Chicken Fried Steak – Perfectly seasoned, crispy fried cube steak topped with a decadently creamy sauce. An economical, quick, and easy meal perfect for the whole family. It makes a fantastic meal for an intimate dinner date night, too.
This Chicken Fried Steak may look complicated because it looks elegant. But it’s actually pretty straightforward, not to mention its super affordable ingredients – including the steak! Oh yes!
You’ll definitely give restaurants a run for their money with this recipe because it delivers a superb restaurant-quality meal in no time. The secret? The glorious creamy gravy, of course! 😉
What Is Chicken Fried Steak?
Contrary to its name, Chicken Fried Steak, or CFS, has no chicken. Yep! Sorry, folks. It is a Southern favorite dish made with fried tenderized beef steak coated in seasoned flour and slathered with a creamy sauce.
Why is it called chicken fried steak, then? You might ask. Read along, and we’ll get to that later. 😉
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe is an excellent alternative to expensive steak if you want to enjoy steak without the hefty price tag. Such a winning dish, indeed!
- Cube Steak – It’s the best choice for this recipe as it has already been mechanically tenderized, making it tender even with minimal cooking time. You can also tenderize any beef cut with a meat mallet.
- Breading – I prefer using a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch for the breading to get the superior crispiness – crunchy yet light to bite. Gluten-free all-purpose flour will also work.
- Seasoning – Complete the CFS’s Southern flavors with Creole seasoning, paprika, thyme, parsley, onion, and garlic powder. A little cayenne pepper will give you extra sassiness. 👌
- Milk – It moistens and tenderizes the steak while keeping the breading intact. Plus, it gives a nice golden color when fried.
- Gravy – Save the drippings and extra breading because throwing them out is a waste when they have all the additional flavors you need for the creamy sauce. Mix them with milk, and we’re all set for a luscious fried steak gravy. ❤️
How to Make Chicken Fried Steak
Make the Chicken Fried Steaks
- Dry and Cover – If making your own cube steaks, pat the steak dry with paper towels. Then place one steak at a time on a chopping board covered with a plastic bag.
- Flatten and Season – Pound with a meat pounder or small skillet until it reaches an even ⅛-¼-inch thickness. Season with salt and then Cajun seasoning, and set aside.
- Flour Mixture – Whisk the flour, cornstarch, paprika, onion and garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, thyme, and parsley in a large bowl. (Photos 1-2)
- Coat – Dredge the cube steak in the flour mixture, followed by milk. Then again, in the flour mixture. Coat steak well, pressing seasoned flour all over to help it adhere to the meat, and shake off any excess flour. (Photos 3-6)
- Heat the Oil – Pour enough oil into the skillet to cover the bottom by about a ¼ inch. Heat the oil to 350°F/177℃; it’s ready when it sizzles. Oil should be smoke-free. Adjust heat temperatures to accommodate temperature.
- Fry – Gently place the floured steak into the oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes per side or until the edges of the steak turn golden brown. Remove with a large spatula; hold for a few seconds to let the oil drain. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Keep warm. (Photo 7)
Make the Gravy
- The Roux – Pour the oil out of the pan and clean the pan if desired. Then add about 3 tablespoons of oil back to the skillet. Whisk in ¼ cup of leftover flour. Continue whisking until flour is thoroughly mixed with oil, then cook for about a minute to eliminate the flour taste. (Photo 8)
- Add Milk– Slowly add milk a little at a time; you do not want the mixture to form lumps. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to medium heat so it simmers gently and thickens into a cream sauce – about 8 to 10 minutes. (Photo 9-10)
- Serve – Pour warm gravy over country-fried steaks. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Meat Swap – Aside from cube steak, sirloin tip, bottom round, and eye round steak also work for this recipe. It also works on pork, chicken, and seafood. You’ll be surprised how versatile this recipe is. Creamy gravy for the win!
- Buttermilk – For extra tenderizing effect and flavor, go for buttermilk instead of milk.
- Irresistibly Cheesy – Yay for cheese lovers! Adding grated parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, or any of your favorite cheeses on top will instantly elevate this dish.
- Add Veggies – Because why not? Toss in some mushrooms, carrots, green peas, bell peppers, and potatoes. Hearty and tasty! ❤️
Tips and Tricks
- Let the steaks rest on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before frying them so the coating sets and stays intact.
- You can either deep-fry these babies or pan-fry them if you want to cut back on oil. It works either way.
- Whole milk or 2% milk works fine for this gravy.
- Cubed steaks are a tougher and more economical cut of beef, so pound them with a tenderizer for a fabulicious steak dinner.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Prep the beef steak by tenderizing it ahead before placing it in the freezer. But if you prefer storing breaded cube steak instead, you may do so by flash-freezing them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag once frozen. They will keep in the freezer for three months.
When ready to serve, fry them straight from the freezer – no need to thaw them. 😉
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serving – Chicken fried steaks are best served straight from the pan to enjoy the lovely crackle sounds of its crispiness while soaking in their incredibly creamy gravy. Yum!
Storing – Store the steak and the gravy separately so the steaks won’t get soggy. The steaks will last in the fridge for four days and 3-4 months in the freezer. Same with the gravy.
Reheating – Magically restore its crispiness by reheating it at 350℉/177℃ for about three minutes in the air fryer and about 20 minutes in a 400℉/205℃ oven. At the same time, you can reheat the gravy in a skillet or microwave. Add more water or milk if needed.
FAQs
It’s because it uses the same breading and cooking style as Southern fried chicken, hence the name. Sounds good to me!
This recipe is meant for inexpensive cuts of steak, such as cubed or round steak. And they’re often more flavorful than the premium cuts of beef, so it’s worth the extra time to tenderize them.
They’re very similar. Traditionally, chicken-fried steak enjoys the same breading process as fried chicken and is smothered with white gravy. On the other hand, country-fried steak comes with brown gravy and onions.
What to Serve With Chicken Fried Steak
This chicken fried steak with creamy, milky gravy is great on special occasions or regular family weeknight meals. Don’t forget to pair it with these fabulous side dishes below for a satisfying and comforting combo.
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans and Bacon
- Southern Fried Corn
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- 3-Ingredient Biscuits
- Brown Gravy
More Mouthwatering Steak Recipes to Try
Conclusion
With this recipe, you can enjoy chicken fried steak as much as you like without spending much. Do you have more meal money-saving tips to share? Let me know in the comments! ❤️
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Chicken Fried Steak
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak)
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Milk
For the Gravy
- Drippings from the steaks
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cube Steaks
- If making your cube steaks, pat your steaks of choice dry with paper towels. Then place one steak at a time on a chopping board covered with a plastic bag.
- Pound the steak with a meat pounder or small skillet until it reaches an even ⅛-¼-inch thickness. Season with Cajun seasoning and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, onion and garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, thyme, and parsley in a large bowl. Pour enough milk into another large bowl and set aside.
- Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, dip them in the milk, and then again in the flour mixture. Coat steak well, pressing seasoned flour all over them to help it adhere to the meat. Shake off any excess flour.
- Pour enough oil into a skillet to cover the bottom by ⅕ -¼ inch. Heat the oil to 350°F; it is ready when it sizzles, but don't let it start smoking. Adjust heat to accommodate temperature.
- Gently place the floured steaks into the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until the edges of the steak turn golden brown. Then remove them with a large spatula, hold for a few seconds to let excess oil drain, and remove from the pan. Set them on paper towels to remove extra oil. Keep warm.
Gravy
- Pour the oil out of the pan, leaving the drippings, and add about three tablespoons of oil back to the skillet.
- Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking until it's thoroughly mixed with the oil, then cook for about a minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Slowly add milk while stirring because you don't want the mixture to form lumps. Bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to medium heat and simmer gently until it thickens into a cream sauce – 8-10 minutes.
- Pour the warm gravy over the country-fried steaks. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired and serve with mashed potatoes.
Tips & Notes:
- Let the steaks rest on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before frying them so the coating sets and stays intact.
- You can either deep-fry these babies or pan-fry them if you want to cut back on oil. It works either way.
- Whole milk or 2% milk works fine for this gravy.
- Cubed steaks are a tougher and more economical cut of beef, so pound them with a tenderizer for a fabulicious steak dinner.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Miska Knezevic says
i don,t know what is wrong here! In title it is chicken steak, I KNOW WHAT IT IS but in the recipes you use another meat
Imma says
Yes, you’re right. There is no chicken in this recipe because it’s steak fried like chicken. Hope that clears up the confusion, and please let me know if you try the recipe.❤️
Zoya Vaezi says
Hey imma i tried to make this last night and unfortunately I bombed i even bought the 12 inch skillet and my steak still didn’t cook evenly any advice to be successful the next time do I need to add more oil or use a smaller skillet? the eye on my stove is not as big as my skillet
Zoya says
Hey Imma do you dunk the steak in buttermilk before doing a second coating or regular
Elizabeth says
There is also a device named “Fast Cutlet Maker V2” that flattens the meat and create a nice cube pattern on it. It’s popular in Poland.
ImmaculateBites says
Appreciate the tip .Thanks for sharing Elizabeth.