Easy Instant Pot Swiss Steak Recipe

There’s always one place to go when you need a great recipe idea! Which is exactly where I found inspiration for this easy Instant Pot Swiss Steak recipe. NO, you goofballs, not Chicken Fried Kitchen or Google…well…Yes! Go there too! But this time I headed straight to Mom’s House!

Swiss steak was a dinner we had on heavy rotation when I was a kid. I never got tired of it either. I savored every single bite.

However, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was called or what it even really was. So I went to Mom and asked “Hey, remember that red beef stew kind of stuff that you used to make? It was like German or something? What was that, and what’s in it?”

In true Chef Mom form she immediately replied “Swiss Steak, I used to make that all the time. I’ll have to remember what I put in it.” And, Remember she did…now here we are with an amazing recipe for Swiss Steak in the Instant Pot.

What is Swiss Steak?

Well, my Mama said that Swiss Steak is made with cheaper cuts of beef like a Round or Cubed Steak. That kept costs down in the ’80s for a single mother tryin’ to raise a man (now she makes me Prime Rib).

Cubed Steak and Eye of Round Round are tough cuts of meat unless they’re cooked properly. When prepared in a pressure cooker or braised in a slow cooker, the tenderness is ridiculous.

So, now you have the beef. That roast gets braised in a tomato sauce. This could be for hours if you’re cooking it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Just like any other Instant Pot recipe though, this now only takes minutes and produces incredible results.

The ‘Swiss’ portion of the name has absolutely nothing to do with Switzerland. So before you start running around talking about how cultured your pallet is because you made Swiss Steak, allow me to explain. It’s called Swiss Steak referring to the ‘Swissing’ of the meat. This is the tenderization process normally by pounding, rolling, or poking holes.

If you’d like to include this step in the process have at it…but, it’s not even remotely necessary in this recipe.

Speaking of recipes…I have a feeling that’s why you’re here.

Let’s get to it!

Recipe for Swiss Steak

Prepping the meat and veggies

First, begin by dicing the onion and red bell peppers setting them aside in a separate bowl. Next, with a sharp knife, slice the beef into cubes or thick strips, however you’d like to present them.

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef cubes/slices in the flour mixture.

Sautéing

Now, turn the Instant pot to Sauté on high for 20 minutes and add the olive oil allowing the pressure cooker to heat up. Add the dredged beef to the instant pot in two batches, browning each side. Keep in mind that you aren’t cooking the beef in this step. You’re simply browning/searing it. If all sides don’t completely brown, thats quite alright. Once all the beef is browned, remove it from the Instant pot and set aside.

Next, pour the beef broth into the Instant Pot, and using a stiff spoon or spatula, deglaze the pot.

Now it’s time to sauté the diced onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms for about 6-8 minutes or until they’ve begun to soften, and the onions are turning translucent.

Next, add in the garlic, stirring to incorporate and sauté for about two more minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.

Lastly, pour the canned tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, and drained green beans into the pot giving it a couple good stirs to mix it all up.

Or…if you’re like me, stir it for a half an hour because you can’t believe how beautiful it is and you think people will want to watch that on YouTube when in reality you’re only making your own life harder because you have to cut 29 minutes and 55 seconds of that out. HINT: Give it a couple stirs!

Pressure Cooking

Now, set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook, High, for 30 minutes and allow for a 10 minute natural release, releasing the remaining pressure manually.

Once you’ve released all the pressure, there’s one more step here.

How to Thicken Swiss Steak Mushroom Gravy

I like my Swiss Steak more like a gravy than a sauce. But use your own judgement here.

I mix 2/3 cup of all purpose flour with a cup of warm water, whisking quickly to be sure no lumps form.

Stir this mixture into the instant pot immediately after releasing the pressure and allow the sauce to thicken for about 10-15 minutes.

The other option, and not a bad one at all, would be to stir in about 1/3 cup of instant potato flakes.

Either of those options will work and can be easily be tweaked to your desired consistency.

What to Serve with Swiss Steak

The most common way to serve Swiss Steak is over a bed of Mashed Potatoes. Plus, when you pair this with Chicken Fried Kitchen’s Garlic infused Neufchâtel recipe, you honestly can’t wrong.

Now, going back to Mom, she reminded me that we always had green beans with ours. Which is exactly why I decided to just include them in the Instant Pot Swiss Steak Recipe. If you’re looking for a splash of complimentary color, serve the green beans on the side and leave them out of the instant pot.

Another great Idea would be to serve a toasted slice of rosemary artisan bread smeared with melted butter on the side. Trust me, there’ll be some leftovers that you want to dip that bread in.

In Conclusion

Swiss Steak dates back to the 1930’s which is why it’s such a nostalgic dish for so many people.

Couple that nostalgia with the dishes stick to your ribs comfort alongside the ease of todays technology and you’ve got a real winner when it comes to an affordable family dinner.

I’d love to hear your stories of Swiss Steak in your family and how this recipe compares. Let us know in the comments how you liked it or what you do differently.

Thank you so much for following Chicken Fried Kitchen and as usual….

Happy Cooking,

-Jeremy