Pioneer Woman's Crock Pot Cube Steak

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Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak with gravy is my favorite easy slow cooker recipe. It is very easy to prepare and is perfect for busy weeknights! Only requiring a few ingredients, you’ll be making this for dinner every week!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

You can set it and forget it! Simply start it in the morning before work, and it will be ready by dinnertime!

It’s also packed with flavor. It takes only a few minutes to put together, but the fact it cooks slowly all day allows the meat to pick up the flavors of the mushroom and onion soups.

It’s easy to make! It only requires three steps and it leaves your house smelling great all day long!

Top view of Pioneer Woman Crock Pot Cube Steak served on a plate

What is Cubed Steak?

Cube steaks are lean cuts of beef, such as top round or top sirloin. The name comes from a method of tenderizing steaks in a cubing machine. A meat mallet can produce a similar result when used on a steak or other types of meat, such as chicken breast. Cube steak that you purchase from the store is already tenderized so you won’t have to do it yourself.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak recipe is easy to make and the meat becomes very tender by cooking for a lengthy amount of time. Buy an extra batch of meat and freeze it for use later use so that you can make this dish on a whim. Here are the other ingredients you will need:

21 ounces Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup – You’ll need 2 x 10.5 ounce cans to create the gravy base.
1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix – Recipe Secrets Onion or Beefy Onion flavors are the best.
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper – If you can, use freshly ground!
3/4 cup Water (optional) – Water can be added to thin out the gravy, if desired.
1 1/2 pounds Cube Steaks – This works out to be about 4 to 6 steaks.
1 medium Yellow Onion – You can also use a white onion for this recipe.
4 to 8 ounces Mushrooms (optional) – Slice up some white button mushrooms or cremini (baby bella) mushrooms for a savory complement to your steak.

Substitutions and Additions:

Meat : Cube steak is delicious, but Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak recipe is flexible in terms of the type of meat you can use as the sauce can go with anything. Chops (boneless or bone-in), cutlets, or chicken breasts can also be used for this recipe.
Garlic : If you love garlic, mince up a few cloves and toss them in during cooking!
Cream of Celery Soup : Can’t find cream of mushroom soup? Use cream of celery! Make a savory gravy by mixing cream of celery with cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup!
Truffle Oil : It would be even more special if you drizzled truffle oil on top after cooking! That would add an upscale touch to a really simple meal!

How to Make Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak

1. Add the cans of cream of mushroom soup, Lipton onion soup mix, and ground black pepper (plus water if desired) to a crock pot, and stir well to combine.

2. Put the cube steaks on top of the sauce mixture, adding one at a time and topping each steak with some of the sliced onions. If desired, top the steaks with sliced mushrooms (white mushrooms or cremini).

Tender raw cube steaks prepared for slow cooking in a Crock Pot

Sliced onions added to the Crock Pot for Cube Steak preparation

Fresh mushrooms sliced and ready for the Crock Pot Cube Steak

3. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. For best results, use the low setting if time allows.

Cube Steak simmering in mushroom and onion gravy inside a crock pot

4. Serve over rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Pioneer Woman Crock Pot Cube Steak served

What to Serve With Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak

Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak is wonderful served with rice or mashed potatoes, however, you can also serve it with one of the options below:

Steamed Vegetables
Waldorf Salad
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Egg Noodles
Rice
Roasted Green Beans
Green Beans Almondine
Steamed Broccoli

How to Store Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak Leftovers

The leftovers of Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak can be stored for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak can be frozen for up to 3 months as long as it is in an airtight container.

Can You Use Frozen Cube Steak in This Pioneer Woman Crockpot Recipe?

I don’t recommend that you use frozen cube steak in Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot recipe since the recipe utilizes a slow cooking method, which means that the steaks will remain frozen for a long time inside the crockpot, resulting in a longer cooking time.

Additionally, it is not sanitary to defrost meat in a warm environment for too long, so please avoid using frozen steaks.

How to Reheat Pioneer Woman’s Crockpot Cube Steak

Adding gravy to Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak will add moisture, making it easy to reheat it in the microwave without it drying out. If you would like to make this dish ahead of time, you can refrigerate it for a few days and then reheat it as needed.

Recipe Tips

You don’t have to worry too much about overcooking the steak. If you make it before work and come back late, everything will be fine! Cube steak is best cooked between 6 and 8 hours.
The meat doesn’t need to be flipped. In fact, you should avoid removing the lid until the cooking time has elapsed. By removing the lid, you will allow the steam to escape, which will remove moisture from your food and the chamber. Stirring is also not necessary.
Add cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it. Mix 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 or 3 tablespoons of cold water to form a paste and add it to the crockpot towards the end of the cooking process. This can also be done with flour as long as you mix it with water first.
Thaw your cube steak before adding it to the crockpot as cooking frozen steak in a crockpot will result in too long of a cooking time. To thaw the meat, simply place it in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can place it in a plastic bag in cold water until it is thawed.

Close-up of Pioneer Woman Cube Steak on a white plate

FAQ Section

Does Crock Pot Cooking Make Steak Tender?

Yes! When you slow cook cube steak all day, it will be incredibly tender. I actually prefer this way of cooking meat. You can cut the meat with a fork because it is so tender.

Is It Necessary To Rinse Off Cube Steak?

You shouldn’t rinse the meat when you make Pioneer Woman’s Crock Pot Cube Steak. In fact, the USFDA recommends that no meat should be rinsed before cooking because heating it to the proper temperature will kill the bacteria anyway. In other words, unless there’s dirt or something visible on your steak, you don’t need to rinse it first.

What Temperature Should Cube Steak Be Cooked To?

You should cook cube steak to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is It Okay To Put Raw Meat into a Slow Cooker?

Yes! As most things made in a slow cooker will be in there for a long time, they will thoroughly cook. As a result, you won’t have to worry about bacteria or anything else.

Is It Necessary To Add Extra Liquid When Slow Cooking Food For A Long Time?

It may only be necessary to add extra liquid if you are making soup or stew. Almost all of the ingredients you use in this slow cooker cube steak have liquid in them such as meat, vegetables, condensed soup, etc. Cooking something for a long period of time will cause moisture to leach out of the different ingredients. However, you can add more liquid if you prefer a thinner sauce.