Cube steaks are pounded steaks designed for fast cooking and breading. They’re perfect for weeknights and the fundamental ingredient behind dishes like chicken fried steak.
Here’s a bit about them and how to cook them.
What is cube steak?
Cube steaks are thin steaks run through a tenderizer, and they are often from the round or chuck primals. The tenderizer machine places characteristic “cubes” on the steak. Cube steaks are also referred to as swiss steaks, due to the swissing machine that tenderizes the meat.
You may also see the term minute steaks, which are often conflated with cube steaks. Minute steaks are flat, thin steaks designed for rapid cooking but are not required to be run through a tenderizer.
So while all cube steaks are minute steaks, not all minute steaks are cube steaks. You can sub minute steaks for cubed steaks in low and slow cooking recipes like a crockpot, or simply tenderize them yourself with a meat mallet.
What is cube steak good for?
Cube steaks are designed for easy cooking. Due to their thin and lean nature, they respond best to short cooking times on the rarer side or low and slow cooking.
Here are a few common ways to use cube steaks:
- Chicken fried steak: This Southern classic involves breading and frying cube steaks, then serving them with white pork gravy.
- Beef stroganoff: Cube steaks are often used instead of more traditional cuts in this creamy, mushroom-based dish.
- Steak sandwiches: Cube steaks can be seasoned, grilled, or pan-fried, then used in sandwiches with your choice of toppings and condiments. Cube steaks are sometimes labeled sandwich steaks for this purpose.
- Beef tips: Cube steaks cut into smaller pieces can be used in beef tips recipes, cooked with onions, mushrooms, and gravy, and served over rice or noodles.
- Salisbury steak: Similar to a hamburger patty but with a richer flavor, Salisbury steak is made from cube steaks and served with brown gravy.
- Cube steak parmesan: Breaded and fried cube steaks are topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese, then served with pasta.
- Beef and vegetable stir-fry: Cube steaks can be sliced thin and used in a quick stir-fry with vegetables and a savory sauce.
14 delicious cube steak recipes
Here are a variety of ways to cook cube steak. Enjoy!
1. Southern cube steak and milk gravy
Dredge your steaks in a bit of seasoned flour, cook them down, and set aside, pour some flour in to mix with the leftover bits and fat, and then slowly pour milk in until the gravy reduces. It’s that easy, and Southern Plate walks you through it. Serve it with green beans and mashed potatoes!
2. Easy swiss steak
Swiss steak is the brown gravy equivalent of the recipe above. The brown comes from the butter, beef broth, and mushrooms. Eat2Gather has a great breakdown of this classic cube steak recipe.
3. Italian cubed beef pasta
For one of the most economical meals you can make, use this recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen. You pan fry the steaks after dredging them in an egg and flour mix, and then you serve it over pasta and your favorite sauce. Easy!
4. Cube steak stroganoff
For a slightly leaner mushroom pasta that skips the gravy and opts for sour cream to thicken the sauce, use this recipe from Taste of Home. To elevate this recipe, use fresh mushrooms, top of fresh parsley, and use your own beef stock.
5. Chili lime cube steak
For a bit of zing, use this recipe from Cupcake and Kale Chips. You just mix lime juice, chilis, garlic, honey (or agave), and whatever other Mexican seasonings you’d like, pan fry the steaks, and pour the sauce over them to finish. If you have time, consider marinating your steaks in lime and salt for extra flavor.
6. Instant pot korean beef
For bulgog-easy (bulgogi), all you need is an instant pot and some steaks. This recipe from The Spruce Eats uses typical supermarket ingredients and is perfect for rice bowls or lettuce wraps.
7. Cubed steak in brown gravy
This recipe from The Cozy Cook is similar to the easy swiss steak recipe mentioned earlier, but it is a little more in-depth. This recipe would be incredible with caramelized onions as well.
8. Pepper steak with onion stir fry
For a Chinese spin, pick up some fresh ginger and peppers and follow this recipe from Oh Snap Let’s Eat. Mix and match any peppers you want, and do not skip the sesame oil. It has a ton of flavor and will be missed.
9. Crock pot cubed steak
You don’t have to worry about steak being tough if you crock pot it! This is a set-and-forget cubed steak cream of chicken gravy recipe from The Country Cook — enjoy.
10. One pot philly cheesesteak pasta
Rich and delicious, this easy cheesesteak pasta from The Life Jolie will put you right to sleep (in the best way). Cream, mushrooms, mozzarella, worcestershire, penne — come on.
11. Pan-fried cube steaks with simple sauce
Use a compound butter if you have it, but all you need to do with this recipe from AllRecipes is baste your steaks in butter as they come up to temp. Serve with your favorite seasonal vegetables.
12. Cube steak parmesan
Cube steaks were made for steak parmesan. Taste of Lizzy shows you how to get that classic chicken parm richness from cube steaks. Get high-quality tomato sauce (or make your own) for the best results.
13. Creamy cube steak mushroom pasta
One pot is all you need. This pasta cooks the steak down in cream of mushroom, and you can add any cheese or vegetables you have in your fridge to this recipe from Blackberry Babe.
14. The best chicken fried steak
This chicken fried steak recipe from AllRecipes is famous, and you’ll find out why soon enough! It’s simple and perfect. Use the best ingredients you can and get ready for the imminent nap.
How to cook cube steak
Cube steaks cook quickly, so avoid overcooking them. Depending on thickness, most minute steaks cook in 2-3 minutes per side. You can also roast them at low heat in the oven or slow cook them.
Oven
- Pat steaks dry.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear steaks quickly on each side until a crust forms.
- Place in the oven until they reach 140º.
- Remove and slice thinly across the grain.
Frying pan
- Pat steaks dry.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high — when water dances across it, it’s ready.
- Sear for 1-2 minutes on each side to your desired temperature.
- Remove and slice thinly across the grain.
Grill
- Pat steaks dry.
- Place on a medium-heat grill, avoiding overcrowding.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 140º.
- Remove and slice thinly across the grain.
Slow cooker
- Preheat crockpot on low.
- Season meat with salt and pepper, if using low-sodium ingredients.
- Place meat in the crockpot and cover with broth or gravy.
- Cook for 6-8 hours until tender.
- Adjust seasoning and serve with potatoes and veggies.
What to serve with cube steak
Cube steaks are good with just about anything. Here are a few options:
- Mac and cheese
- Hashbrown casserole
- Green bean casserole
- Mashed potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Cornbread
- Asparagus
- Brussel sprouts
- Mushrooms
- Fries
- Sweet potatoes
- Tangy salads
How to make great cube steak every time
It’s hard to mess up a cube steak since it is tenderized, but the most important thing to do is not overcook it.
Here are a few more tips for making minute steaks perfectly:
Cut the steak across the grain
This one is as easy as it is important. The grains in steaks are the muscle fibers that line the cut. By cutting across them, you snap them like rubber bands, resulting in a more tender texture.
Cut the steak into thin slices
It’s best to cut tough meat into thin slices to make eating it easier. For sandwiches, slice as thinly as you possibly can. For fajitas, rice bowls, and tacos, you can slice thinly but leave a little thickness for texture.
Cook the steak medium rare
There isn’t much fat on cube steaks, so they cook quickly and do not need time to render. Keep your minute steaks below medium (145°) for the best results.
Cube steak FAQ
Here are a few of the questions we hear most often about minute steaks:
Is cube steak a good cut of meat?
Cube steak is a weeknight, cheap cut that is tough and lean. It is not considered a high-on-the-hog cut, but is it tasty, cheap, and great for a wide variety of dishes? Yes!
Why do they call them cube steaks?
Because of the patchwork of cubes that checker the surface of these steaks after they are processed through a tenderizing machine.
What part of the cow is cube steak?
There is no one place cube steaks come from, but they are most often from the round or chuck. It’s any tougher steak the butcher wants to cut, really.
Is cube steak the same as minute steak?
Cube steaks are minute steaks run through a tenderizer that leaves characteristic “cubes” on the meat, resulting in a crocheted pattern on the meat. Minute steaks are cheap, thin cuts of meat usually from sirloin or round primals.
Where to buy the best cube steaks
The best cube steak recipes start with the best cube steaks, and the best steaks are from cattle entirely fed on grass. No grain feed. No added hormones. No antibiotics. If you have good farmers who raise their animals well, you don’t need to defend against rampant disease.
We take pride in working with exceptional farmers. Every steak we sell is from cows fed an exclusive diet of fresh grass — all the way to the end. Plus, we only work with farmers who prioritize sustainability and use regenerative farming techniques that keep us and our world healthy.
To see what real grass-fed and grass-finished beef raised on the best grass in the world tastes like, check out our minute steaks — all you have to do is pound them to make cube steaks.
The bottom line
Cube steaks are a great weeknight option. They have great flavor and are versatile. For the tastiest results, use grass-fed beef and cook them medium-rare. Then, slice as thinly as you can and across the grain.
Happy cooking!
Nathan Phelps
Nathan Phelps owns and writes for Crafted Copy, a boutique copywriting shop that finds the perfect words for interesting products. He is also an ethical foodie, outdoors-aficionado, and hails from Nashville, TN. He splits his time between helping sustainable businesses find new customers and managing his ever-increasing list of hobbies, which include playing guitar, baking bread, and creating board games.
