Cube Steak Bites in Brown Gravy

Name: Cube Steak Bites in Brown Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb cube steak, cut into 1 inch strips; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 large yellow onion, sliced; 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; 1 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock; 1 packet (0.87 oz) brown gravy mix; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp butter; 1 tsp Dijon mustard

By Iren Pavlenko · Last updated: 9 Nov 2026

Cube steak strips cook in brown gravy with onion and mushrooms for only 3 to 4 hours. The short window keeps the beef in bites instead of threads.

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Cube Steak Bites in Brown Gravy

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

minutes

Cube steak strips cook in brown gravy with onion and mushrooms for only 3 to 4 hours. The short window keeps the beef in bites instead of threads.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb cube steak, cut into 1 inch strips
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 large yellow onion, sliced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock
1 packet (0.87 oz) brown gravy mix
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions

Cut the cube steak into strips about 1 inch wide. Trim any hard gristle you can see.
Toss the strips with the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder until each piece is lightly coated.
Spread the onion and mushrooms over the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
Lay the floured strips on top in as thin a layer as the pot allows. Thick stacks cook unevenly.
Whisk the stock, gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until smooth and pour it over the beef.
Dot the butter on top and cover with the lid.
Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Do not use HIGH, because the thin strips toughen when they cook hard.
At 3 hours, test a piece with a fork. It should break with light pressure and a probe should read at least 160°F.
Stir gently so the strips do not shred, then let the gravy sit uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken.
Taste for salt and serve over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Notes

If the gravy is too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in for the last 15 minutes. Do not leave this in the pot on warm for more than an hour, because the strips keep softening. Leftovers keep 3 days.

Why a short cook works for cube steak

Cube steak is already tenderized by the butcher, so it needs hours, not a full day. The flour coating thickens the gravy as it cooks and gives the strips something to hold onto. Cutting them into inch strips means every piece gets coated and cooks evenly.

Mushrooms release a lot of water, which is why this does not need much stock.

Swaps and one to skip

Round steak, sliced thin, can stand in, though it will be a bit chewier. Button mushrooms are fine instead of cremini. Do not swap in a thick chuck steak, which needs far longer and will stay tough in a 3 to 4 hour window.

What to serve with it

Mashed potatoes are the classic partner, and wide egg noodles are just as good. Add green beans or peas for color. Plain white rice also soaks up the gravy well.

The mistake to dodge

Leaving it on warm all afternoon. Thin strips keep softening and the texture drifts from tender to mushy. Serve it soon after it finishes.

Dredge the strips in the flour mixture right before they go in the pot, and shake off the extra. Too much flour makes the gravy pasty and heavy.

Iren Pavlenko

Hi, I'm Iren Pavlenko. I read the top-ranked slow cooker recipes for a dish side by side and write down what they disagree on and what they all leave out — the cut, the pot size, and both the LOW and HIGH times. I write these guides so your weeknight dinner doesn't turn into a dry roast because a recipe never said which of those four things mattered.

Part of: 4 Inspiring Crockpot Steak Bite Ideas