This is my grown-up version of childhood Salisbury steak dinners. The nostalgic comfort food that always came with thick gravy, but without a blood-sugar spike.
The challenge: How do I recreate those same flavor memories for diabetic and pre-diabetic family members? Traditional versions are loaded with flour and breadcrumbs that can raise blood glucose levels.
My solution: Seasoned beef patties that get tender in the oven, topped with rich mushroom gravy thickened naturally. No flour needed!
Why This Works for Diabetes
Traditional Salisbury steak can spike blood sugar significantly. Flour in the patties, flour in the gravy, plus all those carby sides that restaurants serve with it.
This version is different:
- Pure protein patties - no flour, fillers or breadcrumbs to raise glucose
- Natural gravy thickening - reduced pan juices and veggies are blended instead of using a flour roux
- High satiety factor - protein and healthy fats keep you full for hours
The blood sugar bonus: Beef's natural fats actually help slow any glucose absorption from side dishes you choose to add.
I like to serve it with a fiber-rich green salad like my Caesar Salad along with sourdough bread. Or go with mashed cauliflower to keep it even lower in total carbs. It's a balanced meal with fiber, fat, protein and carbohydrates for stable blood-sugar levels.
Same philosophy applies for my One-Pan Chicken Quinoa Bake. Diabetes friendly with minimal dishes to do.
Ingredients Notes
- Ground beef: I use 80/20 grass-fed beef, but leaner ground beef works too. The natural fats help slow absorption of any carbs from side dishes. Substitutes: ground turkey, chicken, or pork work equally well.
- Mushrooms: High in fiber and umami. I love baby bella mushrooms, but white button, brown mushrooms, or regular portobellos all work.
- Bone broth: Provides deeper flavor than regular broth while adding collagen and minerals. The natural gelatin helps create a silky gravy texture. Feel free to sub with stock, broth or water.
- Fresh thyme: Dried thyme or Italian seasoning work great too.
- Liquid aminos: Just like soy sauce but lower in sodium, gluten-free, and packed with amino acids.
How to Make Oven Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy
The beauty is in the simplicity - season, shape, bake, and make gravy in the same pan.
- Step 1: Season the Beef. Place patties, sliced onion, garlic, mushrooms and thyme on a baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2: Bake for 20 minutes at 425F then turn the oven to broil and cook for 2 more minutes to get a little extra browning on top of the meat and veggies.
- Step 3: Start the Gravy. Move the meat and half of the onions and mushrooms to a serving platter, then add the remaining garlic, onions, mushrooms, juices, broth and liquid aminos to the blender. Blend for a full minute until smooth.
- Step 4: Plate and Serve. Spoon some of the gravy over the top of your steaks and serve the rest on the side.
Tips!
- Get pre-shaped hamburger patties to save time. I keep my patties round but some folks go more for an oval patty. Do you!
- Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier clean up of the pan.
Meal Prep Winner
The meal prep bonus: These reheat beautifully and actually taste better the next day as flavors meld.
Reheating tips:
- Microwave: Cover and heat in 30-second intervals
- Oven: 325°F covered with foil for 10-15 minutes
- Pro tip: Add a splash of broth when reheating to refresh the gravy
Perfect for busy weeks: Make a double batch Sunday, portion into containers, and you have satisfying dinners ready in minutes.
Oven Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: beef
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Budget-friendly oven hamburger steaks in mushroom gravy cook on a sheet pan with minimal prep. A hearty, family-approved dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 pounds ground beef, formed into patties *see notes
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into thin rings
- 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced (baby bella, white button and brown mushrooms all work great)
- 6 whole cloves of garlic
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbs avocado oil
- 1 Tbs liquid aminos (or coconut aminos or soy sauce)
- 1 cup beef bone broth or beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Scatter your hamburger patties, sliced onion, garlic, sliced mushrooms and thyme on a baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper all over.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 425F then turn the oven to broil and cook for 2 more minutes to get a little extra browning on top of the meat and veggies.
- Move the meat and half of the onions and mushrooms to a serving platter, then add the remaining garlic, onions, mushrooms and accumulated juices to a blender. Add 1 cup of beef bone broth and 1 Tbs liquid aminos to the blender, too, and blend for a full minute until you get a silky smooth gravy. If you used leaner meat, you might have less juices accumulated in the pan. In which case, add ¼ cup more broth to get a pourable gravy consistency.
- Spoon some of the gravy over the top of your steaks on the platter and serve with the remaining gravy on the side.
Notes
- The amount of ground beef you use will depend on how many serving you'd like to make and how big you want your steaks to be. I like to buy around 1.25 pounds (20oz) of ground beef to make four 6 ounce patties for my family.
- I buy ground beef that is an 80/20 mix of lean to fat. You could use leaner if you like.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 patty
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 771 mg
- Fat: 29.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.4 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 115.3 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
About 3-4g net carbs per serving, mainly from the mushrooms and onions. The beef and gravy are virtually carb-free.
Yes! 93/7 ground beef or ground turkey work well. You might need to add a bit of butter to the gravy for richness.
Use low-sodium soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead. Both add that same savory umami flavor.
They should reach 160°F internal temperature, or feel firm when gently pressed. Usually takes 15-20 minutes in a 400°F oven.
Yes! Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
CC says
Where does the cream enter into the instructions???
Joanie Simon says
Sorry about that Celine! I did an update to this recipe and found the cream was uncessary so I updated the recipe card, but some of the content of the post still referenced cream. I just updated those points in the post and now it should all be accurate. Thanks for flagging this!