Throw raw pork shoulder steaks in the slow cooker and 3 other ingredients to get a meal so delicious your family will be begging for more.

This 4-ingredient slow cooker onion soup pork steak recipe is one of those set-it-and-forget-it dinners that tastes like you fussed all afternoon. You literally throw raw pork shoulder steaks in the slow cooker, sprinkle on a savory onion soup mix, add just two more pantry staples, and let it bubble away until the meat is fall-apart tender. It has that cozy, Midwestern pot roast vibe but with almost no prep, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights, church nights, or days when you’re juggling kids’ activities and still want a comforting, home-cooked meal on the table.

These pork steaks are wonderful spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice so they can soak up all that rich onion gravy. Add a simple veggie like green beans, corn, or a tossed salad to round out the plate. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are great for mopping up the sauce, and if you want to stretch the meal, you can shred the leftover pork and serve it the next day over baked potatoes or tucked into toasted buns with a little of the onion gravy drizzled on top.

Servings: 4

2 to 2 1/2 pounds raw pork shoulder steaks (about 4 medium steaks)

Lay the raw pork shoulder steaks in a single layer on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. It’s fine if they overlap a little, but try to keep them mostly flat so they cook evenly.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top of the pork steaks, making sure each piece is well coated. The seasoning will look like a dark, speckled mix on the raw meat—that’s exactly what you want.

In a small bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the water or beef broth until mostly smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it will finish blending as it cooks.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over the seasoned pork steaks, covering as much of the surface as you can. Use a spatula to gently spread it if needed, but don’t worry if some of the seasoning is still visible on top.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork shoulder steaks are very tender and easily pull apart with a fork.

Once cooked, taste the gravy and add a pinch of salt and black pepper if needed, keeping in mind that onion soup mix is already salty. Gently stir the sauce around the pork, leaving the steaks as intact as you’d like.

Serve the pork steaks hot with plenty of the onion-mushroom gravy spooned over the top. If desired, you can shred the pork right in the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce for a pulled-pork-style dish.

For picky eaters, you can use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom if your crew isn’t big on mushrooms; the texture will be similar and still very comforting. If you’d like a little extra flavor without adding more ingredients, give the pork steaks a quick sprinkle of black pepper and garlic powder before adding the onion soup mix. To lighten it up slightly, you can use a reduced-fat condensed soup and water instead of broth. If you want a thicker gravy, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking on HIGH. For a complete one-pot meal, tuck a few peeled, chunked potatoes and baby carrots around the pork before you add the soup mixture, but be sure not to overfill the slow cooker. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed pork shoulder steaks; do not put frozen meat directly into the slow cooker, as it can stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep the lid on while cooking as much as possible to maintain a safe, steady temperature. Cook until the pork is fork-tender and reaches at least 145°F internally, though shoulder steaks are best when cooked longer for tenderness. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until hot and steaming before serving.