You won’t believe how easy it is to make this chicken fried steak recipe at home! You make the steaks and gravy in the same pan, so cleaning up is a breeze. Each serving of steak always comes out super juicy, and the coating gives it such an addictive crunch. Everyone will be asking you to make this again and again.
I love serving this recipe alongside some mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes so they can soak up the silky and rich white gravy slathered over top of the fried steaks. It’s also likely you’ll have most of the ingredients to hand, so you can enjoy this hearty and filling meal in no time. For more fried recipes, check out my fried chicken recipe or my coconut shrimp recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cube steak — this is a steak that has gone through a mechanical meat tenderizer, so it is tenderized and flattened, making it perfect for frying.
Milk — you will need milk to coat the steak and prepare the gravy. Whole milk is ideal for the recipe.
Flour — you don’t need anything fancy to dredge the steaks in. All you need is all-purpose flour for the coating.
Oil — I use canola oil as it has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying the steaks in. Another neutral oil you can use is vegetable oil.
How to Make Chicken Fried Steak
1. In a shallow dish, whisk together ¼ cup milk and the eggs.
2. Whisk together 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, and red pepper in another shallow dish.
3. Dredge seasoned steaks in the flour mixture pressing firmly on each side to coat.
4. Dip the steaks in the egg mixture, then dredge again in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Set aside on a plate.
5. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the temperature registers 350°F. Add 2 steaks into the skillet and fry until golden brown on the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the steaks from the skillet and place them in a 200°F oven on a wire rack to keep warm as you fry the remaining 2 steaks.
6. Pour out the pan drippings, reserving and returning ¼ cup to the skillet. Whisk in ¼ cup of flour and place over medium heat. Cook until the mixture turns light brown, then gradually whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk and the cream. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining black pepper into the gravy. Remove the steaks from the oven and serve with the gravy.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use the palm of your hand to press the flour into the meat to help the coating adhere better.
- Don’t skip seasoning both the steaks and flour mixture. Seasoning both the steak and coating ensures each bite is full of flavor.
- If you can’t get cube steak, use what you have but use a meat tenderizer to flatten your steaks beforehand.
- If you thawed frozen steak for this recipe, pat it dry with a paper towel before dredging it to remove any excess moisture, this will help the coating stick to the steak.
- A thermometer is a great tool to help get the temperature of the oil right. The exterior coating will burn before the interior cooks if the oil is too hot. The chicken fried steaks will become greasy if the oil isn’t hot enough.
- Letting the salted steaks stand for 10 minutes helps tenderize the meat even more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning behind the name?
Despite having “chicken” in the name, this recipe contains no chicken! The “chicken fried” refers to the style of cooking where you cook the beef steaks like you would fried chicken. Think of it as beef steaks cooked fried chicken style.
What cut of meat is best to use for this recipe?
I highly recommend using cube steak. This recipe is perfect for making cheap cuts of meat flavorful and tasty, so round steak or another cheap cut is a great alternative. Just be sure to tenderize the steaks beforehand.
How do you keep the batter from falling off?
Not pressing the coating onto the steak before frying and not patting them dry will lead to the batter falling off as the steaks fry. The moisture from the beef will steam as it cooks, causing the breading to fall off.
What is the difference between this recipe and country fried steak?
They are very similar. Chicken fried steak is coated in a flour mixture and egg mixture, whereas you just coat the country fried steak in seasoned flour. Also, you serve country fried steak with brown gravy instead of white gravy.
Can I make it ahead of time?
It’s best to serve this dish as soon as it’s ready so that the coating stays crispy. Also, the gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. If you have leftovers, reheat the chicken fried steaks in the oven or an air fryer to crisp up the coating.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Fried Steak recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Fried Steak
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Wire rack
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 beef cube steaks or tenderized round steaks (about 1 pound/450g)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2¼ cups whole milk divided (540mL)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour divided (150g)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 cup canola oil (240mL)
- ¼ cup pan drippings
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (120mL)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven.
- Season the steaks with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, whisk together ¼ cup milk and the eggs. In another shallow dish, whisk together 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, and red pepper.
- Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture pressing firmly on each side to coat. Dip the steaks in the egg mixture, then dredge again in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Set aside on a plate.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the temperature registers 350°F on a deep-fry or candy thermometer.
- Place 2 steaks into the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the steaks from the skillet and place in the oven on the wire rack to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 steaks.
- Very carefully pour out the pan drippings, reserving and returning 1/4 cup to the skillet. Whisk in ¼ cup of flour and place over medium heat. Cook until the mixture turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk and the cream. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining black pepper.
- Remove the steaks from the oven and serve immediately with the gravy.
Notes
- Use the palm of your hand to press the flour into the meat to help the coating adhere better.
- Don’t skip seasoning both the steaks and flour mixture. Seasoning both the steak and coating ensures each bite is full of flavor.
- If you can’t get cube steak, use what you have but use a meat tenderizer to flatten your steaks beforehand.
- If you thawed frozen steaks for this recipe, pat it dry with a paper towel before dredging it to remove any excess moisture, this will help the coating stick to the steak.
- A thermometer is a great tool to help get the temperature of the oil right. The exterior coating will burn before the interior cooks if the oil is too hot. The chicken fried steaks will become greasy if the oil isn’t hot enough.
- Letting the salted steaks stand for 10 minutes helps tenderize the meat even more.
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