If you’re here looking for cube steak recipes that create the most tender cube steak, then you’ve come to the right place. As you might know, cube steak comes from steak cuts that have been tenderized, usually by mechanical processes. These steaks are usually affordable and widely available, making them a popular choice for shoppers on a budget who still want to enjoy tasty steak.
Continue browsing this guide to discover five tender cube steak recipes that are sure to become staples in your family cookbooks.
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How to Tenderize Cube Steak
Cube steak has already been tenderized when you buy it from the store. However, after sitting for several hours, cube steak can naturally thicken some on its own. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to tenderize it more when you’re ready to use it. You can do this using your own meat tenderizer. If you don’t have one, you can use a potato masher to do the job.
Cube steak also tenderizes while it cooks if you use a method reliant on low heat and slow cooking. For instance, cooking in the oven at 300-325 degrees produces tender cube steak, as does cooking in a slow cooker for 7-8 hours.
Tips for Tender Cube Steak
After tenderizing cube steak, you want it to stay that way. A good way to do that is to cook your cube steak with gravy, which is possible when you cook it in the oven or slow cooker. As the cube steak cooks, the gravy keeps it juicy.
Also, sear the cube steaks before cooking them through. It takes just 1-2 minutes of searing on each side in a skillet to do the trick. Searing locks in natural moisture to prevent drying as the cube steaks cook, which is especially helpful when oven cooking.
Different Methods of Cooking Cube Steak for Best Tenderness
Although you can use any steak cooking method you’d like to cook cube steak, we’ve found that cooking them in the oven and slow-cooking cube steak offer the best results if tenderness is your priority.
Oven cooking works best when you use low heat. The low heat allows cube steak to cook slowly over about 45 minutes to one hour, which prevents it from drying out or becoming chewy. If you don’t have as much time to spare as you’d need with slow cooking, this can be a great option.
Slow cooking is the ultimate tenderness creator for cube steak. We recommend cooking on low for 7 or 8 hours. Adding gravy to the slow cooker can bring extra flavor to cube steak while increasing tenderness.
5 Best Tender Cube Steak Recipe Ideas
Although there are many ways to enjoy cube steak, we’ve rounded up five of the best cube steak recipe ideas to help inspire you in your kitchen.
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cubed Steaks
This recipe creates super tender cube steaks with the help of a slow cooker. To make it, you’ll need 1-2 pounds of cube steak, one packet of onion soup mix, one packet of beef gravy mix, and 2 ½ cups of water.
Sear the steaks for 1-2 minutes on each side in a hot skillet before placing them in the bottom of the crock pot. Then, pour the contents of each packet and the water on top of the steaks. If you’d like, you can also toss in sliced mushrooms and onions. Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and allow the steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cube Steak with Gravy
Cube steak with gravy is one of the quintessential recipes for cube steak. You can use just about any method you’d like to cook it, from the slow cooker to pan-searing the cube steak and topping it with gravy made separately. The addition of gravy while cooking can add juiciness, tenderness, and, of course, flavor to the steak.
Variations of Gravy
Brown gravy and mushroom gravy are the most common types to use with this recipe, but cube steak works well with other gravy variations, too. For example, white country gravy pairs nicely with cube steak, as does chicken gravy if you’re going for a unique flavor profile. You can also experiment with the herbs and spices you add to your gravy and the gravy’s consistency to align with your preferences.
Smothered Philly Cheese Cubed Steak
For a more adventurous meal made with cube steak, try this transformation into a smothered Philly cheesesteak. You’ll use pan-seared cube steak as a base, topping it with mozzarella cheese, sauteed onions and peppers, and a drizzle of steak sauce, if preferred. Add everything to a baking dish and place under your oven’s broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble and turn golden brown.
After removing from the oven, allow the steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Parmesan-Crusted Cubed Steaks
Some people bread their cube steaks with a flour coating just before pan-frying them to make them a little crispier, add some flavor, and lock in juices while cooking. This spin on the classic cubed steak breading is perfect for cheese lovers who want a little extra zing.
Mix together ½ cup grated parmesan with ½ cup breadcrumbs. Brush water on each side of the steak before coating it in the breading mixture. Cook the steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side in a preheated skillet with 2 tbsp of oil.
You can leave these as-is or top with Italian sauce and mozzarella cheese, followed by a 15-minute bake in the oven for an Italian-inspired version.
Country Fried Steak Sliders with Caramelized Onions
Not feeling like eating the traditional cube steak meal? Turn your steaks into sliders instead, topped with savory caramelized onions and gooey provolone cheese. For these, you’ll start by cutting each cube steak into four pieces, dredging the pieces in flour, and cooking them for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Move the cooked steaks to a clean plate and rest for 1-2 minutes. Add a slice of provolone cheese, allowing it to melt for another 3-5 minutes. Then, place each steak on the bottom half of a slider bun, and top with cooked onions and the top half of the bun. Serve with steak sauce or barbecue sauce, if desired.
Try These Tender Cube Steak Recipes for Yourself
The tender cube steak recipes in our guide offer a few ways to prepare cube steak, from classic to unique ideas, so you can find one that fits your taste and budget. Whether you are looking for a quick and easy meal for dinner or something new to add to your routine, cube steak is an excellent and affordable option.
Learn more about cube steak or browse other steak recipes at Chicago Steak Company’s Steak University.