Salisbury Steak Meatballs
These Salisbury Steak Meatballs are juicy, pan seared, and smothered in the most flavorful onion gravy. It’s comfort food done right, easy enough for a weeknight, cozy enough for Sunday dinner.
Servings: 8
Calories: 275kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1½ pound ground beef lean
- ½ cup breadcrumbs I used Panko
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mustard coarse grain
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
For Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 1 cup beef broth or chicken broth, low sodium or no sodium added
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add all the meatball ingredients (excluding the olive oil) to a large bowl and mix well, use your hands. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. You should get about 30 meatballs.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook. If you're using a large skillet all meatballs should fit in one batch otherwise, you might have to fry them in a couple batches. Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet add butter and melt. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir. Cook for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. (If using cornstarch make a slurry with equal amounts water and cornstarch) Add broth and remaining gravy ingredients to skillet, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, sauce should thicken. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more beef broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- When the gravy is done add the meatballs back to the skillet and toss them around so they're covered in the gravy. Garnish with parsley.
Video
Notes
- The meatballs: I use lean ground beef, usually 80/20. The Panko and egg keep them nice and tender, just don’t overmix or they’ll turn into little beef bricks.
- Pan frying vs. air frying: I usually pan fry the first batch, and air fry the remaining meatballs for about 15 minutes at 380°F.
- That gravy: I always take my time with the onions. Let them cook until they’re soft and golden, not just barely translucent. That’s where the flavor lives. And yes, I always sneak a taste before I add the meatballs back in. For seasoning purposes. Obviously.
- Troubleshooting: If the gravy thickens too much while sitting, I just stir in a splash of beef broth to bring it back to life. If it’s too thin, a couple extra minutes on low heat usually does the trick.
- Make it ahead: I make the meatballs and gravy the day before if I know we’ve got a busy night coming up. Store them separately, then reheat gently on the stove with a bit of broth. Tastes just as good, maybe better, the next day.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg
