When the week has completely worn you out and the thought of chopping, stirring, and watching pots on the stove just sounds exhausting, you need a recipe that practically cooks itself. Trust me, I’ve been there many times! That’s when I reach for my favorite set of tricks, and nothing beats the sheer comfort and ease of this amazing Crock Pot Cubed Steak recipe.

It’s foolproof! You toss everything in the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinner time, you have the most unbelievably tender beef smothered in rich, savory gravy. The beauty of this dish is that it transforms tough cuts of steak into fork-tender perfection with virtually no effort from you. It truly saved my sanity last Tuesday when soccer practice ran late. If easy, delicious comfort food is what you’re after, you’ve definitely found your new go-to dinner.

Why This Crock Pot Cubed Steak Recipe Works So Well

Honestly, there are so many recipes out there for beef, but this specific Crock Pot Cubed Steak stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s all about maximizing flavor while minimizing your time standing over the stove. If you’re looking for a dinner win without the fuss, this is it. People trust this recipe because it delivers every single time!

It uses simple, pantry-staple ingredients—nothing fancy needed.
The cleanup is a dream; you’re basically just washing one pot!
It’s perfect for meal prep because it tastes even better the next day.
It’s deeply comforting—the ultimate slow-cooked hug in a bowl.

The Secret to Tender Crock Pot Cubed Steak

You see, cubed steak is often a tougher cut, right? Everyone worries it’ll turn out chewy. That’s the beauty of the slow cooker magic! Cooking it low and slow, for six to eight hours, breaks down all those tough connective tissues into smooth, luscious gelatin. This process is what gives the *Crock Pot Cubed Steak* that melt-in-your-mouth quality we all crave. It’s the definition of low effort, high reward cooking!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Okay, let’s talk about getting everything ready for this beautiful little dinner. One of the best things about relying on the slow cooker is that the ingredient list is super short and very straightforward. You don’t need to run out to a specialty store—I bet you have most of this hiding in your pantry right now!

You’ll need about two pounds of the cubed steak itself. Make sure you have one whole onion, and I mean *thinly* sliced for the bottom layer—that’s important! The sauce binder is one (10.5 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup, but listen closely: use it straight from the can, don’t water it down yet! Then grab a half cup of rich beef broth, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and just a half teaspoon of garlic powder. Don’t forget simple salt and pepper for seasoning over the top once it’s layered.

Ingredient Substitutions for Crock Pot Cubed Steak

I totally get it; sometimes you’re halfway through pulling out the slow cooker only to realize you’re out of that one key item. If you don’t have the mushroom soup, don’t panic! You can absolutely swap it for cream of chicken soup. It changes the flavor profile just a tiny bit, but it works wonderfully. Missing the Worcestershire? Try a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar or just double the beef broth to keep the liquid balance right. The beauty of this *Crock Pot Cubed Steak* is its forgiveness!

Essential Equipment for Your Crock Pot Cubed Steak

When making this delicious *Crock Pot Cubed Steak*, the star of the show is obviously your slow cooker! If you have one that holds at least four quarts, you are in great shape. You don’t need any fancy gadgets here, honestly. Just the cooker, a mixing bowl for that gorgeous sauce, and maybe a good cutting board for slicing those onions.

That’s it! Seriously, the beauty of this recipe is how little active equipment it requires. It’s all about letting the appliance do the heavy lifting while you go relax or tackle the rest of your evening chaos.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Alright, getting this set up is the easiest part of your whole day—I promise! You don’t need to preheat the slow cooker or anything fussy like that, just grab your ingredients and let’s layer this thing up for a beautiful slow cooker pot roast vibe, but with steak!

First thing: Layer the bottom of your crock pot with those thinly sliced onions. My little trick? I always make sure they create a nearly complete blanket across the bottom. This acts like a little cushion for the steak and keeps the meat from sitting right on the heating element where it might get too brown or even scorch. After that, lay your cubed steak right over the bed of onions. Make sure it’s mostly in a single layer if you can manage it!

Mixing the Sauce Base for Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Now for the flavor magic! Grab a separate bowl—we want to make sure everything blends perfectly before it hits the meat. Whisk together that entire can of mushroom soup, the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, and the garlic powder. You want this mixture to be silky smooth, no lumps of dry soup powder remaining. Once it’s looking uniform, slowly pour that whole rich sauce right over your steak and onions.

Cooking Times and Doneness for Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Time to seal it up! You have two options here, depending on when you need dinner ready. You can cook this on LOW for a solid 6 to 8 hours, or you can crank it up to HIGH for about 3 to 4 hours. Honestly, for this *Crock Pot Cubed Steak*, I always lean toward LOW. Why? Because you can’t rush tenderness! Don’t just trust the clock, though. After hour six, poke a piece of steak with a fork. If it shreds easily, it’s done. If it fights back, give it another hour.

Tips for Success with Your Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Even though this recipe is about as easy as it gets, there are just a couple of little things I do every time that really boost the final flavor of my *Crock Pot Cubed Steak*. Don’t feel like you have to follow these, but honestly, they make the difference between good and absolutely fabulous!

First off, when it comes to seasoning: Don’t be afraid to be heavy-handed with the salt and pepper right before you put the lid on. Since everything is submerged in that rich gravy, the seasoning needs a little extra oomph to penetrate the steak. I usually season the meat right after placing it in the pot, before the sauce goes on, and give it a good shake.

Now, let’s talk about that gravy consistency after 6 hours. I usually find it’s perfect for soaking into mashed potatoes, but if yours looks a little thin for your liking, don’t worry about adding cornstarch slurry at the very end. My favorite way to thicken it is to scoop out just a cup of that hot liquid into a small saucepan, whisk in a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch until smooth, and then dump that thickened mixture right back into the slow cooker. Give it 15 minutes on HIGH to set up, and you’re golden. If it seems too thick, just follow the note: splash in a tiny bit of water or extra beef broth until it’s the perfect pourable texture.

And for a little flavor boost that truly honors the meat, check out this technique I learned for getting extra juicy results, even with slow cooking. Their simple secret to juicy bliss is something I often incorporate when I have an extra five minutes in the morning!

Serving Suggestions for Crock Pot Cubed Steak

The beef in this *Crock Pot Cubed Steak* is tender, but honestly, the creamy, savory gravy is the real star of the show once it’s done cooking! You absolutely must serve this over something that can soak up every single bit of that delicious sauce. My first choice, every time, is a big mountain of creamy mashed potatoes. If you haven’t tried them together, you are missing out on peak comfort food!

But I also love serving it over wide egg noodles. They hold up so well to the rich thickness of the mushroom gravy. I actually have a recipe for simple egg noodles that only takes two ingredients—it’s perfect since the main dish is already taking up the slow cooker time. A little side of steamed green beans or a simple tossed salad balances out the richness nicely!

Storage and Reheating Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Don’t you just love when dinner tastes even better the next day? Luckily, this *Crock Pot Cubed Steak* reheats beautifully! Once it cools down a bit, store any leftovers in a good, airtight container and pop it right into the fridge. It’s perfectly good to eat for up to three or four days that way.

When you’re ready to dive back in, I always take mine out about 30 minutes before reheating just to take the chill off. Skip the microwave if you can, because it can sometimes dry things out. Instead, scoop the steak and sauce into a small saucepan!

Here’s the key: add just a tiny splash—maybe two tablespoons—of extra beef broth or even just water right over the mixture before you heat it. Warm it up gently over medium-low heat until it’s steaming hot all the way through. That little bit of added moisture makes the sauce velvety again and keeps the steak from getting tough!

Frequently Asked Questions About Crock Pot Cubed Steak

I know when I find a new go-to slow cooker recipe, my brain immediately starts firing off questions about tweaking it or handling ingredients differently! This Crock Pot Cubed Steak recipe is super reliable, but here are a few things folks ask me all the time when they try making it for the first time.

Can I sear the steak first before putting it in the slow cooker?

Oh, you certainly can! If you have an extra five minutes and you like that deep, browned flavor, go for it. Just take the cubed steak out of the package, pat it dry, and quickly sear it in a hot skillet with a little oil until it gets some nice color on both sides. You don’t need to cook it through! Then pat it down and place it right into the slow cooker as usual. I think it adds a tiny bit more beefy punch to the final gravy.

What if I only have frozen cubed steak on hand?

Don’t thaw it! That’s the wonderful thing about the slow cooker, remember? You can absolutely use frozen cubed steak straight from the freezer. You’ll just need to add a little bit more liquid to the sauce mix—I usually add an extra quarter cup of beef broth—to account for the moisture released as it thaws during that long cooking period. Just make sure you use the longer cooking time on LOW.

Is this recipe too salty if I use canned soup?

That’s a very smart concern! Canned soups can definitely pack a sodium punch, and since we’re adding Worcestershire sauce, it compounds things a bit. My advice is simple: only use salt and pepper to your personal taste after you pour the liquid over the beef. The salt content in the soup and Worcestershire is often enough, so it’s better to start light and only add more later.

Can I add vegetables to this Crock Pot Cubed Steak?

Absolutely! If you want to make this a one-pot wonder, you can totally toss in some carrots and potatoes. I suggest cutting those veggies a bit larger than normal. Make sure they are layered in the slow cooker *underneath* the steak so they have more time to soften up nicely alongside the beef.

Estimated Nutritional Information for Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Now, I always like to give you a heads-up on what you’re digging into, even with this humble meal. Keep in mind that nutrition facts are tricky when you’re slow-cooking things like this—your brand of soup or the exact cut of steak seriously changes these numbers!

But just for guidance, a single serving of this *Crock Pot Cubed Steak* generally clocks in around 350 Calories. You’re looking at about 18g of Fat and a whopping 35g of Protein, which is fantastic for sticking to your ribs! Carbohydrates come in around 12g, and the Sodium is about 550mg per serving due to the canned soup. These estimates are based on the recipe card proportions, so use them as a ballpark figure!

Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Author: ferecipe.com
Total Time: 6 hours 10 min
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Low Fat

Print Recipe

Description

A simple recipe for tender cubed steak cooked slowly in a slow cooker.

Ingredients

Scale

2 lbs cubed steak
1 large onion, sliced
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the cubed steak over the onions.
In a separate bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder.
Pour the soup mixture over the steak.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Serve hot.

Notes

Serve this dish over mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a complete meal.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a small amount of water or extra beef broth.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 6 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 350
Sugar: 4
Sodium: 550
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 7
Unsaturated Fat: 11
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 12
Fiber: 1
Protein: 35
Cholesterol: 100

Keywords: crock pot, cubed steak, slow cooker, beef, easy dinner