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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Chicken Fried Steak is one of those old-school Southern comfort staples that never goes out of style! Thin, seasoned steak is breaded and fried just like classic fried chicken, giving it that crispy, golden coating everyone loves. Topped with a rich, homemade gravy, this meal is nostalgic, cozy, and always a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at the dinner table!
Since chicken-fried steak is so rich (in the best way!), I love pairing it with a fresh Wedge Salad or Tossed Salad to brighten things up and cut through the heaviness. And if you’re craving more delicious steak dishes, give my Bacon Wrapped Grilled Filet Mignon a try next!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This Chicken Fried Steak is super easy to make and a great intro to frying foods! It’s perfect for beginners or anyone wanting a classic Southern dish without the fuss.
- Total Time: Your steak is fresh on the table in 45 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Add some extra seasoning to your flour dredge – paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and dried herbs all work great. Serve your steaks with The BEST Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes to soak up all that gravy, or keep it classic with fresh Buttermilk Biscuits!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need an oven-safe platter or pan, a meat mallet (or a rolling pin if you don’t have one), two medium bowls, a deep skillet, a plate for resting the steaks, tongs or a spatula for flipping, a whisk, and a spoon or spatula for making and serving the gravy.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Beef Cube Steaks: These tenderized steaks are the star of the dish! Use four ½-pound cube steaks for a classic, thin cut that’s perfect for frying. Karlynn’s Tip: If your steaks seem a bit too thick, give them a few extra taps with a meat mallet for even cooking.
Milk: You’ll use 2-3 cups of whole milk to make the creamy white gravy, plus 1 ½ cups of buttermilk for the egg mixture that binds the coating. Karlynn’s Tip: No buttermilk on hand? Mix regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes – it works like a charm!
All-Purpose Flour: This flour forms the base of your seasoned dredge and helps thicken your gravy. Karlynn’s Tip: Add garlic powder, dried herbs, smoked paprika, or cayenne pepper to your flour mixture for a little extra kick!
Vegetable Oil: Use about 3 cups of vegetable oil for frying the steaks to golden, crispy perfection. Karlynn’s Tip: If you’re out of vegetable oil, any neutral oil (like canola, sunflower, or avocado) will work just as well.
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Pound the steaks to about a quarter-inch thickness, and add salt & pepper to each one on both sides.
- Prepare the flour dredge and the egg mixture.
- Place the steak first in the flour, covering completely on all sides. Then remove and dredge in the second bowl with the egg mixture.
- Place the steak back into the flour mixture and coat thoroughly, so it’s covered in dry flour.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry the steaks in oil until golden brown, up to 5 minutes per side. Ensure they reach the USDA safe internal temperature of at least 145°F.
- Once browned, set the steaks on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Carefully drain all but ¼ cup of the fat from the skillet, and leave as many of the browned bits in the pan as possible.
- Heat the skillet to medium-low with the leftover oil, then whisk in the remaining flour and scrape the bottom of the pan to add all browned bits to the soon-to-be gravy mixture.
- Stir in the milk, raising the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer.
- Cook until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes, and serve with fresh gravy spooned over the top!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
- Why It’s Called Chicken Fried Steak: The name comes from the method! You fry a steak the same way you’d make classic Southern fried chicken. It’s dredged, dipped, and cooked to crispy perfection, then topped with creamy homemade gravy. It’s the same comfort-food technique, just with a fun steak twist.
- Pound Your Steak Without the Mess: Pounding meat thin can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Place your cube steaks between two layers of plastic wrap before you start. The wrap keeps juices contained and prevents splatter, while the flat side of a meat mallet helps you get even, thin steaks with almost no mess.
- Cutting Through the Grease: Chicken Fried Steak is delicious, but it’s also undeniably rich. Between the fried coating and gravy made from the pan drippings, it’s a hearty dish by nature. Brighten things up by squeezing a little bit of lemon juice over the steaks or serving them with a crisp green salad. The freshness cuts through the grease and balances the whole meal perfectly!
Storage Instructions
If you’re cooking ahead or hanging onto leftovers, this Chicken Fried Steak can be stored easily without losing its Southern charm!
Refrigerator: Store cooled steaks and gravy in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. Reheat the steak in a 350°F oven to regain its crispiness, and warm the gravy until smooth and silky.
Freezer: Freeze fully cooled steaks wrapped well in foil or in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Freeze the gravy separately. They’ll keep for up to 3 months, according to USDA food safety guidelines. Reheat frozen steaks in the oven and warm the gravy on the stovetop for the best texture.
More Delicious Steak Recipes
If you love a good steak dinner, don’t miss these other tried-and-true Beef Steaks and Ribs recipes:
- Steak Oscar Recipe is a decadent restaurant-style meal topped with crab, asparagus, and a rich hollandaise – perfect for a special night in!
- The Best Steak Marinade Recipe turns any cut into a tender, flavor-packed masterpiece.
- My Steak and Eggs Recipe is a classic, hearty combo that works any time of day!
And there you have it, folks! A classic Chicken Fried Steak that’s crispy, comforting, and downright irresistible. I hope this recipe brings a little Southern comfort to your table, just like it does to mine.
Whip up a batch, smother it in gravy, and let me know how your steak turned out in the comments below. You know I always love hearing about your kitchen adventures!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
- four 1/2 pound beef cube steaks
- 3 cups vegetable oil,
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Flour Dredge
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Egg Mixture
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
White Gravy
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups whole milk
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 °F and get out an oven safe platter/pan.
- Start by pounding the steaks to about 1/4-inch thickness to ensure even cooking throughout.
- Salt and pepper each steak on both sides thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, add the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, onion powder and set aside.
- In a second bowl, mix together the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco sauce and minced garlic.
- Place the steak first in the flour, covering completely on all sides, then remove and dredge in the second bowl with the remaining ingredients. Ensure you cover completely.
- Now place the steak back into the flour mixture and coat thoroughly so that the steaks are covered in the dry flour. Place on a baking sheet and let rest while you heat the oil.
- Place a 1/4 inch of oil in a deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Fry the steaks until golden brown. This can take up to 5 minutes per side but be sure to keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
- Once browned, remove onto a plate covered in paper towels to soak up any excess oil, then set on the ovensafe platter and place into the preheated oven.
- Carefully drain all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the skillet. Try to leave as much of the fried brown bits as possible as these will add flavour to your gravy.
- Heat the skillet to medium-low heat now with the leftover oil still in it. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of flour and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all browned bits into the soon-to-be gravy mixture. Stir in milk, raising the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
- Continue cooking until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes give or take. If the gravy gets too thick, add in a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon gravy over steaks and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to add your favorite seasonings to the flour dredge to play around with the flavor!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kerryn Gilbert says
Ok so if you dont have the time–forget pounding the meat -use cubed steak- forget the messy egg mixture–simply press the meat into seasoned flour( salt pepper, garlic powder) and fry it in butter. It has been working fine for me this way for years–less time-less mess– and a lighter crust. Top notch recipe…This has been a family favorite for years–comfort food at its best. I read an article just last week written by a British chef. He was fielding questions about why it was called “chicken” when it was beef..lmao.. just another reason for the Brtitish to think we are crazy Americans.
Janet says
You made my husband a very happy man!!
Home Robert Maticic says
How long leave chicken in the oven steak?
Annette Bettridge says
I’m just wondering why the recope ingredients is gor beef steak, but the title is Chicken fried steak
Gail says
Why call chicken fried steak when in fact it is beef?
Sharon says
Because it is fried like chicken?
Rodney says
can you deep fry the chicken fried steak?
Linda Bergman says
The oil doesn’t go into the egg mixture. The oil is for frying. Not a typo. Why is it called “chicken”
fried steak when you use beef?
Karen Koehler says
You have 3c oil in with the egg mixture. Is this a mistake?
Cat says
Yum… we love chicken fried steak only we use pork loin made into cube steaks. I’m assuming the three cups of vegetable oil is a typo? Lol.