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Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy (+Video)

This Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy comes out so tender thanks to the quick work of the pressure cooker and it makes its own gravy!

A FAST AND EASY INSTANT POT RECIPE

So, I thought I would start converting some of my crock pot (slow cooker) recipes to Instant Pot recipes. In my mind, I thought it would be so easy! Yeah, that’s what I get for thinking! Ha! Turns out, not as easy as I thought. I started converting my Crock Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy recipe to an Instant Pot Cube Steak and Gravy and learned that you definitely have to tweak some things to make recipes convert to pressure cooker recipes.

inished, Instant Pot Cubed Steak with Gravy on a plate served with mashed potatoes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is cube steak?

Cube (or cubed) steak is an inexpensive cut of meat that has been run through a meat tenderizer. Basically, little holes are punched into both sides of the meat to help break down the tendons in the meat which is what makes meat tough.

Where does cube steak come from?

Cube steak if usually taken from the bottom or top round part of the cow. It’s the bit near the cow’s rump which is a tougher cut of meat.

How do you cook cube steak so it’s not tough?

You can do it a few ways. You can pan fry it like you’re making Chicken Fried Steak. Or you can cook it low and slow with my Crock Pot Cubed Steak recipe which really helps create a very fork tender meat. Or cook it under pressure as I do here. Cooking it in the slow cooker or in the instant pot will give you the most tender outcome.

What do I do if I get a “burn” notice on my instant pot?

I’ve made this dish a few times since creating the recipe. Occasionally I still get a burn message on my pressure cooker. When this happens, I just give it a few minutes. I don’t open the lid, I just wait. After a few minutes, it will begin the cooking countdown and the burn message goes away. So if this happens to you, just be patient.
Sometimes it’s possible to get a burn message if something is sticking to the bottom of the pot or if the liquid in the pot is too thick. You may need to scrape the bottom of the pot and possible add a bit more liquid to get it to come to pressure.

Do I have to use French Onion soup?

No. You can substitute it with Beef Consommé.

What if I don’t like Cream of Mushroom soup?

Just substitute it with a cream soup that you like – like cream of chicken.

What can I serve with cube steak?

We usually serve it with my Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes, Cafeteria Noodles or rice to take advantage of that yummy gravy!

How do you make cube steak in the oven?

Mix together all the sauce ingredients (minus the water and cornstarch) and pour over the cube steaks in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350F degrees for 2 hours.

inished, Instant Pot Cubed Steak with Gravy recipe from The Country Cook, serving suggestion with mashed potatoes topped with gravy.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • water
  • French onion soup
  • cream of chicken soup
  • Au Jus Gravy mix
  • cubed steaks
  • cornstarch
cubed steak, french onion soup, cream of chicken, au just gravy mix, instant pot.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CUBED STEAK:

Pour 1 1/2 cups water, French onion soup, cream of chicken soup and packet of au just gravy mix into bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Whisk together well.

instant pot gravy.

Place cubed steaks into pot making sure to coat the pieces in the gravy.

cubed steak in gravy sauce in instant pot.

Close lid, turn valve to “Sealing.” Cook on Manual High pressure for 20 minutes. If you get a “burn” message, just give it a few minutes, it will eventually start cooking.

Instant Pot.

After cooking, carefully turn valve to “Venting” (this is called a “Quick Release”). Be VERY careful of the steam that will quickly come out. Allow all of the steam to fully release before unlocking lid. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Remove the cubed steaks. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together 1/4 cup water and cornstarch (this is called a “slurry”).

cornstarch and water slurry.

Pour this slurry mixture into the gravy that is already in the Instant Pot. Whisk well to combine. Continue to whisk until gravy starts to thicken. Place cubed steaks back into the pot to warm them back up. Turn off Instant Pot. Serve cubed steak with gravy over Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Cubed Steak with Gravy served on a white plate with mashed potatoes and parsley in the background.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: January 2018
Updated & republished: April 2020

Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy recipe

Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy (+Video)

This Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy comes out so tender thanks to the quick work of the pressure cooker and it makes its own gravy!
4.93 from 189 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 can French onion soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 packet packet Au Jus Gravy mix
  • 4 cubed steaks (about 2 pounds)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • Pour 1 1/2 cups water, 1 can French onion soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 packet packet Au Jus Gravy mix into instant pot. Whisk together well.
  • Place 4 cubed steaks into pot making sure to coat the pieces in the gravy.
  • Close lid, turn valve to "Sealing." Cook on Manual High pressure for 20 minutes. Note: It will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes to come up to pressure before cooking. 
  • If you get a "burn" message, just give it a few minutes, it will eventually start cooking. Or, open it back up, scrape the bottom really well to make sure there are no bits sticking to the bottom. Add a bit more water to thin it out a bit then try again.
  • After cooking, carefully turn valve to “Venting” (this is called a “Quick Release”). Be VERY careful of the steam that will quickly come out. Allow all of the steam to fully release before unlocking lid.
  • Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Remove the cubed steaks. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together 1/4 cup water with 3 Tablespoons cornstarch (this is called a "slurry").
  • Pour this slurry mixture into the gravy that is already in the Instant Pot. Whisk well to combine. Continue to whisk until gravy starts to thicken. Place cubed steaks back into the pot to warm them back up. Turn off Instant Pot. 
  • Serve cubed steak with gravy over mashed potatoes.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • Low sodium beef consommé or beef broth can be substituted for the French Onion Soup.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 145mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




179 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve made this several times now and it’s always yummy! I use venison cubed steak and have served it both ways with mashed potatoes or rice. I love the fact it doesn’t require flouring and browning first! Very easy and quick to prepare. I’ll add mushrooms on occasion too! Yummm!

  2. 5 stars
    This was so good and easy to make! I have tried a couple other recipes and the meat was not near as tender as these are! Thank you for the recipe

  3. 5 stars
    I got my hands on some wonderful cubed steaks and these came out tender and we loved the gravy. I know cubed steaks are supposed already tenderized but sometimes you get a bad batch and they are like rubber so my advice to others is still be choosy when picking out cubed steak. Many times it’s the cubed steaks and not a recipe that are the problem.

  4. 5 stars
    this is so delicious! there aren’t many meals that everyone in this house shares as a favorite, but this is one of them

  5. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe numerous times. Twice now, I’ve used frozen store bought meatballs with quite a bit of success. My kids aren’t huge mashed potatoes fans but they love to eat this over rice. This is in our dinner rotation!

  6. 5 stars
    This is a very good recipe. It is super easy and delicious. It was tender and the gravy is superb. Thank you for the recipe. I definitely will make it again.

    1. I’m always weird about gravy after it has been frozen and that just may be only me but I don’t always love the texture of gravy after it has been frozen then re-heated. However, having said that you technically can freeze it. I would just recommend a very slow re-heat.

  7. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe . I have made this a number of times now. Was the first thing I cooked in my instant pot. This
    is one of my husband’s favorites. Thank you for sharing it with us.

  8. You might’ve just gotten bad cubed steaks. Despite your best efforts, some are just not good quality & no matter what you do, they won’t get tender. You can try beating them with a meat tenderizer first next time (although you really shouldn’t need to, but you can) and you can also add a light sprinkling of meat tenderizer. I’ve never had an issue with tough meat on this recipe so I’m going to guess it was the meat that was the problem. Sorry it didn’t turn out for ya!

  9. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight in my instant pot. I did not get a burn notice. This was so quick and easy! I added a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, but you could add just about anything in your refrigerator to customize to your liking— sour cream, spaghetti sauce , ranch seasoning , French fried onions, endless options!

  10. 5 stars
    Delish. No burn notice but I was prepared to wait it out just in case. LOL. I think if anyone does get a burn notice, you can also scrape the bottom and make sure you don’t have anything sticking to the bottom. Some of these instant pots are SO sensitive. I also find adding a bit more water to thicker sauces helps a lot too. 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe! These were so tender!