Learn How to Cook Cube Steak in a few simple steps. Combine with fried onions and parsley for an easy and naturally gluten-free dinner!
Let’s talk about Cube Steak or as I like to call it, “what to make for dinner when you only have 10 minutes”. A while back, I purchased a grass-fed meat bundle from a local farmer and got 5 pounds of cube steak.I tried a bunch of different cooking methods and found myself repeating this easy method over and over again. It’s minutes of cook time, so much flavor, and no added junk! I knew I had to share it with you ASAP.
WHAT IS CUBE STEAK?
It is a cut of beef, usually from the top sirloin or top round, that is tenderized through an electric tenderizer. The cuts are thin and resemble a cutlet of some sort but have a “cubed” surface appearance from the tenderizer machine.
Here is the official Wiki for Cube Steak if you want to learn more. Cube steak can look similar to ground beef in the package, but it’s an entirely different cut of meat and a formed “steak” ready to be cooked.
HOW DO YOU COOK CUBE STEAK?
When I first started cooking cube steak, I searched “How To Cook Cube Steak” on Google and Pinterest and found the same couple of recipes over and over (dump in a slow cooker with onion soup mix or bread and fry) and a few variations on a sandwich using crappy ingredients. I wanted something lighter, easier and made in minutes that was also gluten-free.
After reading way too many cube steak recipes, the consensus is that you either cook it low and slow or very quickly over high heat. The most common cooking methods are:
- Fried (either deep-fried or pan-fried)
- Sauteed
- Braised
After endless experimentation with all of these methods, IÂ have found that pan-frying cube steak is the tastiest, the quickest, and the easiest!
CUBE STEAK RECIPE TIPS
- Make your onions FIRST:Â Here is a quick tutorial on how to make either Fried (aka quick) or Caramelized (aka slow) Onions. Both are great on top of this steak – make what you have time for!
- Make sure to pat the cube steaks dry with paper towels to remove moisture. This will help the meat sear and get a good crust. Moisture is the enemy of searing!
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Ideally, take the steaks out of the fridge 15 to 30 minutes before cooking as meat that is not ice-cold sears better and more evenly.
- I usually use Ghee but any high-heat cooking fat works. Readers have commented that they have used Avocado Oil, Peanut Oil, and some even use Olive Oil.
- Cube Steak (even grass-fed) is pretty cheap so stock up. Once you cook this recipe, it will quickly become a family favorite!
- To Reheat: Gently warm in a skillet on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side OR microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CUBE STEAK?
We love to serve it alongside a vegetable and starch or starch imposter like mashed cauli. Here are some ideas:
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower with Ghee
Arugula Salad with Lemon Balsamic Dressing
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Learn How to Cook Cube Steak in a few simple steps. Combine with fried onions and parsley for an easy and naturally glute-free dinner!
- 2 Tablespoons butter or Ghee, Avocado Oil, or Peanut Oil (high-heat fat)
- 2 pounds cube steaks (approx 8 cutlets)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 cup caramelized onions (or fried onions) (approx 1 pound raw onion - see Notes)
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped
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Make sure to make your fried or caramelized onions first and set aside as those can take some time. See NOTES below for instructions.
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Pat dry each cube steak with paper towels to remove moisture.
Sprinkle both sides of each Cube Steak cutlet with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
-
Heat a large frying pan - large enough to hold 2 of the Cube Steaks with some room between them (a 12" frying pan worked perfectly for me) over high heat.Â
Once very hot, add 1/2 Tablespoon of cooking fat to frying pan. Add 2 of the Steaks to the pan and cook, undisturbed, for 3Â minutes.
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Turn and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the butter and steaks until all are cooked.
Serve topped with fried (or caramelized) onions and chopped parsley and Enjoy!
- Make your onions FIRST:Â Here is a quick tutorial on how to make either Fried (aka quick) or Caramelized (aka slow) Onions. Both are great on top of this steak - make what you have time for!
- Make sure to pat the cube steaks dry with paper towels to remove moisture. This will help the meat sear and get a good crust. Moisture is the enemy of searing!
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Ideally, take the steaks out of the fridge 15 to 30 minutes before cooking as meat that is not ice-cold sears better and more evenly.
- I usually use Ghee but any high-heat cooking fat works. Readers have commented that they have used Avocado Oil, Peanut Oil, and some even use Olive Oil.
- Cube Steak (even grass-fed) is pretty cheap so stock up. Once you cook this recipe, it will quickly become a family favorite!
- To Reheat: Gently warm in a skillet on medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side OR microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: Please note that this recipe was originally published in February 2014, but was updated in December 2019 with updated photos, in-process photos, cooking tips, and updated nutritional information.
Hi I tryied to cook my 1st cube steak turned out terrible, it was so tough! Did I do sometHing wrong?
Hi Evelyn, Possibly. What type of pan did you use? What heat (electric or gas)? Was the cube steak seasoned? How long did it sit before eating?
we made this for Sunday dinner, brother, me, and doggie. All 3 of us enjoyed it very much. We thought we could save some for tomorrow, but it was too delicious, we ate it all.
Hi Ivan! Yay – love it!!
Thanks for the notes which helped me make an amazing throw back Salisbury steak tonight! Simple and way!
That’s awesome Jen! I appreciate the feedback. So glad you loved it!
To keep butter from burning, add a little oil to it. I like peanut oil. The oil has a higher smoke point than butter, so combining the two kind of averages out the smoke point.
Another option is to fry in just oil, but add butter a few minutes before you’re done cooking.
I never fry with straight butter, always a dab of oil with it.
I often do this as well with avocado oil or Ghee (depending on what I am cooking or how long the cook time is). Great tip Jodi!
This is the 3rd cube steak recipe I’ve tried and by far the BEST one. Put a fork in it, we are done and will only be making it this way from now on!
Day Made!! Thanks for taking the time to comment Shirley!! 🙂
This was super easy. Exactly what we were looking for! We did the quick sauteed onions, topped with chopped basil and parsley and served with mashed potatoes and green beans. A DELISH DINNER!
So happy to hear it Sara! Sounds like a perfect dinner 🙂
I followed the directions. Meat browned on the outside and stick to the cast iron skillet. The middle was nt done. I decided to flip the cubed steakes to the desired doneness but it still was a little chewy. I’m not sure if a gas fire would have made a difference? the flavor was pretty good
Hi Melyn, I do think that electric cooktops differ greatly than gas. You may have needed a lower heat setting. Glad the flavor was good and you could salvage them though!
Great, easy recipe. Tried it for dinner tonight, it was a hit. Cooked it on my Blackstone griddle!
I really wanted to like these, but didn’t. Perhaps you can give a pointer on where I went wrong.
Made the sauteed onions and they came out well.
Used my cast iron skillet to cook the steaks and left them on 3 minutes per side as instructed. I had my stove on about 6.5/10, as any hotter seemed to instantly burn the butter away to nothing and char the pan.
The outsides were starting to crisp over, but then when I took it off to my plate, they leaked out a lot of red and were medium rare and very tough. I ended up just eating the edges and my son didn’t get through a whole bite. The dog inhaled them though.
Should I have turned the stove up higher despite it seeming so hot the butter was just vaporizing? Should they be more medium to medium well when done? I’d love to try again as the only way I’ve ever made them before is with the mushroom soup bake style.
Hey Rich, Every stovetop is different, it sounds like you had the heat too high and they burned. Are you using electric? Another option is to quickly sear for 1 to 2 minutes on each side to brown and finish in the oven (at 400F) for just a few minutes until you get to medium or medium-well!
I used this method of searing and finishing covered in the oven for 3 minutes at 400, where I was also roasting asparagus. I forgot to season the meat (duh), but with the season onions and asparagus, it didn’t matter. Everything was delicious! Best cube steak I’ve ever had – thank you!!
Thanks so much Jill!!! Sounds like a fantastic meal 🙂
We would do this when I was in Boy Scouts more years ago then I care to remember.
On a heavy duty piece of aluminum foil place raw sliced onions, then the cubed steak. Season, add chopped potatoes and carrots and a dab of butter and more seasonings to taste. Fold over foil to seal in all the moisture. Drop it on the BBQ or camp fire and cook for a 1/2 to 1 hour depending on your heat