Season both sides of the beef cube steaks with salt and black pepper.
Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each cube steak in the flour, coating both sides evenly. Shake off excess flour.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cube steaks and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
Transfer the browned cube steaks and cooked onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
Pour the beef broth, water, and Worcestershire sauce over the cube steaks.
Sprinkle the dried thyme and paprika evenly over the mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the beef is tender.
About 30 minutes before serving, mix the cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry.
Stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the gravy.
Cover and cook on high for an additional 20-30 minutes until the gravy has thickened.
Serve the beef cube steaks hot with the onion gravy spooned over the top.