Julie Clark
Posted:
Dutch Oven Swiss Steak
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Dutch Oven Swiss Steak recipe features tender beef simmered for 2 hours. Made with a flavorful tomato gravy, it’s delicious served over mashed potatoes.
There’s nothing like a beef roast recipe that simmers in the oven, filling your home with a comforting aroma, to bring your family together.
Swiss Steak is one of those timeless, hearty meals that families have enjoyed for years. In this recipe, we take braised beef and cook it low and slow in a Dutch oven with a rich tomato gravy.
Looking for a brown gravy? Try our slow cooker swiss steak.
Why you’ll love this Dutch Oven Swiss Steak Recipe:
- Perfect for Weekend Dinners: The 2-hour oven braise allows the flavors to develop and the beef to become fall-apart tender, making it worth the wait. It’s cozy!
- Ultimate Comfort Food: Whether it’s a cold winter night or a rainy day, this hearty dish will warm you up from the inside out.
- Great for Meal Prep and Leftovers: Cook it on a Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week, or freeze portions for a quick, satisfying meal when you need something easy.
- One-Pot Wonder: The entire dish is made in one Dutch oven, which means fewer dishes and an easier cleanup.
What cut of meat is swiss steak made from?
Swiss steak is traditionally made from tougher cuts of beef, like bottom round or top round, which benefit from the long, slow braising process that tenderizes the meat.
Another name for swiss steak is cube steak. If you don’t want to pound the beef round yourself, but cube steaks in the grocery store.
Ingredients Needed
This may look like a lot of ingredients, but they are pantry staples. Nothing out of the ordinary or hard to find.
- Bottom Round Roast. You can often save money by buying the bottom round roast and cutting it into steaks yourself. Or save time and buy steaks.
- Diced tomatoes. My family prefers petite diced tomatoes, but any will work.
- Carrots, onion and celery. If you want to shorten chopping time, buy a bag of mirepoix in the freezer section of the store. It’s the perfect soup starter.
✨ For full ingredients and amounts, jump to the recipe card below. ✨
How to Make Dutch Oven Swiss Steak
- If using a bottom round roast, cut ¾” to 1” steaks and pound steaks using a meat mallet to approximately ½” thick, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place flour on a plate and dredge the tenderized steaks in the flour and set aside.
- On the stove top, heat up olive oil in a dutch oven or other heavy large pot on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the steaks on each side for about 3-5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Sear in batches if necessary. Once all the steaks have been seared, set them aside.
- Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables until they soften using a wooden spatula to help scrap up brown bits left by the seared meat, about 4 minutes. The moisture released from the vegetables will help to deglaze the pot (lift up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot), but if it is too dry you could add a tablespoon or two of water.
- Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add in the beef broth and the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch. Continue to cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally until it begins to simmer.
- Add the steaks back to pot and submerge in the tomato sauce. Lower the heat, place a lid on the dutch oven and allow the pot to simmer for 1.5-2 hours with occasional stirring. The swiss steak is done when the meat is fork tender.
- If you wish to thicken the tomato gravy after cooking, remove the steaks and set aside. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl or cup. Add the cornstarch slurry to the tomato gravy and mix in. Heat the gravy to boiling to allow the cornstarch to thicken it up. Add the meat back to the pot and serve.
What should I serve with swiss steak?
This dutch oven swiss steak in a tomato gravy is delicious served over mashed potatoes, traditional or cauliflower rice, crusty sourdough bread or garlic bread, and even egg noodles.
There are some vegetables in the gravy, but you can never go wrong with a side serving of vegetables as well like green beans, broccoli casserole or cauliflower steaks.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. This can also be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
Other Steak Recipes
Dutch Oven Swiss Steak
This Dutch Oven Swiss Steak recipe features tender beef simmered for 2 hours. Made with a flavorful tomato gravy, it's delicious served over mashed potatoes.
Servings 6
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 pounds bottom round roast or round steaks ¾ ” thick
- Salt and pepper to season the steaks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- If using a bottom round roast, cut ¾” to 1” steaks and pound steaks using a meat mallet to approximately ½” thick, and season with salt and pepper. 2-2.5 pounds bottom round roast , Salt and pepper
- Place flour on a plate and dredge the tenderized steaks in the flour and set aside. ½ cup all-purpose flour
- On the stove top, heat up olive oil in a dutch oven or other heavy large pot on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the steaks on each side for about 3-5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Sear in batches if necessary. Once all the steaks have been seared, set them aside. 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables until they soften using a wooden spatula to help scrap up brown bits left by the seared meat, about 4 minutes. The moisture released from the vegetables will help to deglaze the pot (lift up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot), but if it is too dry you could add a tablespoon or two of water. 1 medium yellow onion, 2 carrots , 2 celery ribs
- Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute. 3 cloves garlic
- Add in the beef broth and the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch. Continue to cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally until it begins to simmer. 1 ½ cups beef broth, 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Add the steaks back to pot and submerge in the tomato sauce. Lower the heat, place a lid on the dutch oven and allow the pot to simmer for 1.5-2 hours with occasional stirring. The swiss steak is done when the meat is fork tender.
- If you wish to thicken the tomato gravy after cooking, remove the steaks and set aside. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl or cup. Add the cornstarch slurry to the tomato gravy and mix in. Heat the gravy to boiling to allow the cornstarch to thicken it up. Add the meat back to the pot and serve. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 servings, with 1 serving being 1 piece of steak with gravy. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3633IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 5mg
