This fantastic Swiss Steak recipe is pure comfort food at 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 beef tips, gravy, and chicken fried chicken.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Beef: bottom round or top round
- Seasonings: for a flavorful Swiss steak, use salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and paprika
- All-purpose flour: to seal in moisture and brown the meat
- Vegetable oil: or canola oil
- Vegetables: yellow onion, carrots, garlic, canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste: to thicken the sauce
- Beef broth: low sodium is best
- Worcestershire sauce: for flavor and complexity
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 2 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.
Preparations 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.
- I like to use fire-roasted tomatoes, but diced tomatoes work well too.
- You can substitute dried oregano for dried marjoram. I like marjoram because it is a little sweeter, less pungent, and more subtle overall.
Stove Top Instructions
Follow all the directions up to and 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 fork 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, just cover it with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven.
- Peel the carrots so they have that beautiful bright orange color.
- I like to use fire-roasted tomatoes, but diced tomatoes work well too.
- Dried oregano may be substituted for dried marjoram. I like marjoram because it is a little sweeter, less pungent, and overall more subtle.
Nutrition
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Luna S
This looks like it could become a new favorite in our house, perfect for chilly nights.
Jennifer Prince
That looks so delicious and moist! My family would love it. I may try this over the holidays when everyone is home. So good!
Bedabrata Chakraborty
It reads yum!
Bedabrata Chakraborty
I was drooling while reading your recipe. It looks fairly simple and I would like to try it. Can you please suggest and alternative to beef? It is not widely eaten in my country and hence difficult to procure.
Kristy Bullard
This is the perfect comfort meal! We love making it for dinner when it’s cold outside. And, the leftovers are fantastic – I think it’s even better the next day!
Fransic verso
Wow, it looks interesting and never tried swiss steak before. It would be a fun idea to try this for holiday family gatherings. Thank you for sharing!
Alita
This is such an amazing swiss steak. It’s my first time making it! I will try your tips.
Stephanie
Delicious steak dish! Glad this article gives the option of using a crockpot – makes my life easier. Thanks for all the great tips for a no-fail dinner recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Stephanie!
Nayna
These type of recipes are best enjoyed when it’s cold and you want a delicious hearty meal. Excellently made and so delicious.
Janet
This was delicious. However it was really watery. Were the tomatoes supposed to be drained?
Beth Pierce
No they are not supposed to be drained. I wonder if your brand of canned tomatoes might be slightly more liquid. You can always cut it back to 1-1 1/2 cans of tomatoes.
Chloe
I made this last night, I added a beef stock cube and some bone broth powder.
Was absolutely delicious!!
Will be making again
Beth Pierce
Thanks Chloe! So glad that you liked it!
Marysa
I’ve never made a steak like this. Sounds like a nice change from the usual steaks we make, and pretty easy as well. I’ll have to give this a try for Father’s Day.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! I sure hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!
Rosey
I love the idea of serving on top of mashed potatoes! I don’t think I’ve ever made swiss steak for my family. Definitely looks like it’s worth trying.
Msjane90
Oh wow! This is just perfect. Thanks for sharing these recipe ideas! They are all delicious.
Katie C
This recipe was so tender and delicious. My family loved it. Thanks so much for the lovely recipe. I think next time I will try this recipe with ground beef.
Scotty Lund
Please don’t..
Rose Ann Sales
Wow! This is such a really amazing recipe! It was absolutely delicious I love it! The round roast turned out so incredibly tender. Thanks for the great recipe.