Swiss Steak Recipes – Braised & Oven Recipe

Swiss Steaks
by CinnamonKitchn @ flicker

Swiss steak is one of the most hearty dishes that come to mind when we think about comfort food.

It’s fascinating how a dish can become a travel machine and take us back to warm family dinners when we were kids. Swiss steak is made in one pot with an inexpensive cut of meat, kitchen staple ingredients, and little effort! It doesn’t get easier than this!

Swiss Steak Recipes

Before introducing Swiss steak recipes, let’s get to know what a swiss steak is. Many might think that Swiss steak originated from Switzerland, and that is how it got its name. In reality, this recipe gets its name from the method used to tenderize meat, called the swissing technique, which refers to rolling or pounding the beef out to get an incredibly soft result.

Swiss steak is perfect for typical tough meat cuts. Usually, the bottom round is the cut we use for a Swiss steak recipe, but any tough, lean cut of beef works.

Swiss steak is often confused with Salisbury steak, but they are different. A Salisbury steak is made with ground beef and is shaped into a patty, while a Swiss steak is made with an actual steak cut. Swiss steak is typically served with a tomato-based gravy, while Salisbury steak has a broth-based gravy.

You can serve your favorite sides with your Swiss steak; it could be vegetables either roasted on their own or braised with meat for more flavor. You can also serve it with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes that will soak up all the delicious and creamy tomato gravy.

You can cook your Swiss steak using different methods, braising on the stovetop, in the oven. Or you can make an instant pot Swiss steak or a crockpot Swiss steak. Still, this dish’s key ingredients are pretty much the same, with some additions sometimes according to what you have in your pantry.

What you need for a Swiss steak recipe:

• Beef: We can use a tough, inexpensive cut. It will be cooked low and slow, making it perfectly tender.
• Oil: You can use any oil; olive oil, sunflower, canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.
• Onion and garlic: These ingredients are essential flavor enhancers to any sauce.
• Tomato paste: It adds richness and deep flavor to the sauce since it has a strong tomato flavor.
• Tomatoes: You can use either diced or crushed tomatoes
• Beef broth: Make sure your broth is low-sodium so your dish won’t turn out to be salty. If you only have chicken or veggie broth, you can use either.
• Italian seasoning: You can use your favorite dried herbs mixture
• Worcestershire sauce: It adds deep flavor to a sauce, can be substituted with soy sauce
• Flour: Used to coat the meat before browning, you can use cornstarch instead

Now we can put on the apron and start cooking Swiss steak.

We will be sharing the different methods to cook this dish with different variations of ingredients for each recipe for Swiss steak to choose from.

1. Braised Swiss steak

Making a Swiss steak from scratch is not hard. The braising method is the most straightforward recipe for Swiss steak.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bottom round roast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 diced onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Use a meat tenderizer mallet, a fork, or a paring knife to poke holes into each cut of steak on both sides.
2. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece well in the flour.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the dredged beef to the skillet and cook on both sides until well browned, then set aside.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add onions and sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes until soft, then add salt and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute before adding the diced tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything thoroughly.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add back your beef, making sure it is fully submerged.
9. Cover and cook for 1 hour and a half, until the sauce has reduced and beef is tender.
10. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed, then serve.

2. Instant pot Swiss steak

The first recipe for swiss steak takes 2 hours to serve, but an instant pot Swiss steak takes a little under 1 hour to be ready, making it perfect if you don’t have much time to prepare dinner for your family.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of bottom round steak sliced into large squares
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 diced onion
• 2 diced bell peppers
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

1. Poke holes on each side of the steaks, then season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Dredge the meat on both sides with the corn starch.
3. Press SAUTE on your instant pot, and when it reads hot, add oil, then in batches, brown your steaks on both sides, then put aside.
4. Add the diced onions and peppers to the pot and frequently stir until slightly soft.
5. Deglaze the pot with beef broth.
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce and mix.
7. Hit CANCEL and add back the meat to the pot. Pour in the rest of the beef stock, top with the crushed tomatoes. Don’t stir.
8. Place the lid on the pot, turn the valve to a sealing position, and heat pressure cook for 30 minutes.
9. After 30 minutes of cook time, allow a 10-minute natural release, then hit CANCEL and turn the valve to venting position to release pressure.
10. When the pin drops, open the lid and remove the Swiss steak to your serving platter.
11. For a thicker gravy, hit SAUCE and boil to reduce or add a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the boiling sauce to thicken it. Pour it on the Swiss steak and serve

3. Crockpot Swiss steak

Using a slow cooker is very convenient and straightforward; it helps bring out flavors and tenderizes meat wonderfully, making crockpot Swiss steak our go-to recipe for Swiss steak.

Ingredients:

• 2 and a half pounds of round steak
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 and a half cup beef broth
• 3 and a half cups diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 diced green bell pepper 2 minced garlic cloves

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture on both sides.
3. Set a large skillet to medium-high heat, then add enough oil to coat the pan.
4. Brown the steaks on both sides in batches, then add them to the crockpot.
5. Deglaze the skillet where you browned your meat with the beef broth and make sure to scrape all the brown bits in the pan, then add on top of the beef in the slow cooker.
6. Add the diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, pepper, and garlic, then stir everything together.
7. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook it for 7 hours on low or 4 hours on high without opening the lid during cooking.
8. Serve with your favorite sides.

A Swiss steak recipe is indeed easy, and it gets even easier when it is a crockpot Swiss steak!

4. Oven Swiss steak

Ingredients:

• 1 and a half pounds round steak
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 2 chopped carrots
• 1 cup of beef broth
• 3 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.
2. Pound your meat and make holes on both sides.
3. Combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
4. Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture on both sides.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven, then brown steaks on each side, adding additional oil if necessary, then set them aside.
6. Place the onions and carrots in the bottom of the pot and top them with the browned meat.
7. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce on top of the meat.
8. Put in the oven and cook for 2 and a half to 3 hours until the meat is tender.
9. If you want to thicken your sauce, remove your steaks and put the pot on the stove, add to it a slurry of 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and cold water, then cook for a few minutes until thick, then serve.

Using an oven is the middle ground between an instant pot steak that takes 45 minutes to be ready and a Crockpot steak that takes up to 7 hours until fully cooked.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and will last up to 4 days. Reheating is as easy; use a microwave for a couple of minutes.

You can also store the leftovers in the freezer, where they can last up to 3 months.

Cooking Swiss steak is the magic of turning an inexpensive cut of meat into an amazingly delicious dinner! It is simply an impressive steak dinner that doesn’t cost you much money and effort.