted brussels sprouts
Avocado Salad
French fries
Scalloped Potatoes
Honey Roasted Carrots
Mini Irish Soda Bread
Rice For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this salisbury steak recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving recipes.
- Ground beef: Lasagna For One, Mini Meatloaf, Giant Italian Meatball
- Worcestershire sauce: Shrimp Creole, Baked Beans, Beef Stew
- Mushrooms: Beef Stroganoff, Thai Shrimp Soup, Risotto
- Onions: Goulash, Pumpkin Soup, Rice Pilaf
- Beef broth: Irish Stew, Minestrone Soup
- Sour cream: Swedish Meatballs, Taco Salad, Twice Baked Potato
For this recipe I use a 10-inch skillet. For best results, use a pan of similar size. If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this salisbury steak or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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RELATED: Easy Single Serving Ground Beef Recipes
Salisbury Steak Recipe For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF PATTY
- 8 ounces ground beef
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE GRAVY
- ½ tablespoon salted butter
- 2 ½ ounces sliced onions (about ¼ small onion)
- ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon sour cream
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together until well combined. Flatten the seasoned ground beef into a round patty, about ½-inch thick.
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat. Add the ground beef patty to the hot skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side or until burger is no longer rare. Remove the burger patty from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover plate with aluminum foil and set aside.
TO MAKE THE GRAVY
- Return the skillet to the heat and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the beef broth, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
- Stir in the sour cream and mix well. Add the ground beef patty back to the pan and cook for a minute more, spooning some of the sauce over the meat as it heats.
- Remove the beef patty from the pan and place on a plate. Pour the sauce over the top and enjoy.
Notes
- Feel free to use different meat or a combination of meats. Consider using ground turkey, chicken, or venison.
- Serve this dish over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
- You can make the beef patty a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Kitty Letsch says
We loved the Salisbury steak. A half a pound of ground beef was enough for the both of us but I doubled the sauce ingredients and the mushrooms and onions. I didn’t have sour cream so I used a little flour to thicken the sauce. And it was terrific with mashed potatoes!
Beth H says
I'm looking forward to trying this...since I don't eat any dairy, what could I use in the gravy in place of the sour cream...
Joanie Zisk says
I don't think you even really need a substitute. The sauce will still be delicious.
Mike G. says
As a single guy who lives alone, this is just what I was looking for. Delicious, easy and quick comfort food, thank you.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the Salisbury Steak, Mike. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Doreen says
Definitely adding to the rotation. Absolutely delicious.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Doreen. Thank you for your feedback.