Slow Cooker Cube Steak Recipe

This Italian style slow cooker cube steak recipe simmered with tomatoes, onions, and Italian seasonings is an easy way to cook cube steak and creates a simple family meal everyone will enjoy.

Cube steak is a budget friendly meat cut, that with the slow cooking process becomes a tender and tasty comfort food the entire family will embrace. The dish is equally suited for a a lazy Sunday or busy weeknight meal. 

How to Make Cube Steak in a Crock Pot

Let's make this easy dinner! This slow cooker cube steak is a set-it and forget-it type of meal, perfect for busy days. Here I will walk you through the steps of preparing this cube steak meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 6-8 hours on Low

The recipe yields 6 servings.

 Prepare you slow cooker by coating the interior with nonstick cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt, dried mustard, and black pepper. Dredge the cubed steaks into the flour, coating on both sides.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the oil and heat until hot. Add half of the cubed steaks and brown well on both sides. Transfer the browned steaks to the prepared slow cooker and continue with the second batch of cubed steak, adding additional oil as needed.

When all of the steaks are browned and moved to the slow cooker, add the onions to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook just until heated through.

Pour in the beef broth and scrape the pan to loosen browned bits

Transfer the onions and garlic on beef broth to the slow cooker, spooning over the cubed steaks.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients. Add salt and black pepper, if desired.

Pour the mixture over the steaks and onions.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. The steaks will be fork tender when done.

Serving

Serve the cube steaks with the tomato gravy over white rice, pasta, egg noodles or mashed potatoes. For lower carb options, serve over cauliflower rice, low carb pasta or mashed cauliflower.

Simple steamed broccoli, sauteed vegetables, baked asparagus or a green salad make great vegetable sides for the easy meal. For bread; garlic focaccia with herbs or warm slices of jalapeno cheddar cornbread are two tasty choices.

Choosing the Right Cut of Meat

When preparing a delicious slow cooker cube steak recipe, starting with the right cut of meat makes all the difference. Cube steak is typically made from tougher cuts of beef, such as top round, round steak, or top sirloin. These cuts are known for their robust flavor but can be a bit chewy if not properly tenderized. That’s where a meat tenderizer or meat mallet comes in, these tools are used to pound the meat, breaking down tough fibers and creating the signature cube-shaped indentations that give cube steak its name.

If you’re shopping for cube steak, look for pieces that have been run through a mechanical tenderizer at the butcher, or you can easily tenderize round steak or top sirloin at home with a meat mallet. The goal is to achieve a tender texture that will hold up well during the slow cooking process. Don’t be afraid to choose a tougher cut of beef; the slow cooker will work wonders, transforming it into a melt-in-your-mouth meal. Whether you’re using top round, round steak, or another inexpensive cut, proper tenderizing ensures your cube steak will be flavorful and fork tender by the time it’s ready to serve.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few simple swaps and add-ins that may better suit your taste or what is on-hand in your pantry:

• If you don't have fresh onions, garlic and beef broth, onion soup mix and garlic powder can be used in the recipe. Simply skip the step of browning the onion and garlic and pour the onion soup mix and garlic powder over the cooked cube steaks along with a cup of water.
• Boost the veggie content of the dish by tossing in fresh or frozen green beans in the slow crock pot along with the cube steak and sauce before slow cooking. Bell peppers are also a great choice. I recommend lightly sauteing them along with the onions.
• For a lower sodium meal, reduce or omit the added salt and select low sodium broth and canned tomatoes.

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also want to try my Portuguese Blade Steak Recipe. It's another flavorful easy crock pot meal that takes advantage of an inexpensive meat cut. My Crock Pot Meatloaf and Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, both with potatoes and carrots are also tasty budget meal choices.