These Salisbury steak meatballs are pure comfort food and way more fun than the traditional version. These saucy meatballs can be served with noodles making a cozy, crave-worthy, and totally weeknight approved dinner.
My family loves my salisbury steak. It has been a star in dinner rotation for many years. I like to serve it over mashed potatoes, but my eldest son is a a noodle fanatic and loves it with pasta.
I developed this recipe for salisbury steak meatballs for him. Instead of meat patties and gravy, you have small tender meatballs and plenty of mushroom sauce. And now, this version is what he asks for dinner all the time!
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Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Family Favorite: A fun twist on a classic! These Salisbury steak meatballs with noodles have quickly become a family favorite comfort food dinner.
- Lotsa Sauce: Loaded with rich, savory sauce and plenty of mushrooms, this recipe makes sure every bite (and noodle!) is smothered in deliciousness.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Perfect for busy weeknights. You can make it ahead, refrigerate, or freeze for a cozy dinner that’s ready when you are.
- Budget-Friendly: Made with ground beef and pantry staples, this recipe proves comfort food doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef: this is the star of the meal. Even though it would taste fantastic with the more expensive ground sirloin, you can, you can totally use inexpensive 80/20. You could make it with ground turkey or pork, but the flavor is not quite the same. I suggest mixing it with some ground beef. If you do use 80/20 ground beef, you can omit the olive oil for browning the mushrooms and use the beef fat in the pan.
- Onions: I grate the onions so that they blend in with the meat better and provide more of that tremendous flavor only onions can give. Don’t skimp or substitute with onion powder. Definitely not the same thing.
- Worcestershire sauce: A little of this baby packs a lot of flavor. If you don’t have any in the fridge try substituting with soy sauce and apple cider vinegar using a 2:1 ratio.
- Mushrooms: Simple inexpensive white mushrooms are all you need for the mushroom sauce. Of course you could use cremini mushrooms or go full gourmet and use shiitake or oyster mushrooms. I add a LOT of mushrooms for this recipe, but if you aren’t a big mushroom lover, feel free to reduce the amount.
- Noodles: You can use any thick and hearty noodle, but my family preferred wide noodles. I have used both the papperdelle variety, bow tie, as well as wide egg noodles.
- Beef Broth: This is used for the yummy sauce. You can also use vegetable, mushroom or even chicken broth.
- Garlic: I add garlic powder into the meatballs to spread the flavor more evenly in the meat mixture. But for the sauce, I like to use regular garlic. You can use garlic powder for both, if you prefer.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, all purpose flour, fresh or dried thyme, salt and pepper.
Step-by-Step Directions
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- Form the meatballs: Combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, and seasonings until thoroughly combined. Form into meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
- Brown the meatballs: In batches, brown the meatballs all over then transfer to a serving dish.
- Sauté mushrooms: Sauté the mushrooms until softened. Season with salt, garlic and thyme.
- Make the sauce: Stir in the flour and mix into the mushrooms. Whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce then let the sauce thicken. Once thickened, return the meatballs to the mixture.
- Make the noodles: Make the noodles per package directions and drain. Serve the meatballs over the noodles and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs
I chose to serve these meatballs with a hearty pasta, but you could also serve them over mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice or a crusty baguette. You’ll want to sop up that sauce no matter what carb you use!
For extra nutrition, serve with some greens like a salad, steamed broccoli, asparagus or green beans. You can also serve with roasted brussels sprouts.
Looking for another easy weeknight dinner your family will love? Then try my one skillet spaghetti, Mexican meatloaf or my chicken shepherd’s pie! All of these recipes are so easy that even my teenagers can make it!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Absolutely! Although pan frying the meatballs gives you the bits that help make the salisbury sauce so good, you can totally bake them. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes, until browned all over.
Although salisbury steak is typically served with mushrooms, you can reduce the amount or skip them if you aren’t a fan. Swap them out for caramelized onions, diced bell peppers, or simply leave them out. The sauce is still rich and flavorful without them.
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Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean ground beef 90% lean
- 1 medium onion grated
- 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 32 oz sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 cup beef broth
- 12 oz wide noodles
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl combine ground sirloin, grated onion, 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and garlic powder until thoroughly combined.
- Form meatballs about 1-inch wide (golf ball size) and place on a large baking sheet. You should get about 26 meatballs.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
- In two batches, brown the meatballs all over until mostly done. Transfer to a serving dish and finish browning the rest of the meatballs, adding more olive oil as needed.
- In the same hot skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté until mushrooms soften tender, 3-5 minutes.
- Season mushrooms with ½ teaspoon salt then stir in minced garlic, thyme and flour.
- Cook for 2 minutes then whisk in beef broth and remaining 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Bring mixture to a low boil and cook until it reduces and thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- While sauce thickens, cook your pasta per package directions and drain.
- Return meatballs to the sauce to finish cooking.
- Pour meatballs and sauce over noodles and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
