This Chicken-Fried Steak is a delectable Southern classic. Tender cube steak is double-breaded, fried to golden perfection, and smothered in a creamy flour and milk-based gravy made from the pan drippings. There is nothing quite as delicious as chicken fried steak with gravy!
Rocking Chicken Fried Steak
Satisfy your comfort food cravings with this mouth-watering recipe for chicken fried steak. Using simple ingredients and easy techniques, this dish will surely be a hit with the whole family. This meal is always a huge hit with family and friends. It is the ultimate comfort food and hits that sweet spot just right. Plan or call your butcher ahead of time because sometimes cube steak can be difficult to find. Serve it for dinner with all your favorite Southern side dishes or for breakfast with eggs over easy, fried potatoes, and hot coffee. If you like this recipe, try chicken fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and cajun chicken.
What is Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken fried steak is a classic Southern dish made by breading and frying a beef cube steak similar to how one would bread and fry chicken. It is traditionally served with country-style white gravy, mashed potatoes, and a southern vegetable like southern green beans or collard greens.
Ingredients Needed
How to make Chicken Fried Steak
Start by salting and peppering the cube steak on both sides. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper in a large shallow bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce in a medium shallow bowl. Dredge the cube steaks in the seasoned flour mixture, into the egg mixture, and back into the flour mixture. Refrigerate on a clean baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Using a large skillet, fry the cube steaks in the oil until golden brown, turning once to brown the other side. Transfer the fried cube steaks to paper towels or a wire rack to drain for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a clean baking sheet and place them in the oven on warm.
Then, remove all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet. Please do not remove the pan dripping from the skillet, as they add depth and flavor to the gravy. Now, over medium-low heat, sprinkle the flour over the oil. Then whisk for 2-3 minutes while the mixture cooks and browns. Slowly add the milk, whisking as you do. Continue whisking until smooth and creamy. Now simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened—season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, pour the warm gravy over the crispy fried steaks.
Recipe Tips
- Cube steak, also known as round steak, is a cut of beef (usually top round) that has been tenderized and flattened with a meat tenderizing mallet.
- You can easily make your own buttermilk by combining one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Salt and pepper the cube steaks well before breading.
- There is no need to deep fry these. Fry them in about 1/8 – 1/4 inch oil in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.
- Keep the fried steaks uncovered in the oven on warm while you finish them and make the gravy. This will keep them crispy until the meal is served.
- Let the steak sit after breading for about 20 minutes. This helps to ensure a good coating with the breading.
- If the gravy becomes too thick, add 1/4 cup milk at a time till the desired consistency.
What to serve with Chicken Fried Steak
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Southern green beans
- Oven-roasted corn
- Homemade biscuits
- Scrambled eggs
- Southern collard greens
- Turnip greens
- Roasted carrots
- Southern potato salad
- Texas toast
Store and Reheat
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Alternatively, reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Fried Steak
- 4 cube steaks
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 dash hot sauce
- vegetable oil or canola oil
Gravy
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the cube steak on both sides. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper. In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce.
- Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, and shake off the excess flour. then dip into the egg mixture and back in the flour mixture. Refrigerate in a single layer on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Heat about 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Fry the cube steaks until golden brown, turning once to brown the other side. Work in batches. Move the fried cube steaks to paper towels to drain for a couple of minutes. Move to a clean baking sheet and place in the oven at 225 degrees.
- Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet. Do not remove the browned bits from the skillet. Over medium-low heat, sprinkle the flour over the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add the milk while whisking. Continue whisking until smooth and creamy. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the warm gravy over the crispy fried steaks.
Notes
- Cube steak, also known as round steak, is a cut of beef (usually top round) that has been tenderized and flattened with a meat tenderizing mallet.
- You can easily make your own buttermilk by combining one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Salt and pepper the cube steaks well before breading.
- There is no need to deep fry these. Fry them up in about 1/8 – 1/4 inch oil in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.
- Keep the fried steaks uncovered in the oven on warm while you finish them and while you make the gravy. This will keep them crispy until the meal is served.
- Let the steak sit after breading for about 20 minutes. This helps to ensure a good coating with the breading.
- If the gravy becomes too thick, add 1/4 cup milk at a time till the desired consistency.
Nutrition
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klor
Everything about this is perfection. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The gravy was also amazing.
Courtey
Such a great comforting dish. The breading on the steak was perfectly crisp. We will definitely be making this again!
Cate
This looks so delicious and easy to make! I’ve never made my own chicken fried steak but I can’t wait to try it, thanks for the recipe!
Andrea
I really like that the seasonings are added to the flour so it makes the crispy outside flavorful. The entire plate looks marvelous.
Jennifer
This chicken fried steak looks super crispy and sounds fantastic. Perfect comfort food.
Biana
Chicken fried steak looks amazing! Am going to be making it for dinner very soon.
LIma
Love this – what a great recipe – I am going to try it in a sandwich!
whitney
It’s the gravy for me… can’t even eat it without it, it’s so delicious!!
Sara
This is my kind of comfort food! Served this for the family, and it was a hit all around the table! Delish!
Elizabeth
There is also an appliance named “Fast Cutlet Maker” that smash the flesh and after it have clear squared pattern on it. It’s mostly popular in Poland.
wayne pittuck
I have tried to make this but for some reason the gravy doesn’t turn out I make good chicken, turkey pork and beef gravy but tis white gravy eludes me somehow lol
Beth Pierce
There are all kinds of white gravies for chicken fried steak with the most popular being the white gravy with lots of pepper in it and very little other spice. You can serve chicken gravy with your chicken fried steak if that is what you like and what you are good at making. That is what makes cooking fun!
Sharla
I made this last night, except I didn’t use the Cumin, and all I had was the smoky paprika, but it tasted very good. And the gravy was excellent, too! My husband and son requested that I make it again soooon….haha! They about ate the kettle and all…haha! Very good recipe!
bpierce
Smoky paprika would be really good also. You are very funny! You are cracking me up. Glad that you liked it!!
Nancy
Made this today and it was Delicious!
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
God bless!
bpierce
So glad that you liked it. You are most welcome!
Bobbi Johnson
I’m sorry, but while your recipe sounds good, I’m a bit OCD and saw NOTES
Serve with mashed potatoes and use the extra grave to smoother them!
You might want to correct that from grave to gravy and smother them, not smoother them. 🙂
bpierce
Thanks for the heads up. I found it hard to believe that I had those words spelled like that! I must have been enjoying a Bloody Mary while I was tying that one. LOL!
D.Alfano
What is the purpose of the instant potato? I love eating chicken fried steak but when I make it the crust doesn’t want to stay on.
bpierce
Yes indeed the starch in the potato flakes does help it adhere better. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!! Happy cooking!
Debbie Ray
D Ray
It helps if you make sure your oil is hot enough before you put your meat in. I usually heat it until a drop of water dropped into the oil sizzles or pops then put the meat in. Let each piece of meat sit without turning it for a couple of minutes giving the batter time to crust & turn golden brown. Then turn with a spatula. It helps to go under the crust completely to keep the crust intact. Hope this helps since the batter is what makes it Country Fried! Yummm ?
bpierce
Great advice Debbie! Thanks for the time to post! 🙂
Phyllis
I always do chicken fried steak in an electric skillet so I know the temperature is 365. The high heat must be what keeps the crust on. If you have a clip on thermometer you could use a frying pan.
Myrna Ty
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love cooking and will try this very soon.
bpierce
You are so very welcome! Enjoy!