French Onion Salisbury Steak

Fun Twist On Salisbury Steaks

I found this wonderful recipe many years ago, in Cuisine at Home magazine. It intrigued me right away because we love Salisbury Steaks and this flavor combination with French Onion soup seemed perfect. I originally shared this recipe 9 years ago and it’s definitely time to update it.

Salisbury steak is a simple dish made out of ground beef and served with gravy. It’s always comforting and can even be made lighter by serving it with vegetables instead of mashed potatoes. French Onion sauce gives this dish a very special flavor that you won’t get with regular gravy. The combination of slightly sweetened onions stewed in red whine, tomato, and beef broth is heavenly. 

It’s pure comfort food if you serve it with mashed potatoes and dinner rolls. Just what you need on those cooler weekend nights. 

Tips For The Best French Onion Salisbury Steaks

Make sure to use a large, deep pan that will hold the steaks and the sauce. Shallow pans will overflow, so give yourself enough space for stirring and cooking. 

Don’t use ground beef that is too lean of the steaks will be dry. To keep it juicy, use 85/15% meat to fat ratio. 

When searing the beef patties, don’t cook it all the way through. Set heat to medium-high and just sear for about 3 minutes on each side until browned. You don’t want to cook them all the way but finish cooking them in sauce. 

Use the same pan to make the sauce as the beef patties. Take out the patties but keep all the juices from searing the meat. It will incorporate into the sauce for extra flavor. 

Anytime you use wine in cooking, make sure to choose the wine you like to drink. Flavors of the wine will transfer to the sauce and you want to make sure it tastes good. 

Cook beef patties in the sauce just until it’s done. If you overcook it, ground beef becomes tough. You can cut into the thickest patty to check if it’s done inside. 

Key Ingredients

This dish keeps things simple, but a few ingredients really do the heavy lifting when it comes to flavor and texture.

• Ground Beef – Salisbury steak should be juicy and tender, not dense or dry. Using beef with a bit of fat makes all the difference and helps the patties stay moist while they finish cooking in the sauce. I recommend 85/15 meat to fat ratio.
• Onions (and lots of them) – The onions aren’t just a supporting ingredient here, they are the sauce. As they slowly soften and stew, they turn sweet and rich, giving the dish that classic French onion flavor.
• Red Wine – A splash of red wine deepens the sauce and balances the sweetness of the onions. It doesn’t make the sauce taste “winey,” but instead adds richness and complexity. Tip: Always cook with a wine you’d actually enjoy drinking.
• Tomato Paste – This is the quiet hero of the sauce make sure to use paste, not sauce. Tomato paste adds depth and a subtle tang that sets this apart from traditional brown gravy.
• Beef Stock – Use a good-quality stock, homemade or store-bought, for the best flavor and try to get low sodium for better seasoning control.

How to Make French Onion Salisbury Steak

This recipe comes together in one pan and is easier than it looks, especially if you think of it in stages rather than steps.

• Step 1: Shape the patties. Mix and shape the patties as fast as you can but so it’s combined evenly.
• Step 2: Sear the Patties. Sear the patties until browned on the outside. This builds flavor and helps them hold their shape. Don’t cook them all the way through at this stage, they’ll finish gently in the sauce later.

• Step 3: Build the French Onion Sauce. Using the same pan (very important!), cook the onions low and slow until softened and lightly sweetened. Add garlic, tomato paste, and flour next to create a rich base before deglazing with wine and beef stock. Make sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan, this is where a lot of the flavor lives.
• Step 4: Finish Everything Together. Nestle the patties back into the pan and simmer in the sauce just until cooked through. This step keeps the meat tender while soaking up all that French onion goodness. Avoid overcooking here, ground beef can turn tough if left too long.

Can I Make This Recipe Gluten Free?

Yes, you can! 

It’s very easy to make this gluten free by substituting bread crumbs and flour for gluten free bread crumbs and gluten free all purpose flour. 

In the Salisbury Steaks, use gluten free bread crumbs inside the ground beef mix and use gluten free all purpose flour to dust the meat patties. 

In French Onion Sauce, use gluten free all purpose flour to thicken the sauce. You may need to use an extra tablespoon of gluten free flour, it depends on the brand you use. If you need to add more flour after the beef broth, make a roux. To make roux, mix flour and softened butter until it forms paste. Whisk the roux into the sauce to thicken it.

More Beef Recipes To Try

Salisbury Steak Recipe

Amazing Meatloaf Recipe

Steak Recipe In The Oven

French Onion Beef Brisket

Beef Brisket Recipe

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on November 9, 2011.