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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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.
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.
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.
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.
No. You can substitute it with Beef Consommé.
Just substitute it with a cream soup that you like – like cream of chicken.
We usually serve it with my Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes, Cafeteria Noodles or rice to take advantage of that yummy gravy!
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.
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
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.
Place 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. If you get a “burn” message, just give it a few minutes, it will eventually start cooking.
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”).
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
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: January 2018
Updated & republished: April 2020
Instant Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy (+Video)
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
Notes
- Low sodium beef consommé or beef broth can be substituted for the French Onion Soup.
Nutrition
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.
Hi! I am making this tonight with my 8 quart IP! I’m super excited because this is one of my favorite crock pot recipes! Have you ever tried doing this and cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes at the same time? If so, how do you do it? It would be a life saver.
I don’t understand how this can only be 5 grams of carbs per serving. Is that really correct? I am doing low carbs so I want to be sure I’m not over doing it.
Lee, I have a nutritional disclosure on my site just for this purpose. I always advise everyone to use their own trusted nutritional facts calculators to always be sure! 🙂
Made this twice already, perfect both times, the second time I put a trivet with longer legs over the meat and gravy ingredients, and put small pealed red potatoes in small pan, placed over trivet, did not adjust time, and hoped for the best, potatoes were perfect for mashing!
For us guys just learning to cook, when you say one can of cream of chicken soup. What size can are you referring to?
I have a 8 lux and followed your recipe to the t and had no problem. Was very good will bE making it again . Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I made this tonight for my first time using my IP. My family and I LOVED it! It was super easy and delicious! I have an 8 qt IP so I added an extra cup of water so I didn’t run into any issues with not enough liquid. We will definitely be making this again!
To those of you getting a BURN notice. No worries. Learn from it. You’ll only get the burn notice for a very few reasons.: Not enough THIN Liquid. OR Your liquid is too thick, which prevents steam from building which will prevent pressurization. OR when you browned your meat you didn’t deglaze the pot and those wonderful tasty little food bits are stuck on and charring.
My first suggestion is to NEVER leave the room until the Pressure pin has popped up and the count down has begun on the timer. That assures you that the pot has pressurized and you CAN’T get a BURN. Once the timer starts counting down THEN you can go out on the patio and have that glass of wine.
If you DO get a BURN notice, unplug the pot of hit Cancel. Open the lid. (there should be no pressure but double check that the pin is still down.) Add a little water or broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. You DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE FOOD, and you don’t have to scrub the pot, as long as you’re standing right there when the BURN notice goes off. Just use your wooden straight edge spatula (which should be the first accessory you buy) and scrape all the bits off the bottom. They won’t really be burned if you do this right a way. They’ll actually add flavor to the dish. And in the future, DEGLAZE the pot as soon as you finish browning the meat. All you need is a splash of water, broth, or wine. In my case, I’m likely to pour a little bit of my beer in there. It’s all good.
So, once you’ve deglazed and added some more THIN liquid, reseal and start your timer all over.
The only time a BURN is going to ruin your meal is if you leave the pot unattended before it pressurizes.
Cheers!
I got the burn message and didn’t use the cornstarch ahead of time. I’m new to the Instant Pot. I have the 8 quart. I took everything out, washed the pot, put everything back in with 10 more ounces of water than the recipe called for. I’m going to see how it goes this time. This isn’t the first time I got the burn message. I also got it with the meatloaf and potatoe recipe. I ended up baking that in the oven. It’s been a little disheartening. I live at 4600 feet elevation. Would that make a difference? I wouldn’t think so.
Hi Julie – all of my recipes are tested with a 6 quart Instant Pot – not an 8 quart. I do believe you have to add more liquid in an 8 quart so that it comes to pressure properly. And yes, you may want to do some investigating on how higher elevations affect the Instant Pot. 🙂
I added 12 more ounces of water and made more “slurry” to thicken the gravy after cooking and it turned out wonderful. I also peeled and quartered potatoes and cooked them at the same time in the basket on top of the meat. Will definitely make again. I get horrible headaches from MSG so made my own French onion soup substitute. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Love hearing that Julie! That extra water for the 8-quart was probably exactly what it needed! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. I’m sure that knowledge will help others who also own an 8-quart! 🙂
Guess I will learn to read comments before trying a new recipe! Got the burn message when following the recipe and adding cornstarch in the beginning.
Brandie,
I’ve reviewed a few similar recipes, one says manual for 4 minutes with 5 minutes of natural release. So, now I’m a little perplexed with which times to use. Have you done this recipe a lot with success at 20 min then QR? I have 4 cube steaks at home, not quite 2 lbs worth. I plan to add the cornstarch on saute at the end. I would flip out if I got a burn error. lol TIA
Hey Deb! Yes, I am thinking adding the cornstarch slurry in at the end using the sauce function seems to be the way to go. 🙂 I appreciate everyone’s input so much. This is definitely a learning process for me and sometimes I don’t know all there is to know until someone educates me on what has worked for them – ha! So, I would say, concerning the time, this is what worked for me. It came out buttery tender. You could certainly play with it a bit. Some people are using larger pressure cookers and they require less time. It also depends on altitude, etc. Some altitudes affect the time it takes to pressure cook.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious!! I didn’t put the cornstarch in with everything at the beginning. After it was finished cooking, I took the meat out and put in the cornstarch which I mixed with a 1/4 cup water. I did set the IP on sauté and in a few minutes it was thickened. Also I didn’t have cream of chicken soup, so I used cream of mushroom. Worked fine, as we like mushrooms. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe.!!
Your recipe made me think of a Norwegian meat called bunkabiff. It is cubed steak with seasonings on it and pounded (bunka)????. It is then browned and simmered in gravy. Your conversion make me want to try this. Thanks for the inspiration I’m new to using IP s
I’ve read many recipes that warn to always wait to put the Cornstarch slurry in after pressure cooking and just use the sauté function to heat it up enough to get it thicker after adding it. I’ve experienced burning only once when I followed a recipe like yours that put it in during the actual pressure cook. .Maybe try Cornstarch after it usually only takes about 2-3 minutes to thicken most recipes I’ve tried. Just a thought.
Hi Marisa! Thanks so much for the input! This worked once I added the additional liquid. But I know not all brands of pressure cookers work the same. However, I am still learning the Instant Pot so that is great advice about adding it in after cooking, then just turning on the saute option. I just wish the saute option got hot enough. On my Instant Pot, it doesn’t get as hot as I would like. For example, I tried browning meat in it before using the pressure cooking option and it didn’t get hot enough to sear and put a nice browning on it. Perhaps it’s just an issue with my pot?
Brandie, an IP has an adjustable Saute power. Just push the Saute button and the power will change from Low to Normal to High.
I concur with Melissa that adding thick sauces at the beginning can encourage the BURN notice. You need thin liquids for it come up to pressure. A thick liquid like a gravy might not allow enough steam to pressurize. Then, it’s likely to burn.
Save the gravy mixes and cornstarch to mix with the broth AFTER the meal is cooked. And remember that gravy mixes already have a thickener in them.
If you do get a BURN notice you shouldn’t have to worry about depressurizing the pot because it won’t be pressurized in the first place or you wouldn’t be getting a BURN.
Nearly all recipes recommend a Natural pressure release when cooking meat. A QR can dry out and toughen the meat. (Think what your skin does in high wind! It dries out.) So, if the meat needs to pressure cook 20 minutes, I would do about 15 minutes, then natural release the pressure at least 5-7 minutes. There won’t be much pressure left at that point and your meat will be more tender. It will continue to cook during the natural release, though the heating element will be off.
I’m going to try this recipe soon. Thanks!
To the lady who asked if you could cook potatoes at the same time. Well… yes and no. If you cook potatoes for the full 30 minutes they will be very soft and mushy. But if you’re making mash potatoes it should work out great. If you want your potatoes more firm and intact, cut them into larger chunks leaving the skin on. But the longer you leave them in there, the softer they will become.
I have an 8 qt. InstaPot for about 3 weeks now and am absolutely loving it! I have heard about the dreaded “burn” notice and have never had it happen until this recipe I tried……maybe like she said above, the cornstarch shouldn’t be added until after the pressure cooking is completed?? The minute steaks were done when I got the notice and the flavor was outstanding! I have made many of the Country Cooks recipes and they are awesome! I’m just curious and trying to figure out the burn notice thing…..????????. Maybe liquid was too thick or maybe should have done pot in pot.? That being said, don’t let that stop you from making this as This was so good it’s well worth making.! If anyone has thoughts on the burn thing, please share! Thanks and thanks for another great recipe!! Please keep more InstaPot recipes coming! ????????
Can you cook potatoes at the same time?
Yes, I always do!
Dear Brandie, I just today came across your cubed steak recipe and I’m trying it tonight. I’ve used my crock pot express every night since I got it last week. Yes I love it. Thank you for the web site for note recipes. I’ve discovered that they are basically the same. Just buttons in different places.
How can I make this recipe in a slow cooker don’t have a pressure cooker yet. Would anything change with the quantities? Also how long to cook in a slow cooker?
Been along time since we’ve made cubed steaks and I just might need to give this a try!
Could you use 1can of mushroom soup and 1can of chicken soup instead of onion soup? Would I need still need to do the cornstarch mixture?
Thanks for the yummy looking recipe. While my Instant Pot is still in its box, I’ve been reading that if you turn it on to Saute, it gives it a bit of a head start to bring up to pressure. So maybe you could saute the steaks, then add the slurry and start from there.
Interesting! I guess I’ll need to test that out sometime soon!
Could I use a crockpot and do the same results in a 8 hour period?
Hi Roberta, right above the comments here, you should see a photo for my Crock Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy. Just click on that and it will take you to my crock pot recipe for this. Here is the link. Hopefully it will let you click on it: https://www.thecountrycook.net/crock-pot-cubed-steak-with-gravy/
If you already have a pressure cooker, why would you need an instant pot?
Well, I guess you wouldn’t, would you? An Instant pot is just the brand name for an electric pressure cooker. Not the kind that works on the stove. A lot of folks were intimidated by those and were concerned about safety so the electric pressure cooker has a lot of safety features built in.
Electric pressure cookers are more versatile than the stove top version. Do more easier and quicker.
Thank you for the conversion! I just got an insta pot for Christmas and I love it! Did you know you could cook your potatoes at the same time as the meat? Just put your trivet that comes with the machine on top of the meat and add your potatoes on top.
Do you have a cookbook for crock pots & instant pots?
Hi Doris! I wish I did but I don’t. I’m sorry! Maybe one of these days! 🙂
Amazon sells instant pot cookbooks. There is also an app
I think it’s great that you are converting your recipes – but you need to know that some of us, like me, have an electric Pressure Cooker or a Power Pressure Cooker XL and not an Instant Pot. We use a different set of buttons but they work basically the same. So please – keep converting your recipes – but remember those of us with an Power Pressure Cooker XL too. FYI – my 1st pressure cooker died after 40 years of use and was my Mom’s. So the PPCXL is like a dream to cook with and with any luck will not explode like my Mom’s did on occasion.. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Kathi! Thanks for that. It is literally impossible for me to convert recipes using every single appliance there is on the market. It’s kind of like slow cookers. There are SO many different kinds and it would be impossible for me to test one recipe using every different kind of model. So, I have to rely on people to know their appliances (whether they run hot or slow, etc) and to convert based on that knowledge. Right now, the majority of people own this particular brand so that is why I choose to test with this one at the moment. It’s sort of like diets. I just cannot convert every recipe to suit every kind of diet out there. I have to rely on people to understand the diet they are on and convert it themselves as necessary. Thanks so much for commenting!
Thanks for the conversion instructions. I actually made this recipe a few days ago and tried converting to IP but added too much water (4cups)! It was still great – just with sauce instead of gravy. ????. Looking forward to more conversions! Thanks.
Looks amazing. I’ve been wanting an Instant Pot for awhile now, the fact that I could have dinner like this on the table in 20 minutes just amazes me. Question though, if I had an 8 quart IP instead of the 6 quart, would your recipe still work for it?
That is a very good question and one I am not entirely sure about. Does an 8-quart Instant Pot have a higher liquid requirement? For example, the 6 quart requires you had at least 1 cup of liquid. It’s possible you may have to add a touch more liquid (water or beef stock) to this so it will come up to pressure for you. Hope that helps at least a little! 🙂 Also, the one thing we never really hear about when we see these 20 minute cook times is the time it takes to come up to pressure. And that can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes or even a bit longer. So that should be added into the time it takes to make the whole meal. 🙂 That was one of the things I didn’t understand at first! I just thought, turn it on, it comes to pressure instantly and then cooks. I clearly didn’t get how pressure cookers worked. LOL!
I doubled the recipe and made it in an 8 quart instant pot. Actually I used deer cubed steak. Cooked it for 28 minutes. The only issue I had was with venting. It was thick and kind of spewed gravy. Other than that it turned out great.
I am going to try my venison cube steaks tonight and double the recipe. By any chance were yours frozen or defrosted? Mine are frozen and I’m going to give it a try.
I have an 8 quart Instant Pot and I’ve only added 1 cup of liquid. I’ve had my Instant Pot for over a year now and I’ve never had a burn notice.
I’m wondering if it wouldn’t make a better cube steak if I sauteed or browned the steaks first. I always do that with any meat I’m preparing in my Instant Pot.
When I make a beef roast I use a packet of dry Italian salad dressing mix such as Good Seasons, a packet of ranch dressing mix, and a packet of brown gravy mix. Believe me these 3 little packets make one delicious gravy.
I simply brown my beef roast on saute in my Instant Pot, remove the roast, add about 1 to 1 and a half cups of water scrape the browned bits off the bottom of my pot. Put the roast bank in the pot, sprinkle the 3 packets over the roast. Set to manual, make sure valve is on sealing. Set time to about 40 minutes. Let release naturally for 10 minutes then release the rest of the way.
You can absolutely brown it. I think a lot of users who are not used to using their IP’s don’t fully scrape the bottom enough. If all the brown bits aren’t scraped off, then they’ll get a burn notice. So, in general, I tend to keep that out of recipes so as not to confuse less experienced cooks. However, you are obviously experienced at it and know exactly what to do. 🙂
My 8 quart Instant Pot only requires 1 cup of liquid. I’ve been using it for many different recipes and foods for about a year and I’ve never had a burn notice. I’ve saute’ ground beef, beef roast, sauteed pork chops, chicken breast etc. Best appliance in my kitchen. I use it at least 3 times a week. Sometimes more than once a day.
Thank you for clarifying Linda – good to know!
I have the 8qt and they suggest 1/2c. more liquid that’s all. Enjoy if you get one I LOVE my Crock-Pot Express
I used an 8 qt. It worked the same, but to be safe I added an extra ½ c water. No burn notice for me. I also had about double the meat.