HHeritage Kitchen

Main Dishes

Chopped Steak with Onions and Gravy

Chopped steak is hearty, familiar comfort food — a simple, satisfying plate that feels right at home for a weeknight dinner or the Sunday meal. Seasoned ground beef is formed into patties, browned, then finished in a skillet gravy built with soft onions and beef broth. In many Black home kitchens, the plate isn't finished until that gravy is spooned over hot white rice.

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Chopped steak covered in brown onion gravy beside white rice on a plate

Prep time

15 min

Cook time

25 min

Total time

40 min

Servings

6 · 4 to 6 patties

Origin Story

Chopped steak comes from the everyday craft of stretching a modest pound of beef into a full meal. The meat is seasoned, shaped by hand and browned, then simmered in a gravy built in the same skillet — onions softened in the drippings, flour stirred in, broth added slowly until it coats the back of a spoon. It's the same smothering method that shows up all over Southern and Black home cooking, and it turns a simple patty into something that feeds a family over rice.

Ingredients

For the chopped steaks

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the onions and gravy

  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

For serving

  • Cooked white rice

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

  2. 2

    Mix gently until just combined, then form the mixture into 4 to 6 oval patties.

  3. 3

    Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the patties until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

  4. 4

    In the same skillet, add oil or butter if needed and cook the sliced onions until softened and lightly browned.

  5. 5

    Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well.

  6. 6

    Slowly add the beef broth, stirring constantly to form a smooth gravy.

  7. 7

    Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  8. 8

    Return the chopped steaks to the skillet and spoon the gravy over them.

  9. 9

    Simmer gently for several minutes until the gravy thickens and the flavors come together.

  10. 10

    Serve hot over white rice.

Heritage Kitchen Tips

  • Do not overmix the meat or the chopped steaks can turn out dense.
  • If the gravy gets too thick, stir in a small splash of extra broth.
  • Yellow or white onions both work well here.
  • This dish is especially good served over rice.
  • Leftovers reheat well on the stove or in the microwave.

Kitchen Note

Everything happens in one skillet: the patties brown first, the onions soften in the same drippings, and the gravy is built right on top of those browned bits. Don't wipe the pan out in between — that's where the flavor lives.

Variations

  • Stir a spoonful of tomato paste into the onions for a deeper, slightly tangy gravy.

Ingredient substitutions

Ground turkey or ground chicken
Ground beef

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth, or in the microwave, until steaming hot.

Safety note

Cook ground beef until no pink remains and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and reheat them until steaming hot, to 165°F.

Round out the meal

Complete the meal

Helpful kitchen tool

Soul Food Serving Calculator

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How to Plan a Soul Food Dinner for a Crowd

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Frequently asked questions

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