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Healthy Hamburger Steak and Gravy with Garlic Butter Mashed Cauliflower

Perfectly seasoned lean hamburger steak and gravy with onions and mushrooms all prepared in the same pan. What’s not to love?

Each hamburger steak has 27 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbs, 230 calories, and 4 WW SmartPoints. I’ve included a garlic butter mashed cauliflower recipe below, but with macros like these you could get away with more indulgent sides like mashed potatoes or buttery rice.

But we’ll worry about that later. Let’s run through everything you’ll need to make these hamburger steaks and gravy.

Healthy Hamburger Steak Ingredients

As always, I’ve done my best to keep things as simple as possible. Not counting seasonings or oil, you can count your ingredients on one hand.

Here’s what you’ll need for the hamburger steaks:

  • 96/4 lean ground beef (I find this at HEB or Walmart)
  • cajun seasoning and black pepper
  • yellow mustard (optional for crust and flavor – inspired by smash burger expert George Motz)
hamburger steak from start to finish

Pro tip: Like I mentioned in my Loaded Ground Beef and Potatoes Skillet recipe, leaving the beef untouched in the skillet is the secret to developing a great crust. Be patient!

And for the gravy:

  • sweet or yellow onion
  • package of sliced white mushrooms
  • beef broth and brown gravy mix
  • olive oil and Worcestershire sauce
how to make the gravy

Too easy, right? Just cook the beef like pan fried burgers before throwing in the onion and mushroom to soften. Follow that with gravy mix and beef broth to make a super savory brown gravy for your hamburger steaks.

How to Make Mashed Cauliflower (the easy way)

When I make mashed cauliflower, I use frozen cauliflower rice or florets. Microwave them, throw in a food processor with some type of seasoning and a little fat or liquid, and pulse until smooth like mashed potatoes.

garlic butter mashed cauliflower with hamburger steak and gravy

Here’s what I used for the garlic butter mashed cauliflower:

  • 12 oz bag frozen cauliflower rice
  • 2 Tbsp (28g) light butter (I use Land O’ Lakes with canola)
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
  • 2 peeled garlic cloves
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash of kosher salt and parsley flakes
Nutrition info for 1/4th of the mashed cauliflower: 54 calories, 2g of protein, 5g of carbs, 3g of fat, and 1 Smart Point

If you’re not the biggest fan of mashed cauliflower, I’ve found you can really hide it by using a blend of real mashed potatoes and mashed cauliflower. Check out my ground beef and mashed potatoes recipe for an example.

Final Hamburger Steak and Gravy Recipe Notes

If you’re wondering about the broccoli, that’s another super fancy recipe—microwavable broccoli florets with a squeeze of lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and a bit of shaved parmesan cheese.

For an elevated side dish, you could make roasted cauliflower with lemon dressing and swap the mashed cauliflower for traditional mashed potatoes or another root veggie. 

Other pairing ideas might include:

As you can see from photos, I used a large cast iron skillet. You can use a nonstick pan, but like I mentioned in my chicken breakfast sausage recipe, a cast iron or stainless steel skillet will yield the best crust on your hamburger steaks.

If you’re using a nonstick and want a bit more browning, heat a tiny bit of oil in the skillet before adding the first hamburger steak.

And I think that’s all ya need to know. You’ll find the printable hamburger steak and gravy recipe below. Enjoy!

More Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

Healthy Hamburger Steak and Gravy

Healthy Hamburger Steak and Gravy

Yield: 4 hamburger steaks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Low fat hamburger steaks smothered in a simple onion and mushroom gravy.

Ingredients

Hamburger Steaks

  • 1 lb Ground Beef, 96/4
  • 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) Yellow Mustard

Onion and Mushroom Gravy

  • 1 Tbsp (16g) Olive Oil
  • 1 Sweet Onion, cut into strips
  • 1 package (8oz) Sliced White Mushrooms
  • 1 C (240mL) Beef Broth
  • 1 package Reduced Sodium Brown Gravy Mix
  • 2 Tbsp (30mL) Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions

Hamburger Steaks

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with cooking spray.
  2. Divide the meat into 4 quarters. Without over handling, form each quarter into a thin patty and sprinkle one side with cajun seasoning and black pepper. Place the hamburger steaks seasoned side down in the skillet before sprinkling with the remaining seasoning and black pepper.
  3. Cook for 3-4 minutes until a crispy brown crust forms. Before flipping, spread the yellow mustard over the top of each hamburger steak. Flip and firmly press down.
  4. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through (160F internal temp). Transfer the cooked hamburger steaks to a plate and set aside.

Onion and Mushroom Gravy

  1. Add the oil to the pan, shortly followed by the onion. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, about 4-6 minutes, before adding the sliced mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce.
  2. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms develop some color and no liquid remains.
  3. Reduce the heat to low-medium and add the gravy mix. Stir well before adding the beef broth. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the gravy begins to thicken.
  4. Add the hamburger steaks back to the skillet with the gravy and continue to simmer until the gravy fully thickens. Spoon some of the onion and mushrooms over the tops of the hamburger steaks to let the flavors get to know one another.
  5. Once the gravy thickens, remove from the heat and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

To make the garlic butter mashed cauliflower, blend the following together in a food processor:

  • 12 oz bag frozen cauliflower rice, microwaved for 5-6 minutes
  • 2 Tbsp (28g) light butter (I use Land O' Lakes with canola)
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
  • 2 peeled garlic cloves
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste
  • dash of kosher salt and parsley flakes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 hamburger steaks Serving Size: 1 hamburger steak
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 27g

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Anne

Monday 31st of October 2022

2nd time making this. It's such a comfort food and perfect for fall season. Though I'm not a fan of cauliflower so I paired it up with some roasted green beans. Delicious!

Jo Aman

Thursday 19th of August 2021

This recipe has become a regular! No one would ever guess it’s really a healthy version of a classic. I’ve made just as written( sometimes I omit mushrooms & just grill onions). The only slight change is I’ve not even added oil to cook onions…just more cooking spray. Awesome recipe!

Andrea Rekrut

Wednesday 15th of April 2020

I just made the mashed cauliflower part of this recipe to go with Easter dinner. I loved how quick and easy it was - 1 used only a 10oz bag of cauliflower because it seems that's all they sell now and i reduced the land o lakes and lemon by half. I decided with those modifications, it was only 2 servings, lol. Also, next time i might cook it and then blend it - the garlic needed to be cooked in my opinion.

Holly B

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

This recipe was so simple and so tasty! It's hard to believe that it's as macro friendly as it is because it tastes so creamy and yummy! I made regular mashed potatoes to go with it as well as a side of asparagus. If you're looking for creamy mashed potatoes without all the fat from butter/milk, use some greek yogurt and some of the potato water! It makes them tangy and creamy, perfect with these hamburger steaks!

Riley Browder

Monday 25th of November 2019

5 STARS! Best low cal recipe I’ve had in a while that tasted better than the majority of regular hamburger steaks I’ve tried. Super flavorful. I did not have time to mash my cauliflower and all I had was rice but I used his suggestions for seasoning and it turned out great. Even my southern rancher dad who could care less about calorie consumption loved it. I served mine up with green beans instead of broccoli, but honestly any southern side could be served with this hamburger steak. I will definitely be using this recipe again.

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