SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (2024)

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This SOS creamed beef recipe is one of the easiest dishes. My dad always made it when I was growing up, and I still crave it today!

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (1)

SOS stands for “sh*t on a shingle,” and growing up, I loved it when my dad made this for dinner.

I mostly loved it because I could say “sh*t” and not get in too much trouble.

This is one of those classic old-fashioned military meals nostalgic for many people. My family included!

Although SOS is traditionally made with chipped dried beef – a dried, smoked, and salted meat product – my family has always used ground beef. When you use chipped beef, you typically call it “creamed chipped beef.”

Either way, it’s tasty, but I find the ground beef to be a bit more filling and a lot less salty.

Texturally creamed hamburger gravy is similar to sausage white gravy. It’s great spooned over toast, soft white bread, or homemade biscuits.

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (2)

SOS recipe ingredients

  • Ground beef
  • Yellow onion
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Whole milk
  • Toasted bread
SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (3)

What is sh*t on a shingle?

Visually, it’s not the most colorful or beautiful dish but filling and comforting.

Sometimes, that cancels the old rule: “You eat with your eyes first.”

Plus, it’s like the dinner version of sausage gravy and biscuits, which you know means it’s going to be amazingly delicious! I like to make mine and serve it over toast, but I hear serving it over potatoes is also a great way to scarf down this deliciousness.

If you’re unfamiliar with this dish, you should know it’s comfort food. It’s super cheap to make and works perfectly when you have a big family to feed.

SOS can be made with either ground beef or chipped beef but for this recipe I used ground beef because that is what my family uses. Popular chipped beef brands Buddig beef or Hormel.

To keep things simple, season this SOS creamed beef recipe with salt and pepper, but sometimes, adding other spices like garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, or even fresh herbs is fun.

I like mine with a little sprinkling of crushed red pepper or a pinch of cayenne pepper because I always crave heat!

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (4)

How to make creamed hamburger

The great thing about this easy recipe is that it doesn’t require a lot of extra energy in the kitchen. And it can be made relatively cheap!

  1. Add ground beef and onion in a large skillet and cook until the meat is browned.
  2. Drain the beef, remove it from the pan, and set aside.
  3. Melt butter in the same pan and add flour to create a roux to help thicken our gravy/cream sauce.
  4. Slowly stream in 2 cups milk and gently simmer until thickened.
  5. Add the ground beef and onions to the pan, stir, and simmer until warm.
  6. Serve over sliced toasted bread (Texas toast is fun!) or biscuits.
SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (5)

More ground beef recipes

  • Are you looking to feed a crowd of people? Try my Ground beef tacos
  • Do you love a one-pot recipe? Try my One pot ground beef stroganoff
  • Craving a little heat? Try my Chipotle ground beef enchiladas
  • Want to bust out the Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot lasagna soup
SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (6)

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (7)

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe

Author: Brandy O’Neill

This SOS creamed beef recipe is one of the easiest dishes to throw together. My dad used to make this all the time and I still crave it to this day!

4.53 from 40 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • Bread toasted

Instructions

  • Set a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

  • Add ground beef and onion to the skillet and season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.

  • Break up the meat as it cooks and cook until it’s brown in color and no pink remains. Drain the meat and set aside.

  • In the same pan as you used to brown the meat, set it over medium heat and add the butter.

  • Melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour and whisk together until it forms a paste.

  • Let it bubble slightly and cook for about a minute.

  • Slowly stream in milk and whisk until thick. This might take a few minutes to get the gravy as thick as you like.

  • Add cooked beef and onion to the white gravy mixture.

  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add more flavor by sprinkling in crushed red pepper, garlic powder or fresh herbs.

  • Serve over toast.

Notes

  • If the gravy gets too thick you can thin it out with more milk.
  • Do not skimp on adding the kosher salt and black pepper after cooking. If you don’t add enough seasoning the gravy will taste very bland.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 638IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 3mg

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chipped beef, creamed beef, easy recipes, ground beef recipes, sos

Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!

SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (8)
SOS Creamed Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is SOS gravy made of? ›

It's a simple recipe consisting of ground beef mixed with milk, margarine and beef broth. It's also good using ground sausage.

Why is creamed chipped beef called SOS? ›

Chipped beef is served in many diners and restaurants in the United States as a breakfast item. It is popular among the veteran community who generally refer to it by the dysphemism "sh*t On a Shingle" or "S.O.S." (when polite company and/or children are present, the acronym is said to mean "Same Old Stuff.").

How to make SOS on the stove? ›

Instructions
  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. ...
  2. Melt butter in the same sauce pan. ...
  3. Add milk, salt, and pepper. ...
  4. Add cooked ground beef back in and stir.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (I usually like a bit more pepper). ...
  6. Serve over toast.
Sep 27, 2017

What is creamed chipped beef made of? ›

Chipped beef is pressed, salted, and dried beef. The thin, flexible slices are usually sold in glass jars. Creamed chipped beef (often called SOS) is chipped beef cooked in a cream sauce. A popular meal in the military, the comforting dish is traditionally served over toast.

What is a Southern gravy called? ›

Red-eye gravy is a Southern favorite. It requires just two ingredients: the drippings of pan-fried country ham and black coffee.

What is Kentucky gravy made of? ›

What is the gravy at KFC made of? The restaurant uses a simple combination of gravy powder, water, and – their secret ingredient – chicken crackling. This is a collection of the browned bits and pieces leftover from frying their world famous chicken.

Does the military still eat SOS? ›

He said that veteran's groups who tour the base are taken to a mess hall and served creamed beef on toast made using the recipe in the 1944 Army recipe book, TM 10-412. Again, many veterans tell Hanson it their favorite meal while in the Army. And SOS remains popular among soldiers today.

How long does dried chipped beef last? ›

Knauss Dried Beef/Chipped Beef (4 pack, 3oz. Each)

A: They will keep in the refridgerator for 4 - 6 months, the packages are dated with use or freeze by dates. They will keep in the freezer for a year based on my experience.

What is the difference between chipped beef and dried beef? ›

Dried beef, also called chipped beef, is beef that has been partially dried, salt-cured and thinly sliced. You can easily enjoy this cured meat as an appetizer, snack or meal. Dried beef has a rich past but is a relatively obscure meat product in most parts of the country today.

How do you prepare SOS? ›

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; stir in the ground beef, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Can you make gravy out of hamburger grease? ›

Make the gravy: Reduce frying pan temperature to medium. Pour off pan drippings into a cup or bowl, measure 1/4 cup of the drippings then add back to the pan (the hamburgers should yield 1/4 cup of pan drippings but if you're short, add vegetable oil or butter). Add flour to pan then whisk to incorporate.

Has Esskay chipped beef been discontinued? ›

"Our organization made the difficult decision to discontinue Esskay hot dogs, and stopped production in December of last year. We will continue to make Esskay deli meat and chipped beef products, which can be found in Baltimore-area grocery stores," said Chad McFadden, Esskay brand manager, in an email to WJZ.

Is buddig beef the same as chipped beef? ›

Chipped Beef AKA Dried Beef: Beef that has been salted, pressed, dried, and sliced thin. It's often called dried beef or Buddig beef. (Buddig is one of the most popular brands.) Since it's dried, it is not usually found in the deli section of the grocery store.

Why is dried beef so expensive? ›

Beef jerky's meat reduces in size as it's dehydrated

There are two elements that add to the cost of beef jerky: the amount of meat required, plus the process of producing a high-quality snack.

Why do they call sausage and gravy SOS? ›

Or, as we colloquially called it, “SOS” – “Sh*t On a Shingle.” Back in WWII when SOS was named “SOS,” it was made by serving creamed chipped beef gravy over toast.

Why is ham gravy called red eye gravy? ›

This classic sauce is made by combining two unusual ingredients. A beloved Southern favorite, red eye gravy is made with the duo of ham drippings and black coffee. The dish gets its unique name from how the round circles of ham fat look like red eyes when floating on top of the coffee.

What part of the animal is gravy beef? ›

Gravy beef is a cut that comes from three main areas; the hind leg and the front leg (also known as shin) plus the neck area. It is rich in flavour and is traditionally used with the bone in for excellent stews and soups.

What's the difference between country gravy and sausage gravy? ›

The main difference is that country gravy does not have sausage. Country gravy uses butter to make its roux, while sausage gravy uses the rendered fat from the meat, cooked with flour, to thicken the gravy. Check out Ree Drummond's recipe for country gravy which she serves alongside chicken fried steak.

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