Easy Swiss Steak Recipe: The Joy of Cooking Classic Perfected

Swiss steak represents a classic comfort food that transforms tough cuts into tender, mouthwatering meals.

Home cooks love this hearty dish for its rich, robust flavors and simple preparation method.

The technique involves coating meat with seasoned flour and creating a slow-simmered sauce that melts away muscular fibers.

Meat becomes incredibly soft after patient cooking, developing deep, complex taste profiles that satisfy hungry families.

Traditional preparation requires careful browning and low-temperature braising to break down connective tissues.

Each bite promises a perfect balance of savory meat and tangy sauce components.

Generations have treasured this unpretentious meal for its ability to turn affordable ingredients into something spectacular: get ready to impress everyone at your dinner table.

What Makes Swiss Steak Recipe Special

• Transform Tough Meat into Tender Delight: Swiss steak transforms a potentially chewy cut of beef round into a melt-in-your-mouth meal through slow cooking and strategic tenderizing techniques.
• Quick Comfort with Minimal Ingredients: This recipe requires basic pantry staples like flour, tomatoes, and simple seasonings, making it an accessible weeknight dinner solution that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
• One-Pan Wonder with Rich Flavor Layers: By browning the meat first and deglazing the pan, the recipe builds deep, complex flavors through caramelization and capturing delicious browned bits, creating a sauce that infuses the steak with incredible taste.
• Stress-Free Cooking Method: The low and slow braising technique allows busy home cooks to prepare a delicious meal with minimal hands-on time, perfect for those wanting a homemade dinner without complicated techniques or extensive kitchen skills.

What’s In Swiss Steak Recipe

• Beef Round Steak: A lean cut perfect for braising, becoming tender with slow cooking. Choose a fresh, well-marbled piece for best results.

• All-Purpose Flour: Helps create a crispy exterior and thickens the sauce. Use unbleached flour for better texture.
• Salt, Ground Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the meat's natural flavor. Freshly ground black pepper provides more intense taste.

• Green Bell Pepper, Onion Powder: Add depth and subtle sweetness to the dish. Fresh bell peppers provide more vibrant color and texture.

• Vegetable Oil: Creates a hot surface for browning the meat. Neutral oil with high smoke point works best.
• Diced Tomatoes: Provides moisture and tangy flavor to tenderize the meat. Canned tomatoes with no added salt are ideal.
• Water: Helps create steam and prevents the meat from drying during slow cooking. Use clean, filtered water for best results.

Swiss Steak Recipe Cooking Directions

Step 1: Prepare Flour Coating

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Step 2: Tenderize and Coat Beef

Pound beef round steak to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Dredge each piece completely in the flour mixture, ensuring both sides are evenly coated.

Step 3: Sear the Steak

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place steak pieces in the skillet, browning each side. Cook in batches to prevent overcrowding and ensure proper searing.

Step 4: Create Flavorful Base

Return all steak pieces to the skillet. Pour water into the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes with their juice.

Step 5: Add Aromatic Seasonings

• Minced green bell pepper
• Onion powder
• Remaining salt
• Ground black pepper

Step 6: Slow Cook to Perfection

Bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours until steak becomes fork-tender.

Step 7: Maintain Moisture

Check the skillet periodically, adding water if needed to prevent the steak from drying out.

Step 8: Serve and Enjoy

Plate the steak and generously spoon the rich, flavorful sauce over the top. Serve immediately while hot.

Swiss Steak Recipe Tricks You Should Know

• Capture Hidden Flavors: Scrape every tasty browned bit from the pan bottom when deglazing, ensuring no delicious morsel goes to waste.
• Control Liquid Levels: Monitor cooking liquid carefully, adding small amounts of water or broth if the sauce reduces too quickly to prevent meat from drying out.
• Create Perfect Sear: Heat pan until it's smoking hot, allowing steak pieces to develop a rich, caramelized exterior that locks in deep, complex flavors.
• Distribute Flour Evenly: Use gentle, consistent motions to coat steak completely with flour mixture, creating a delicate crust that thickens sauce and enhances overall texture.
• Transform Tough Cuts: Pound meat thoroughly with rolling pin or meat mallet, breaking down stubborn muscle fibers to guarantee a remarkably tender final dish.

Helpful Tips for Swiss Steak RecipeStorage

• Freezer Preservation: Seal cooked Swiss steak in heavy-duty freezer bags, removing excess air to prevent freezer burn. Label with the date and contents. Freeze flat for maximum space efficiency and quick thawing. Enjoy within 3 months for optimal flavor and texture.
• Refrigerator Storage: Transfer cooled Swiss steak to shallow airtight containers, ensuring meat remains covered completely. Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator to maintain freshness. Consume within 3-4 days for best taste and food safety.
• Flavor-Locking Technique: Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap before placing in storage containers. This extra layer prevents moisture loss and protects the meat's delicate seasoning. Helps maintain the steak's juiciness and prevents flavor transfer from other refrigerated foods.

Twists on Swiss Steak Recipe

• Spicy Tex-Mex Swiss Steak: Replace green bell peppers with jalapeños and add chili powder for a southwestern kick. Mix in some cumin and cayenne pepper to elevate the heat level.
• Mediterranean Herb-Infused Swiss Steak: Swap diced tomatoes for a blend of crushed tomatoes with oregano, basil, and rosemary. Include kalamata olives and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese before serving.
• Slow Cooker Comfort Swiss Steak: Transfer browned steak and sauce ingredients to a slow cooker instead of continuing on the stovetop. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat becomes fork-tender and develops rich, deep flavors.
• Red Wine Mushroom Swiss Steak: Deglaze the pan with red wine after browning the meat. Add sliced cremini mushrooms and a splash of beef broth for extra depth and earthiness in the sauce.

Wrapping Up Swiss Steak Recipe

Swiss steak emerges as classic comfort cuisine with roots in hearty American home cooking.

Midwest kitchens perfected this tender beef dish through generations of culinary craftsmanship.

Flour-coated round steak transforms into mouthwatering medallions braised with tomatoes and subtle seasonings.

Kitchen pros understand this recipe requires patience and careful technique to achieve maximum flavor potential.

Meat becomes extraordinarily tender after slow simmering with aromatic vegetables and rich tomato sauce.

Complex flavors will make this dish memorable for dinner guests – challenge you to create this timeless recipe, share your culinary adventure with friends, and comment below with personal cooking twists that make this classic meal uniquely yours.

Joy Of Cooking Swiss Steak Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 18 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Hearty Swiss steak delivers classic comfort from midwestern kitchens, braising tender beef in rich tomato sauce with bell peppers and onions. Slow-cooked to perfection, this nostalgic dish promises a satisfying meal that connects you to traditional home cooking.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Protein:

• 2 pounds beef round steak, cut 1-inch thick

Dry Ingredients:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Liquid and Vegetable Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup water, or as needed
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup minced green bell pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Prepare a seasoned flour blend by mixing 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour with 2.5 milliliters (1/2 teaspoon) salt and 1.25 milliliters (1/4 teaspoon) ground black pepper in a shallow dish.
2. Tenderize the beef round steak to 1.25 centimeters (1/2 inch) thickness using a meat mallet, then thoroughly coat each piece in the seasoned flour mixture.
3. Warm 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and appears slightly rippled.
4. Carefully place the floured steak pieces into the hot skillet, cooking each side until a rich golden-brown crust develops. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding and ensure even browning.
5. Return all browned steak pieces to the skillet, then pour 60 milliliters (1/4 cup) water into the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the caramelized bits from the bottom, creating a flavorful base for the sauce.
6. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juice, spreading them evenly over the steak pieces.
7. Sprinkle 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) finely chopped green bell pepper, 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) onion powder, the remaining salt, and additional ground black pepper across the tomato layer.
8. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to gently simmer. Cover the skillet and let the steak slowly braise for 60-90 minutes, periodically checking the liquid level to prevent burning.
9. If the sauce appears too dry during cooking, carefully add small amounts of water to maintain moisture and prevent sticking.
10. Once the steak reaches a tender consistency, remove from heat and serve immediately, generously spooning the rich tomato sauce over the meat.

Notes

• Break down tough muscle fibers by pounding the round steak with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it reaches an even, thin thickness for maximum tenderness.
• Create a flavorful protective layer by evenly coating the steak in seasoned flour, which helps develop a delicious golden crust and naturally thickens the sauce during cooking.
• Develop deep, rich flavors by searing the steak pieces in a hot pan, ensuring each piece gets a beautiful golden-brown exterior that locks in moisture and creates complexity.
• Capture every bit of delicious browned bits from the pan by deglazing with water or broth, scraping up the flavorful fond that adds incredible depth to the entire dish.
• Allow the steak to become meltingly tender through patient, low-temperature cooking, adding liquid as needed to prevent drying and maintain a succulent, sauce-rich consistency.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 340
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 580 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 17 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 30 g
• Cholesterol: 90 mg