Salisbury Steak Recipe With Ground Chicken and Creamy Gravy

Salisbury steak is the kind of dinner that makes a weeknight feel like Sunday: tender patties under a glossy gravy, with something soft and creamy on the side. This Salisbury steak recipe with ground chicken keeps all of that comfort and swaps the beef for a leaner meat. The patties stay juicy, the gravy comes together in the same pan, and the whole dinner takes about 45 minutes.

Wait, Is Salisbury Steak Even Steak?

Not in the way a ribeye is. Salisbury steak is a seasoned ground meat patty cooked in a pan and served with gravy. It is named after Dr. James Salisbury, a 19th-century American physician who promoted ground beef patties as a health food, and the short history on Wikipedia is worth a read if you are curious. The classic version uses beef and a brown onion gravy. Here we use ground chicken and a creamy gravy, which makes for a lighter, milder dinner.

What Goes Into It?

This Salisbury steak recipe with ground chicken uses two groups of ingredients and one skillet. The patties are mostly ground chicken held together with a breadcrumb and milk mixture, and the gravy is built from the pan drippings. Plan on about 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking.

• 1 lb ground chicken
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs and ¼ cup milk: soaked together, they keep lean chicken moist
• 1 egg: the binder
• 1 small onion, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, plus salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying

For the gravy:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream: for a silky finish
• 2 tablespoons flour: thickens the gravy
• 1 tablespoon butter: the pan drippings add the rest of the fat
• Salt and pepper to taste

How Do You Make It?

1. Mix gently. Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together for a minute so the crumbs soak. Add the chicken, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix just until combined. Shape into four oval patties about ¾ inch thick.
2. Brown the patties. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden and the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Move them to a plate.
3. Make the roux. In the same skillet, melt the butter into the drippings over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute.
4. Add the liquid. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
5. Simmer together. Return the patties and any juices to the skillet, spoon the gravy over them, and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.

What Should You Serve With It?

This Salisbury steak recipe with ground chicken wants something soft to catch the gravy. A few good partners:

• Mashed potatoes: the classic partner for gravy.
• Buttered egg noodles: they hold the gravy well.
• Rice: try our garlic butter rice for a flavorful base.
• Vegetables: steamed green beans, peas, or roasted carrots add color and freshness.

Why Does Ground Chicken Dry Out (and How Do You Stop It)?

• Soak the breadcrumbs in milk first. This simple paste, called a panade, holds moisture in the meat so the patties stay tender.
• Mix gently. Stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixed chicken turns rubbery.
• Check the fat. Ground chicken breast is very lean, while ground thigh or a breast-and-thigh blend is juicier. Look at the package label.
• Keep the heat at medium. High heat browns the outside before the middle is cooked through.
• Use a thermometer. Ground poultry is safe at 165°F (74°C), according to the USDA’s safe temperature chart. Take the patties off the heat as soon as they reach it.
• Whisk the gravy as you pour. Add the broth a splash at a time to avoid lumps, and scrape up the browned bits from the pan because they carry the flavor. If it still turns lumpy, strain it.

Can You Make It Ahead?

• Shape ahead: form the raw patties up to a day ahead, cover them, and keep them in the fridge.
• Refrigerate leftovers: store the patties in gravy in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth until hot all the way through (165°F / 74°C). Cream gravy can separate if it boils hard, so keep the heat low and whisk.
• Freeze: cooked patties freeze well for up to 2 to 3 months. Cream-based gravy can turn grainy when thawed, so for the best texture freeze the patties alone and make fresh gravy.

Salisbury Steak Recipe With Ground Chicken: Recipe Card

Best Salisbury Steak Recipe With Ground Chicken

Recipe by Mary

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

300-350

kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 egg

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

Directions

• Make the Patties:
  In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, chopped onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until well combined. Shape the mixture into four oval-shaped patties.
• Cook the Patties:
  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F).
• Make the Gravy:
  In the same skillet, remove the patties and set them aside. In the leftover drippings, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Once the mixture starts to thicken, stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve:
  Return the patties to the skillet, spoon some of the gravy over the top, and let them simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes to heat through.

Dinner Is Served

That is the whole story: lean chicken patties, a creamy gravy built in one pan, and something soft to soak it all up. This Salisbury steak recipe with ground chicken is easy to keep on rotation and easy to tweak, with sauteed mushrooms, a splash of white wine in the gravy, or a different herb. If you try it, leave a comment and tell me what you served it with.

More Comfort Food

• Squash and Kidney Beans Recipe, a hearty vegetarian dish for another cozy dinner
• Easy Ninja Foodi Chicken Breast, juicy chicken in about 30 minutes
• Indoor Grill Recipes: Juicy Burgers, if you want to switch back to beef