The Swiss Steak is a classic Sunday evening dinner that benefits from hours of slow braising. Want to whip this tasty dish up with a much shorter wait? Keep your kitchen cool by choosing the Instant Pot over a stovetop or oven recipe. The Instant Pot quickly softens the tougher cuts of beef used for this recipe while producing a rich gravy to serve alongside it. You’ll get rich flavor and the traditional tender steak experience without having to wait hours for the final result. Speed up the cooking process with these tips for making the best Instant Pot Swiss Steak.
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What Cuts of Meat Can I Use for Swiss Steak?
Not all cuts of steak will give you the desired results when using this recipe. Skip the high-end cuts like Porterhouse or Filet Mignon. Anything too tender to start with will simply fall apart after the braising step in a high-pressure Instant Pot. Instead, choose an affordable and flavorful cut like Bottom or Top Round for a steak that’s tender but not falling apart.
Bottom Round Steak
Perhaps the most commonly used cut of beef chosen for Swiss Steak, the Bottom Round Steak comes from a well-exercised muscle in the back leg of the cow. It’s tough enough to hold up under braising and other extended cooking methods. The high pressure of the Instant Pot won’t leave it falling apart but will make it tender enough to enjoy with just a fork.
Top Round Steak
The top section of the round primal cut also makes great steaks for making Swiss Steaks. It’s slightly leaner and more tender than the Bottom Round, but the flavor is a little less rich as well. Give it a try if Bottom Round Steaks aren’t available and you still need a cut that can handle the high-pressure cooking method.
Cubed Steak
The mechanically tenderized beef sold as Cubed Steak is often made with Bottom Round. Since it’s best to tenderize the meat before cooking Swiss Steak, it is possible to use Cubed Steak for this recipe. However, you’ll get the best results from buying whole steaks and tenderizing them yourself. The mechanical tenderizing process could leave the Cubed Steak falling apart after the braising or not quite as tender as you expected.
Preparing the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot only needs to start out clean and set up for the first stage of this recipe. After you’re done browning the steaks, peppers, and onions, you’ll need to deglaze the cooking insert and make sure there are no bits of food residue stuck on. This is known as fond and adds flavor to your gravy. But if any of it stays stuck on before you switch to the braising step, you’re likely to end up battling burn or scorch warnings that shut off your cooker. Make sure you’re getting the bottom of the cooking pot clean with a rubber spatula or bamboo scraper before adding the ingredients back for braising.
Preparing the Swiss Steak
The meat for the Swiss Steak requires a little preparation, but not as much as many other beef recipes. There’s little need to marinate or brine it since the Instant Pot will keep it juicy and flavorful. However, you’ll want to tenderize the meat if you haven’t chosen Cubed Steak for this recipe. Bottom and Top Round Steaks are easily tenderized by hand with a meat mallet or even the edge of a heavy plate if that’s all you have on hand.
Tenderizing
A meat or wood meat mallet is the best tenderizing tool for this recipe. You’ll simply let your steaks come up to room temperature by resting outside of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Then place each steak on a cutting board and pound the entire surface evenly until the steak is about half as thick as it was before. If you don’t have a purpose-made meat tenderizing mallet, try using a heavy-duty plate. Hold the plate sideways with both hands and pound the surface of the beef with the edge. Use a wood or plastic cutting board for this method so the plate doesn’t chip while you’re working.
Marinating
Avoid marinating the meat you plan to use for Swiss Steak. Not only can it make the meat mushy or too soft after cooking, but it also tends to add too much salt to the gravy in this recipe.
Optional Ingredients That Increase Flavor
This recipe calls for browning both peppers and onions before you put these flavorful ingredients in with the steak. For even more flavor in the gravy, consider adding mushrooms as well. Baby carrots can withstand the heat and pressure of the Instant Pot to add an instant side dish while enriching the gravy’s flavor. You can swap sliced onions for peeled and whole pearl onions if you prefer them for a fancy presentation.
Instant Pot Swiss Steak Recipe
Enjoy the flavor and tenderness of Swiss Steak without committing to two to three hours standing over the stove or checking the oven. Set up your Instant Pot to use the power of pressure cooking to create a great weeknight meal.
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 2 to 4 Bottom or Top Round Steaks, trimmed of outer fat and tenderized
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4th cup of cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
For the Sauce
- 2 bell peppers, yellow or red, deseeded and cut into strips
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced thinly
- 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth
- 4 ounces of crushed tomatoes
Instructions
For the Steak
1. Mix the cornstarch and seasonings together. Dredge each steak on both sides in the cornstarch. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the Instant Pot on the Saute setting. Sear each steak on both sides until browned, one steak at a time.
2. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onions and peppers in the Instant Pot on the Saute setting until softened and starting to brown. For best results, cook them separately and hold each ingredient with the steaks until they’re all done. Remove any found by adding a little of the beef broth and scraping gently with a non-stick-safe kitchen tool.
For the Sauce
1. Return the browned steaks, onion, and peppers to the Instant Pot. Top with a cup of beef broth and crushed tomatoes.
2. Place the lid on and seal the appliance. Pressure cook for 30 minutes. Let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure. After 10 minutes of venting, release the rest of the pressure. Serve immediately or thicken the gravy by removing the steaks and mixing in a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water, then stirring while using the Saute setting to heat the gravy until it’s thick.
Notes
Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or another starch that pairs well with rich beef gravy.
How to Store Leftovers
Put in a tightly sealed plastic container and enjoy within three days. This can be frozen and reheated within six months as well.
Conclusion
Get that Swiss Steak flavor you remember from your childhood with less work by putting your Instant Pot to good use.
Instant Pot Swiss Steak
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 2-4 bottom or top round steaks, trimmed of outer fat and tenderized
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
For the Sauce
- 2 bell peppers, yellow or red, deseeded and cut into strips
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced thinly
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 4 oz crushed tomatoes
Instructions
For the Steak
- Mix the cornstarch and seasonings together. Dredge each steak on both sides in the cornstarch. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the Instant Pot on the Saute setting. Sear each steak on both sides until browned, one steak at a time.
- Add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onions and peppers in the Instant Pot on the Saute setting until softened and starting to brown. For best results, cook them separately and hold each ingredient with the steaks until they’re all done. Remove any found by adding a little of the beef broth and scraping gently with a non-stick-safe kitchen tool.
For the Sauce
- Return the browned steaks, onion, and peppers to the Instant Pot. Top with a cup of beef broth and crushed tomatoes.
- Place the lid on and seal the appliance. Pressure cook for 30 minutes. Let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure. After 10 minutes of venting, release the rest of the pressure. Serve immediately or thicken the gravy by removing the steaks and mixing in a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water, then stirring while using the Saute setting to heat the gravy until it’s thick.