Chicken Fried Steak

My chicken fried steak is triple dipped in an ultra-crispy batter, and then topped with a creamy white gravy. It is one of my all-time favorite southern comfort foods, and easy to make in your own kitchen.

We love fried food around here such as deep-fried pickles, beer-battered cod, and my personal favorite Deep Fried Mac and Cheese. This chicken fried steak is another winner in my house. It features tender cube steak in the crispiest batter drizzled with a rich white gravy.

I’m posting it memory of my Grandpa Fred this Father’s Day as it was one of his favorites.

It makes a great supper when you’re craving comfort food. We also love serving it with eggs and grits for breakfast!

Why I Love This Recipe

1. Tender Meat: Pounding the meat, and soaking in milk, will make this steak melt in your mouth.
2. Crispy Crunchy: This is triple breaded for the ultimate CRUNCH!
3. Creamy Gravy: Homemade gravy that comes together in minutes provides a wonderful texture contrast.
4. Pan Fry: No need to mess with a deep-fry thermometer we’re going to pan-fry these babies.

What Is Chicken Fried Steak?

Chicken Fried Steak is a piece of cube steak that is battered and fried just like fried chicken. It has the same crispy crunchy coating, but with steak instead. It may look like chicken, but there is no chicken used in this recipe.

Why Is it Called Chicken Fried Steak?

Chicken fried got its name, but it is prepared the same way as traditional fried chicken.  The steak is breaded and then fried just like chicken is.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

For the steak:

• Cube Steak: Cube steak is usually made from top round or top sirloin that is tenderized and flattened. Cube steak is a very tender cut of meat, which is why it is perfect for easy chicken fried steak.
• Seasoning Salt: No one wants a bland batter! I like seasoning salt, but you could also use garlic powder, onion powder, or even hot sauce.
• Baking Powder: This helps the batter rise, leading to a light crispy texture.
• Milk: The natural sugar in milk helps tenderize the steak.
• Worcestershire Sauce: A flavorful vinegar-based sauce, look for it near the ketchup at your store.
• Oil: Fry using a neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Olive oil is not a good choice for frying due to its low smoke point.

For the Gravy:

• Milk: Use whole milk for the best results.
• Salt/Pepper: Season each layer of your food for a flavorful final result.

How To Make Chicken Fried Steak

1. Prep Work: Pat steaks dry, and pound thin.
2. Make the Batter: In a large shallow bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and seasoning salt.  In another large shallow bowl, combine milk, eggs, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Dip:  Dip in flour, then eggs, and then flour again.
4. Fry:  Heat about ¼ inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry one or two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side. Dry on paper towels.
5. For the Gravy: In a large saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour. Pour in milk, and whisk until thickened. Season with salt/pepper to taste.
6. Pour gravy over steaks and enjoy!

Tips

1. Press Coating: Press the coating in to help it stick to the steak.
2. Do not overcrowd the pan: This will lower the temperature of the oil leading to greasy, soggy steak.
3. Warm: If making a large batch, use the keep warm setting on your oven to keep everything nice and toasty until ready to serve.
4. Triple Dip: For the crispiest steaks ever we dip them in flour three times. This leads to the perfect thick and crunchy coating we all know and love.
5. Pound: Pound your steak in plastic wrap to tenderize it. A thinner steak will be more tender.  If you don’t have a meat tenderizer use a rolling pin instead. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you could use a rolling pin, a saucepan, or even a wine bottle.

Leftovers

1. Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2. Reheat: Reheat in the oven at 425 degrees for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve With

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potato Cakes

Old Fashioned Corn Fritters

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Mexican Street Corn

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Chicken Fried Steak

Tender steak is triple dipped in an ultra crispy batter, and then topped with a creamy white gravy. The best Southern comfort food ever!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 611kcal

Author: Krystle Smith

Ingredients

For the Steak

• ▢ 8 Cube Steaks
• ▢ 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Seasoning Salt
• ▢ 2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 ¼ Cup Whole Milk
• ▢ 4 Eggs
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• ▢ Vegetable Oil For Frying

For the Gravy

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ ⅓ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ 2 ¾ Cup Milk
• ▢ Salt/Pepper To Taste

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Instructions

For The Steaks

• Pound cube steaks, and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a large shallow bowl combine, flour, seasoned salt, and baking powder. In another large shallow bowl, combine milk, eggs, and or Worcestershire sauce.
• Dip steaks in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and then flour mixture again.
• In a large dutch oven heat about ¼ an inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry one or two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

For the Gravy

• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour. Cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and stir until thickened. Season with salt/pepper.
• Serve over steaks, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 2882mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 5mg

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