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Today’s Savory Smothered Steaks Skillet recipe features juicy, perfectly cooked steaks smothered in a creamy onion gravy. Its a delicious comfort food recipe ready in less than 30 minutes.

Smothered Steaks Recipe

I love simple, satisfying Southern food and today’s Smothered Steaks skillet has everything that I love about Southern cooking.

It has gravy.

Its made in a cast iron skillet for easy clean-up.

Its ready in less than 30 minutes.

It has rich depth of flavor while also being approachable and crowd-pleasing.

Steaks are simply seasoned before being quickly cooked in a cast iron skillet. Then, you whip up a creamy, rich onion gravy featuring tender, caramelized onions before returning the steaks back to the skillet and smothering them with that luscious gravy for a brief simmer before serving.

This is a great recipe for when you want to use a lower-quality steak cut, as it more than makes up for any lack of flavor in the steak and helps keep things juicy even if the steak is pretty lean.

Of course, if you want to use a fancy cut of steak, it will turn out wonderfully – but I love when a recipe allows me to make the best of my budget and enjoy a restaurant-worthy meal.

Smothered Steak FAQs

How do I know that my steak is done cooking? Steak needs to be cooked to at least 120F. For a medium steak you want to aim for about 140F. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to avoid over- or under-cooking your steak.

This is the meat thermometer I have been using for the past 6 years – I’ve never had to change a battery and it’s super sturdy and reliable. It was a bit pricey, but unlike the $15 models that you can buy, this one isn’t going to need replacement. It is waterproof and comes with a two-year warranty. (Thermoworks also has a $15 pocket-sized model if you want to try that out first before investing in the MK4.)

How long are smothered steaks good for? You can store leftover smothered steaks and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can I freeze smothered steaks? Yes! I often double the recipe and freeze for a future comfort meal. Place leftover steak and gravy in an airtight freezer container or ziptop freezer bagfreeze 2-3 months

Should I cook the gravy in a second pan? While you could do that to save a bit of time, I prefer to make the gravy in the same pan so that we can use all of the leftover frond (all those bits leftover on the pan) from the steak to enhance the flavor of the gravy – plus, I prefer to only have one pan to clean at the end of the night!

Smothered Steaks and Gravy Ingredients

• Small Steaks, we used small ribeyes
• Steak Seasoning/Seasoning Salt <– grab our recipe for homemade seasoning salt here
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Small Onions, diced
• Garlic, sliced
• Beef Stock, as needed
• Heavy Cream

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: you can swap out the heavy cream for milk or table cream (10%) but the gravy won’t turn out as thick. Alternatively, you can make a slurry by combining a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with the broth before adding to the pan.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Cast Iron Skillet <– I love the versatility of a good cast-iron pan – you can make everything from eggs to dessert in them and they transition easily from the stove to the oven. This one is pre-seasoned and great for even heating
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Sharp Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board
• Tongs
• Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make Smothered Steaks with Gravy

Pat the steaks dry with paper towel, then season with steak seasoning or seasoning salt.

Place the olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and once hot, add the steaks.

Cook the steaks for 4-6 minutes on each side, until they reach your desired level of doneness.

Remove the steaks to a clean plate and add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. (Don’t clean the skillet – all of that goodness leftover from the steak is called “frond” and it enhances the flavor of the gravy.)

Once hot, add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, adding broth as needed to prevent them from burning.

Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the remaining beef stock and heavy cream.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to low heat to simmer for 3-4 minutes. Return the steaks to the skillet during this simmering period.

Serve the steaks smothered in the onion gravy.

Pin this Easy Recipe for Smothered Steaks with Gravy for a delicious and hearty family meal:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our smothered steaks recipe:

I hope your family loves this easy smothered steaks with gravy recipe as much as mine does!

For more ways to serve beef, check out our full beef recipe collection here: