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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Fransic verso
What a great recipe. So full of flavor and tender. This is comfort food at it’s best!
MELANIE E
This is my husbands idea of heaven. He loves anything meaty and steak is always a winner with him. It would have to go with mash as that’s the ideal combo to make him happy especially with all the flavourful sauce.
Stephanie
This Swiss steak recipe turned out amazing! I usually don’t cook beef because I don’t know how – but the detailed directions were easy to follow and made a great meal for the family.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! So glad that you enjoyed it!
SONIA
The flavor of this dish is absolutely delicious. I hate to admit it but I liked the plate clean. Thanks for sharing the great recipe!
Stephanie
My husband loves steak for dinner but I like to find new ways to make it. This one was delicious and checked all the boxes for my family!
Sienna
Ooh, this was so good! My family devoured it! I also love that you can freeze it! I hate for yummy leftovers to go to waste, especially when I can enjoy them another night when I don’t feel like cooking!
Debbie
My stomach is officially growling over the delicious pictures and recipe. I love Swiss Steak and can’t wait to try this recipe. Great instructions with a variety of ways to make it. Yum!
PlaydaysRunways
Great recipe! So much flavor and it is so easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Tiffany
This is a great spin on an oldie but goodie. Will definitely check out this recipe…Looks delicious.
Kristy Bullard
This is so delicious! This is the perfect comfort meal for a cold winter night.
Jasmine Martin
This Swiss steak was absolutely delicious! I am going to make it again really soon and ask my mom and dad over. They will love it!
Yeah Lifestyle
This steak recipe looks super delicious! I can’t wait to try cooking it for myself and my family especially since I can also cook it in a crock pot instead of the stove
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Tammy
Ooh this was so flavorful and delicious! This was the perfect winter dish. Very hearty and satisfying..thank you! I cannot wait to make this recipe again when my husband is back in town.
Chad
The steak looks out of this world wow!!! I never had swiss steak before! I can’t wait to make your recipe, can’t can’t wait!
Rhian Westbury
We’ve got a dutch oven but definitely don’t us it enough, but this sounds like a great reason to get it out. We love a good steak recipe x
Jupiter Hadley
I do not think I have ever tenderized a steak and cooked it like this before but I should more often! Thank you so much for the recipe. This was delicious.