This fantastic Swiss steak recipe is pure comfort food with its best flavor. Beef round steak is tenderized, browned, and slow-cooked to perfection with onions, garlic, and carrots in a lightly seasoned tomato sauce.
For the ultimate meal, serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta! This is comfort food at its best. If you like this recipe, try my round steak and gravy, beef tips and gravy and chicken fried chicken.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Beef: bottom round or top round
- Seasonings: for a flavorful Swiss steak, use salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and paprika
- Vegetable oil: or canola oil
- Beef broth: low sodium is best
- Tomatoes: I like fire-roasted tomatoes, but diced tomatoes also work well.
- Dried marjoram: You can substitute dried oregano for dried marjoram. I like marjoram because it is a little sweeter, less pungent, and more subtle overall.
How to make Swiss steak
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Start by tenderizing the round steak with a meat mallet. Season the beef with salt and pepper on both sides. Then, dredge the meat in flour, shaking off any excess. Now heat a little oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef on both sides.
Remove the meat to a plate. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in the pot over medium heat. Then add the onions and carrots, cooking until the onions are tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for about 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Then add the tomato paste, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, paprika, and the browned beef. Gently scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the brown bits. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Then bake for about two hours or until the meat is very tender. Serve over mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles with the gravy and meat spooned over the top.
Preparation Tips
- Unlike Salisbury steak, which is made with ground beef, Swiss steak is typically made with tougher cuts of meat, like round steak and chuck steak. Always use a meat mallet to tenderize your steak. Cover the round steak with plastic and beat the round steak to about a 1/2 inch thick.
- You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven, stock pot, ovenproof skillet, or casserole dish. If the vessel does not have an ovenproof lid, cover it with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven.
- Peel the carrots so they have that beautiful bright orange color.
Stove Top Instructions
Follow all the directions, including adding the tomato paste, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, and the browned beef to the pot.
Then, cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is reduced. Stir every 30 minutes to ensure the mixture does not burn to the bottom of the pan.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Follow all the directions, including reducing the heat to low and adding the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute while stirring constantly. Then, transfer everything to the crock pot.
Add the tomato paste, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, and the browned beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
Store and Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Freeze in a sturdy freezer container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes, white or brown rice, or egg noodles. Other great side dishes to serve with it are roasted asparagus, sauteed spinach, or green bean bundles.
More Tasty Beef Recipes
Swiss Steak
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. bottom round or top round steak pounded 1/2 inch thick
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced half moon
- 3 carrots peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Tenderize the round steak with a meat mallet.
- Generously salt and pepper on both sides of the beef. Add the flour to a shallow bowl and dredge the beef in it. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and brown the meat on both sides. Remove the meat to a plate.
- Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until the onions are tender approximately 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the tomato paste, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, paprika, and the browned beef. Gently scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the brown bits. Cover the pot and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. If desired, serve over mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles with the meat and sauce ladled over the top.
Notes
- Unlike Salisbury steak, which is made with ground beef, Swiss steak is typically made with tougher cuts of meat, like round steak and chuck steak. Always use a meat mallet to tenderize your steak. Cover the round steak with plastic and beat the round steak to about a 1/2 inch thick.
- You can make this recipe in a Dutch oven, stock pot, ovenproof skillet, or casserole dish. If the vessel does not have an ovenproof lid, cover it with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven.
- Peel the carrots so they have that beautiful bright orange color.
Nutrition
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Roselynn
This is just the kind of hearty, comforting dish that hits the spot in cold weather. I love to have something like this ready when the family comes to visit (3 of the kids are grown, so it’s always a treat when we get together for a bit, even better if we get to share a meal like this!).
Alyce (Mimi) Heidt
I’ve been making this Dish for Many years!!.. but haven’t made it in a long time! I also Add Red.& Yellow Bell Peppers! Yes!! It’s Delicious!! Serve it over Rice or Mashed Potatoes! I’ve never had complaints.. just Delicious Comments!! It’s a Winner!! Thanks for Sharing Your Recipe & for The Reminder!! God Bless!!🙌🙌💓🙏🙏😋
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! So glad that you like the Swiss Steak! God bless you as well.