This easy Slow Cooker Swiss Steak is a classic comfort food dinner of browned top round steaks simmered until fork-tender in a tomato gravy with carrots, celery, onions and bell peppers.
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
Growing up, my mom made Swiss Steak on the regular. I loved it then. I still love it now. And I also make it often. It's an easy dish that takes a less-expensive, tougher cut of meat, smothers it in veggies and tomatoes, and cooks it low and slow until it's super tender.
It takes less than 30 minutes of prep time to chop the veggies and to tenderize and brown the steaks (note: you'll need a meat mallet for this step). Then you put everything in the slow cooker and let it work its magic for 6 to 8 hours.
Taste Test: The steaks are wonderfully tender, and (for me) the gravy is the star of the show. It's rich and flavorful, a bit tangy from the tomatoes, slightly thickened from dredging the steaks in flour, and it's packed with veggies that still have a nice texture even after the long cooking time.
Plus, it's a very hearty and satisfying meal. You'll get 4 very generous servings, but you can easily stretch it out to 6 smaller servings that won't have anyone leaving the table still hungry. And leftovers are even better the next day!
Fun Fact: Swiss steak is not from Switzerland. It's actually an American invention from the early 1900s. The name comes from how the meat is prepared. "Swissing" is the process of tenderizing meat by pounding it or piercing it to break down the fibers.
So give this oldie-but-goodie a try. I bet it'll end up in your dinner rotation too!
Love beef for dinner?
Also try my Easy Salisbury Steak With Mushroom Gravy, Quick & Easy Stove Top Beef Stew, and Easy Beef Stroganoff.
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Ingredients & Notes
The photo below shows you all of the ingredients you'll need to make this crock pot swiss steak; amounts are in the recipe card below. I've also included some notes on making the best selections and easy substitutions.
- Top Round Steaks - You want steaks that are ½ inch thick so they end up to be ¼ inch thick after they are tenderized.
- Tip: Most grocery stores sell pre-cut top round steaks; just make sure they are not too thin. If needed, you can cut your own steaks from a larger piece of top round, which is what I often do.
- Substitutions: Bottom round steaks or chuck steaks. I don't recommend eye round steaks; they are very lean and can too easily end up dry. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use cube steaks (because the meat has already been tenderized, you will skip that step in the recipe).
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - I use fire-roasted diced tomatoes most often because I like their flavor. I've also used regular, petite-diced and flavored diced tomatoes (like the ones with basil, garlic and oregano).
- Substitution: Canned stewed tomatoes also work well, either the regular or flavored versions.
How to Make Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
This is a brief overview of the steps with photos for visual guidance. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Place all of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
Pound the steaks with a meat mallet until they are ¼-inch thick. Mix together the flour and spices in a bowl; dredge each steak in the seasoned flour.
Brown the steaks in oil in a skillet, then put them in the slow cooker. Deglaze the skillet with water.
Pour the water and any bits from the skillet into the slow cooker, then add the tomatoes.
Place the lid on the slow cooker; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
Serve the steaks topped with the sauce and veggies.
Recipe Tips
- Don't skip browning the meat. It adds color and a deeper, richer flavor, as does deglazing the pan and adding that liquid to the slow cooker. The few extra minutes it takes is totally worth it!
- You don't need to add more liquid. The ½ cup of water may not seem like a lot, but the juice from the tomatoes will add more, and the vegetables and meat will release liquid as they cook. So you will end up with the right amount of slightly thickened gravy.
- Be careful of overcooking. The meat can become a bit dry if it is overcooked. All cuts of meat are different, and all slow cookers are different, so I suggest starting to check the meat at 6 hours (in my slow cooker, the meat is usually tender at about 6 hours).
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers, once cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for longer-term storage; use within 2 to 3 months for the best quality (thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating).
Reheat leftovers in a pan with a lid on the stove over low heat just until heated through. Alternately, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve this Swiss steak is over mashed potatoes (either my Stovetop Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes). It's also delicious over hot cooked rice or egg noodles.
And don't forget the homemade dinner rolls or some bread to mop up any of that yummy sauce left on your plate!
I hope you try this Slow Cooker Swiss Steak recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped onions, ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups peeled and sliced carrots, ¼-inch-thick slices
- 2 cups chopped bell peppers, ½-inch pieces, any color (I use red)
- 1 cup sliced celery, ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1½ pounds top round steaks, ½ inch thick (about 6 steaks)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or the oil of your choice
- ½ cup water
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, do not drain
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Special Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Meat mallet
Instructions
- Place the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and celery in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Using the tenderizing side of a meat mallet (the textured/spiky side), pound each steak on both sides until they are ¼ inch thick. Season the steaks with the salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Dredge each piece of meat in the flour mixture until covered on all sides.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the steaks and brown them on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the browned steaks to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining oil and steaks.
- Pour the water into skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes on top of the steaks.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until the steaks are fork-tender.
- Serve the steaks with the veggies and sauce. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- This is excellent served over mashed potatoes (highly recommended), rice or egg noodles.
- Bottom round steaks or chuck steaks can be susbtituted for top round.
- If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use cube steaks. Because they have already been tenderized, you will skip the step of pounding the meat.
- Don't skip the step of browning the meat; it adds both color and a richer, deeper flavor that you won't get without it.
- It may seem like the ½ cup of water isn't enough, but remember that the juice from the tomatoes adds some liquid, and the vegetables and meat will release liquid as they cook. So you will end up with the right amount of slightly-thickened gravy.
- Estimated calories shown is based on 4 servings, which are very generous. You could easily stretch this dish out to 6 servings, in which case the calories would be 341 per serving.
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