Hamburger steak is a traditional Southern cuisine. But it wasn’t much popular until the arrival of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. After being founded in 1969, Cracker barrel has maintained a Southern country theme. They have a very rich menu of southern items, but the fame of the Cracker barrel hamburger steak recipe is indeed unmatchable. Cracker barrel made this a dish of nostalgia. This recipe always reminds me that there is nothing quite like country cooking! The taste of this juicy hamburger steak lingers, but it is very easy to prepare and takes only 35-45 minutes to get done with the whole cooking process.
This dish is very simple but surprisingly flavorful and mouthwatering. The hamburger is usually shaped into steaks after a proper seasoning. Then they are fried in a little oil after coating with flour. The interesting part is that you can save the drippings and prepare creamy and finely sticky gravy to take this meal to a whole new level! So whenever I make this dish, I also make the gravy, and everyone in my family enjoys it to the fullest. Sometimes I don’t have anything to cook, but I always have the Cracker barrel hamburger steak ingredients at my home. This is how it has also become my most favorite go-to meal. You can also try my other favorite, the Smashburger black bean burger recipe too!
You might have tried a lot of other classic and old-fashioned American dishes, but this one could take you by surprise. Yes, I have some secret tips and tricks as well! Let’s dig into my version of this amazing recipe right now!
Ingredients
As you already know that it’s a pretty simple meal, and it doesn’t even break a bank. You will get all the ingredients of this recipe in any local grocery store easily. But after you try this once yourself, you might want to keep the ingredients ready all the time at your home.
- Hamburger (1 and ½ pounds). I usually use and recommend the 85/15 hamburgers.
- Garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon)
- Onion powder (1/2 teaspoon)
- Freshly ground coriander (1/2 teaspoon)
- Vegetable oil (1/2 or 1 cup)
- Flour (1/2-3/4 cup)
- Again, all-purpose flour, separately (3-4 tablespoons)
- Milk (2-3 cups)
- Freshly ground black pepper (1 teaspoon)
- Seasoned salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Instructions
Here goes the guideline for my version of the Cracker barrel hamburger steak recipe. I have incorporated the gravy part in it. If you want to skip the gravy, skip the Gravy part.
- Step 1:Take a medium or regular-size bowl and place your hamburgers in it.
- Step 2: Now, put the onion powder, coriander, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in the bowl and mix all these ingredients finely.
- Step 3: Shape the mixture into regular size patties. Then move them to a plate, and set them aside for the time being.
- Step 4: Take your large iron skillet and put some oil (1/2 inch at best) in it. Heat the oil on your skillet over low to medium heat.
- Step 5: Now, coat the patties with pepper, salt, and flour properly. This step is very significant as the coating must be precise and proper for better taste. When you are done with coating, set the patties on a platter.
- Step 6: Fry the patties on the iron skillet using the pre-heated oil until they turn fully browned (approximately 4-5 minutes per side). Then remove the patties from the skillet and move them aside on a plate (preferably to an oven to keep them warm).
Prepare Creamy Gravy
- Step 1: At first, put some flour and milk into dripping reaming in the bottom of the skillet.
- Step 2: Take a fork, stir the flour, and scrape the remaining beef in the bottom. Then whisk to mix milk, flour, and drippings.
- Step 3: Now, season properly using pepper and salt. You can also use the same seasonings that you have used for the meat.
- Step 4: Then stir and simmer the mixture over medium heat (preferably medium-low) for at least 5 minutes. The gravy will turn thick by this time.
- Step 5: Now get back to low temperature and place and cover the patties in the gravy. Then simmer it again for 15 more minutes and serve. You can also serve it by pouring gravy over steaks after placing the patties on a platter.
Tips and Tricks
After going through the trial and error method a few times, I found a big secret to mouthwatering steaks. All you need to do is cutting the steaks into little rectangle shapes and coat them using pepper, salt, and flour. No! this is not everything!
The ultimate secret to mouthwatering steaks is proper seasoning. If you have proper layers of seasonings over the steaks, I guarantee your recipe is going to be a big hit. This simple trick may not make any sense to you until you try it yourself. Go on!
Recipe Notes
I have mentioned this earlier, but to remind you, if you want your meal to be memorable, try it with creamy gravy. The juiciness it offers will leave you speechless! However, don’t forget to add a few more layers of seasonings if you go for gravy.
Save the drippings from the hamburgers in the bottom of your skillet. Then add some milk and flour to prepare the gravy.
Once, I used to go to the Cracker barrel at least twice a week to enjoy their hamburger steak recipe. But it wasn’t easy to get a seat in there on Sundays because of the massive popularity of this recipe. Sometimes I had to wait for minutes in the queue.
I know the same happens to all those people who visit Cracker barrel on Sundays. That’s why I have shared this cracker barrel hamburger steak recipe so that the busy bees can have their favorite Cracker barrel hamburger steak comfortably at home. Try it now!
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