Swiss Steak with Tomatoes and Onions
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Round steak, pounded and floured, browned, then tucked under onions and tomatoes in a low oven for the afternoon. By dinner it cuts with a fork, and the kitchen has smelled like Sunday for hours.
The short version
Pound round steak thin, dredge it in seasoned flour, brown it, then braise it on a bed of onions under crushed tomatoes at 325°F for about 2½ hours. The flour thickens the sauce on its own. Serve over mashed potatoes.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Pound it, then flour it. Pounding breaks up the muscle fibers so the steak turns tender, and the flour coating browns in the pan and thickens the braise, so there's no gravy to make.
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Brown the onions first, then braise the steak on top of them. Browned onions melt into the sauce and add sweetness. The steak on top braises gently instead of sitting on the hot pot bottom.
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Add Worcestershire and a spoonful of tomato paste. Plain canned tomatoes can taste thin and sharp after hours in the oven. These two add savory depth and round it out.
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Cook it covered, low and long. Round steak is lean and tough. Moist heat at 325°F for 2½ hours is what turns it fork-tender. A faster, hotter version just gives you chewy steak.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Beef round steak2 pounds
- All-purpose flour½ cup
- Sweet paprika1 teaspoon
- Yellow onions2 large
- Garlic3 cloves
- Tomato paste1 tablespoon
- Crushed tomatoes1 can
yes, all of the butter
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Heat the oven, pound the steak
Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third. Put the steak pieces between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment and pound them to about ½ inch thick with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. Pat them dry.
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Season and dredge
Mix the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Press each piece into the flour on both sides, then shake off the extra. You want a thin, even coat.
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Brown the onions
In a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring, until soft and browned at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Scrape everything onto a plate.
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Brown the steak
Add the last tablespoon of oil and raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the steak in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden. Don't crowd the pot or the coating will steam off. Move the browned pieces to the plate.
A little flour will stick and darken on the bottom. That's flavor. If it starts to scorch, lower the heat.
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Layer and add the tomatoes
Spread half the onions in the pot, lay the steak on top, then cover with the rest of the onions. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire and oregano. Scrape up any browned bits and gently work the liquid down around the meat. Bring to a simmer.
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Braise
Cover the pot and braise in the oven until the steak is fork-tender and shreds easily when pressed, about 2½ hours. Check once at 1½ hours; if the sauce looks dry, add a splash of water.
About 150 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Rest and serve
Let the pot sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Skim off any fat on top and taste the sauce, adding salt if needed. Serve the steak and sauce over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice, with parsley on top.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- Round steak, top or bottom, is the traditional cut. Chuck steak works too and is a little richer. Avoid any thin, pre-tenderized "minute" steaks.
- For more texture, add a sliced green bell pepper and a couple of sliced celery ribs with the onions.
- No Dutch oven? Brown in a skillet, then move everything to a 9×13-inch baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Storage. Fridge, 4 days; it tastes better on day two. Freezer, 3 months. Reheat covered over low heat or at 325°F with a splash of water.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why is it called Swiss steak?
It has nothing to do with Switzerland. "Swissing" is an old textile term for pressing or pounding fabric smooth, and it came to mean pounding the meat before cooking.
What cut of meat is best for Swiss steak?
Beef round steak is the classic choice, and chuck steak also works. Both are tough, lean cuts that become tender with a long, moist braise.
Why is my Swiss steak tough?
It either wasn't cooked long enough or the oven was too hot. Round steak needs low heat and time. Give it another 30 minutes covered and check again.
Can I make Swiss steak in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the onions and steak on the stove, layer everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5.
Can I use diced or whole tomatoes?
Yes. Crush whole tomatoes by hand. Diced tomatoes give a chunkier sauce and a little less body, which the flour coating will still help thicken.
What do I serve with Swiss steak?
Mashed potatoes are the classic, since they catch the sauce. Buttered egg noodles, rice and green beans also work.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
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Published October 29, 2026.