How to Cook Swiss Steak on the Stove: Easy Skillet Recipe
Learning how to make Swiss steak is easier than you might think, and this classic dish is perfect for turning inexpensive cuts of beef into something fork-tender and full of flavor. This recipe is also a great way to stretch leftovers into a hearty dinner that feels like pure comfort food.
How to Cook Swiss Steak on a Stovetop
When you want an easy Swiss steak recipe that doesn’t take up too much time, cooking on the stove top in a large skillet or deep skillet is the way to go. This traditional Swiss steak recipe makes use of simple pantry staples.
To create the ultimate comfort food, you’ll need tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onion slices, and olive oil. It’s an especially great recipe if you have leftover tomato paste from making spicy pizza sauce, green peppers, or even a small bowl of mashed potatoes you’d like to use up as side dish.
Ingredients
To get started, gather the following ingredients. Many of these are items you already have in your pantry or fridge, and some may even be leftovers from other meals.
- 2 top round steaks or cube steaks, about 2 to 2 ½ pounds (cut of beef, 1 inch thick)
- all-purpose flour (or seasoned flour)
- salt
- black pepper
- olive oil
- a large onion (sweet onion works well), chopped
- garlic, minced
- thyme
- sage
- marjoram or Italian seasoning
- pureed tomatoes (or tomato juice, tomato sauce, or a mix with diced tomatoes)
Optional additions: green bell peppers, golden mushroom soup for extra brown gravy flavor, or leftover vegetables like green beans.
Directions
This skillet meal comes together in just a few steps. It’s a main dish that I find works well with my cheesy potato puffs or my sweet potato rolls.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat or medium-high heat until hot.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and black pepper. Dredge the steak pieces in the flour mixture, or shake them in a large resealable plastic bag for easy cleanup.
- Place the coated steaks in the hot oil. Brown steak for about 3–4 minutes per side, or until you see a golden crust on the bottom of the pan. Remove and set aside on a serving platter.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sauté onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the tomatoes, herbs, and a little Worcestershire sauce for a deeper tomato flavor.
- Nestle the steaks back into the skillet on top of the onion slices. Pour the tomato mixture over the steaks.
- Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and reduce to low heat. Simmer gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the steak is fork-tender.
This dish is ready to serve hot with your favorite sides. For a full old-fashioned Swiss steak experience, pair it with green beans, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. For a heartier meal, make a loaf of artisan cheese bread to accompany it.
Why This Is a Great Recipe for Leftovers
Swiss steak is a smart choice when you want to use up ingredients that might otherwise go to waste. Tomato paste, diced tomatoes, or leftover tomato juice from another recipe add the rich tomato flavor you need.
Onion slices or green pepper pieces from a salad can be sautéed into the sauce. Even side dishes like leftover mashed potatoes or green beans become the perfect companions on the serving platter for this hearty dinner.
If you have a little bit of leftover cube steak, ground beef, or even browned steak pieces, you can adapt this recipe. It also works well if you want to try different recipes with tender meats in a Dutch oven, casserole dish, crock pot, or even an Instant Pot under high pressure.
Stovetop Swiss Steak FAQs
Do you have questions about this dish? Here are some of the most common ones. If you don’t see your question here, leave it in the comments and I’ll be glad to help.
What should I serve with Swiss steak?
Swiss steak pairs well with classic comfort food sides. Try homemade dinner rolls for a soft, slightly sweet bread, parmesan carrots for a roasted veggie side, or crispy cheesy potato puffs for something fun and kid-friendly. These options balance the tomato flavor of the sauce, turning your Swiss steak into a hearty dinner spread.
What is the difference between Swiss steak and Salisbury steak?
While both are considered pure comfort food, Swiss steak is made from an inexpensive cut of meat, such as top round steak or cubed steak. The steak gets pounded with a meat mallet or mechanical tenderizer, then simmered slowly in tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
Salisbury steak, on the other hand, is made from ground beef shaped into serving pieces. It’s usually served with brown gravy instead of tomato flavor.
Can I cook Swiss steak in a slow cooker or Instant Pot instead of on the stove?
Yes, you can adapt this easy Swiss steak recipe for the crock pot, slow cooker, or even the Instant Pot. In the slow cooker, brown the steak first in a frying pan, then transfer it, along with the onion slices and tomato sauce, to the crockpot. Cook on low heat for 6–8 hours until fork tender.
For the Instant Pot, brown the steak on sauté mode. Then cook under high pressure for about 25 minutes with beef broth or tomato juice.
How do I store and reheat leftover Swiss steak?
Once cooled, place leftover steak pieces in an airtight container, cover with tomato sauce, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a frying pan or casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil, and warm gently over low heat until heated through. This method keeps the meat tender and prevents drying out.
A Frugal Stovetop Steak
Now that you know how to make Swiss steak, you can turn an inexpensive cut of beef into a flavorful main dish the whole family will enjoy. Whether you serve it with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or green beans, this hearty dinner is one of those favorite recipes that feels like pure comfort food every time.
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How to Cook Swiss Steak on the Stove
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 1-inch thick top round steak about 2 – 2 ½ pounds worth
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 2 cups pureed tomatoes
Instructions
Directions:
- Place approximately 2 tablespoons worth of olive oil in a large shallow pan. Preheat over medium.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over both sides of the steaks and rub into the meat.
- Sear the meat in the preheated oil for about 5 minutes per side or until you see the browning.
- Meanwhile, in another shallow pan with a lid (or wait for the meat to sear if you’re just using one pan), heat another one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onions are soft.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pureed tomatoes, thyme, sage and marjoram. Whisk to combine.
- Once the meat has been seared on both sides, place the steaks over the sauted onions.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the steaks.
- Place the lid on the pan and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans, etc.
