Be sure to serve this with my smooth & creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Easy Buttermilk Biscuits or cornbread.
Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Fried Steak is such a classic comfort food. This is always something I love to order at restaurants, but decided that I was long overdue to learn how to make the best chicken fried steak at home. Nothing beats a home cooked cube steak! There are a few easy tricks to getting the perfect crispy, golden brown breading (that won’t fall off when you fry it). The white gravy on top is the classic touch. This recipe makes a lot of gravy, so feel free to drizzle it all over some creamy mashed potatoes!
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. PRO TIP: Even though cube steak has already been tenderized, I like to tenderize it again by pounding it with a meat tenderizer until it’s thinned out even more. This makes it really soft and easy to chew.
Pat the Steaks Completely Dry. Combine buttermilk marinade ingredients in a casserole dish. Add the steaks, cover, and marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. The longer you marinade, the more tender the meat will be.
Generously coat each steak in the flour mixture one at a time, just before frying. I recommend frying one at a time for the crispiest results. About 4 minutes per side.
How to Make the Gravy
Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour. Add oil from the pan drippings along with minced garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth and seasonings. Stir to combine.
Add milk and half and half. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking continuously. Let it simmer and thicken until desired consistency is obtained.
Why Does the Breading Fall off My Chicken Fried Steak?
1. The oil isn’t at the right temperature
Adding the steak to the oil before it’s reached 350° will make the breading wet and soggy, it needs to instantly start cooking as soon as it hits the oil so that the breading can crisp right up. Conversely, you don’t want oil that is too hot or it will burn the outside before the inside has a chance to cook. An Instant Read Thermometer is key.
2. It sits in the breading too long before frying
Coat each generously in flour right before you fry. If you let them sit too long, the marinade can seep through the flour and cause it to get moist, which creates a soggy breading that can fall off.
3. The pan is overcrowded
Fry one steak at a time unless you have a very large pan. If the steaks are too close together it steams the edges, causing the breading to get soggy and easily fall apart.
Why is it Called “Chicken Fried Steak”
This recipe is referred to as chicken fried steak is because the meat is prepared similarly to how fried chicken is made. Unlike the name implies, it is made with cube steak, not chicken.
“Chicken” Fried Steak:
This is traditionally served with a white pepper gravy, such as in this recipe. The gravy is sometimes served on the side to allow for the breading to remain extra crispy.
“Country” Fried Steak:
This is normally smothered in a brown gravy at the end of cooking to allow for the breading to absorb it.
Although these are the traditional differences, you will see restaurants, (such as Cracker Barrel), serve “Country” fried steak with white gravy.
Buttermilk Substitutes
½ cup milk + 1 ½ cups sour cream 4 tablespoons milk + enough plain yogurt to make 2 cups. 2 tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to make 2 cups. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. 2 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make 2 cups. Let sit for 10 minutes. It’ll look curdled. Stir to combine.
Instant Read Thermometer– It’s crucial that the oil is at the right temperature when you begin to fry. Kitchen tongs– the best way to gently flip and remove the fried steak from the pan. A cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed dutch oven is ideal for deep frying due to the even heat distribution. Gravy Boat- I have this handy one which keeps the gravy warm with a candle on the bottom! Pinch bowls. I always like to measure out my seasonings and other ingredients ahead of time. Measuring spoons.I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat.
What to Serve with Chicken Fried Steak
