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Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes » My mom’s chicken fried steak

My mom’s chicken fried steak

August 19, 2020 by Alida Ryder 37 Comments

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Chicken fried steak is classic comfort food. The crispy, golden steak is the perfect family recipe served with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Classic chicken fried steak with gravy

My mom was not an avid cook. She preferred spending time reading or playing video games with my brothers (she was the COOLEST mom). But every now and then she would venture into the kitchen a little earlier than normal and I was always delighted because that only meant one thing. Chicken fried steak. I loved the crispy, crunchy golden steak served with creamy gravy and a healthy mound of buttery mashed potatoes. To this day this is the meal that reminds me of my mom more than any other and lucky for me, my kids love it just as much as I do so the tradition is being continued.

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Steak. I prefer using thin-cut sirloin that I thin out myself with a meat mallet but you can buy tenderized or cube steak from most supermarkets.
  • Flour. All purpose / Cake flour.
  • Seasoning: Salt, garlic powder, paprika, dried mixed herbs (herbs de Provence, Italian, etc.), black pepper.
  • Eggs. 
  • Oil, for frying. I prefer using canola but any neutral frying oil will work.

What is chicken fried steak?

Chicken fried steak or Country fried steak, as it is also known, is a thin piece of beef coated in breading and fried until golden and crisp.

Gravy for chicken fried steak

How to make chicken fried steak?

  1. Prepare the breading station: Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/320°F and place a wire rack over a sheet pan. In a large bowl or dish with sides whisk together flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika (optional), dried mixed herbs (Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning can be used) and black pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs. If making your own, place thin-cut steak on a chopping board and flatten with a meat mallet. You can also place the steak in between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it.
  2. Bread the steak: Pre-heat 1-2cm (half inch) of oil in a deep frying pan or skillet. Coat the steaks first in the seasoned flour, then in the egg mixture and finally in the seasoned flour again, pressing down to make sure the steak is well coated.
  3. Fry the chicken fried steak: Working in batches, carefully lower the steaks into the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil and place on the wire rack set over a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining steaks until they are all cooked.

How to make gravy for chicken fried steak

To make the gravy, pour off the oil and wipe out most of the flour in the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add a knob of butter. Add flour and whisk to form a roux then pour in chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. You can add other herbs and spices of your choice as well. Allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is cooked. Serve the steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

How to keep breading on steak or chicken

Coating the meat first in flour then in egg and then finally in flour again is the key to keeping breading from falling off the meat you are frying. The flour acts as something for the eggs to grip onto and will ensure good coverage.

Crispy chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

What to serve with chicken fried steak

  1. Garlic parmesan mashed potatoes
  2. Maple butter mashed sweet potatoes
  3. Crispy salt and pepper smashed potatoes
  4. Easy creamy mushroom sauce
Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken fried steak

Chicken fried steak is classic comfort food. The crispy, golden steak is the perfect family recipe served with gravy and mashed potatoes.

4.17 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken fried steak, Chicken fried steak recipe, Country fried steak
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 538kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

  • 4 thin-cut steaks or tenderized/cube steak
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 eggs beaten

For the gravy

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lemon juice to taste

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Heat a large frying pan/skillet and add 1-2cm (half inch) of oil.
  • Place the eggs and the flour in two separate bowls or dishes big enough to bread the steak. Add the spices to the flour and mix well.
  • Place the steak first in the flour, then dredge in egg and then again in flour, pressing down to ensure good coverage.
  • Fry for 4-5 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
  • Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Place in the oven to keep warm while you continue cooking the remaining steaks.
  • To make the gravy, pour off the excess oil and wipe out most of the flour with paper towels.
  • Place the pan back over the heat and add the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and then the chicken stock, a little at a time until the sauce is the desired consistency. Allow to simmer and thicken for a few minutes then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
  • Serve the chicken fried steak with the gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 787mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 5mg
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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Lunch, Meat Tagged With: chicken fried, chicken fried steak, country fried steak, fried steak, my mother's chicken fried steak, schnitzel, steak, tenderised steak, tenderized steak, wiener schnitzel

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Comments

  1. Emma

    August 20, 2020 at 2:58 PM

    Hello, this looks great! Is there chicken in the recipe too? I can’t see it in the ingredients. You said to Candee that you make the gravy in the same pan as you fried the chicken. So is there chicken in with the steak, inside the batter?
    Regards
    Emma

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 21, 2020 at 10:34 AM

      No, it’s called chicken-fried steak because the coating is similar to that you would use on fried chicken. So it’s steak cooked like you would cook fried chicken.

      Reply
  2. Zoe

    November 1, 2019 at 9:34 PM

    Seriously awesome! My BF said it was the best he has ever had!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      November 5, 2019 at 7:21 AM

      Oh yay! I’m so happy to hear that!

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    December 5, 2018 at 2:18 PM

    There is also a meat tenderizer which is called “Fast Cutlet Maker” that crush the meat lobes and after it have clear squared pattern on it. It is popular in Poland.

    Reply
  4. Pam Cowell

    September 23, 2018 at 6:10 PM

    I made these for breakfast. They were easy to make and came out tender and delicious. I also made gravy out of the dripping. My husband now wants to know when I will make them for dinner !??????. Thank you so much for sharing .

    Reply
  5. Raymond

    May 26, 2017 at 11:19 PM

    Where is the recipe for the cheese sauce?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      May 31, 2017 at 11:50 AM

      You can have a look here at the my cheese sauce recipe: http://simply-delicious-food.com/make-bechamel-sauce-cheese-sauce/

      Reply
  6. Shari Giarraputo

    March 15, 2016 at 3:39 PM

    Thank you for posting this. I’m not familiar with making this at all. What steak would you think would be the best choice. I’m not familiar with tenderized steak. 🙂

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      March 17, 2016 at 3:05 PM

      You could use any steak really, just make sure you thin it out with a meat mallet before you bread it.

      Reply
  7. Ayesha

    August 1, 2015 at 10:05 AM

    Like your mom, I hate cooking too. But I tried this recipe & it’s out of this world! Thanks for sharing. God bless you.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 17, 2015 at 8:22 AM

      Thanks so much Ayesha! So glad you liked this recipe.

      Reply
  8. Shawna

    February 7, 2014 at 4:00 PM

    We don’t use gravy on our, we actually dip it in honey! It is a lovely combination of sweet with salty!

    Reply
  9. Lynne Marshall

    October 22, 2013 at 7:23 AM

    I’m not detracting because it looks wonderful and I could eat some right now, but isn’t it actually a traditional beef schnitzel? It is how I learned to cook schnitzel from my mother.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      October 22, 2013 at 9:29 AM

      Lynne, I always make schnitzel with breadcrumbs, not flour and I know in the US they call this chicken-fried or Country-fried steak.

      Reply
  10. DZ

    January 7, 2013 at 12:02 AM

    I’ve always made it by rolling it in flour, then egg and then cracker

    Reply
  11. nadia

    February 8, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    Hello Ally_R

    We had these steaks last night, and it was fantastic! I also enjoyed telling my partner the story about your mom making it for you… so I guess the sentimental story made it more fun to eat.
    Just a note – I battled to get my batter/flour coating as thick on the steak as yours… any suggestions? (it was almost as the flour did not want to stick to the egg)
    Nadia

    Reply
    • Ally_R

      February 9, 2012 at 8:01 AM

      Nadia, it’s important that you cover the steaks in flour first, then egg and then flour again. That way the egg sticks to the first layer of flour which makes the second layer of flour stick better. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  12. Martha Campbell

    February 2, 2012 at 9:27 PM

    Country fried steak was a staple in our home growing up as well. Mother served it with gravy but not a milk gravy. If your gravy was too thick you can thin it down with water. I find that salt and pepper can make all the difference in the flavor or the gravy so if at first it tastes bland, season, season, season. Also, I am from Florida and we always called it country fried steak but my friends from Texas always called it chicken fried steak.

    Reply
    • Ally_R

      February 3, 2012 at 10:28 AM

      Martha, I often do thin it down with water. Living in South Africa, this is not a dish that is too well-known and my mom just called it “tenderised steak” and I only realised it’s chicken/country fried steak when I started my blog and started trawling the internet for ideas.

      Reply
  13. Candee

    July 8, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    If the picture is the meal you cooked, I can tell you that it’s the wrong gravy, but the steak portion looks wonderful. I’m not sure if it would make a difference to you, but when we eat/make Chicken Fried Steak, we make a White gravy. And if you’re in the South, you pour the same gravy over fresh, fluffy biscuits for breakfast. Sometimes you eat Chicken Fried Steak for breakfast too, however, I’ve never done that.

    Reply
    • Ally_R

      July 10, 2011 at 11:07 AM

      Candee, thanks for your comments. Because I am not from the USA I have no idea what the gravy is meant to look like, I just make the gravy in the same pan I fry the chicken in so that I get all that extra flavour. I also use chicken stock and just a bit of cream for the sauce so that It’s not too rich.

      Reply
      • Katy

        May 11, 2013 at 8:24 PM

        Ally, to make the white country gravy, you use the pan drippings mixed with some flour, then use milk instead of stock. And plenty of black pepper!

        Reply
        • Alida Ryder

          May 16, 2013 at 3:30 PM

          Thanks Katy!

          Reply
  14. Shirley

    March 29, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    Hey, my mom also used to make it and called it tenderised steak as well. Always loved it with mash, peas and gravy. I should really try make this myself, but like your mom I’ve never been much into cooking, but since moving in with my partner I’ve suddenly had to get a little more interested. I really did think Chicken-Fried Steak was chicken though, so thanks for educating me. 🙂

    Reply
  15. claire

    March 21, 2011 at 2:50 AM

    i LOVE chicken fried steak… well pretty much anything fried, but especially this. it looks amazing- thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  16. Deborah Dowd

    March 20, 2011 at 4:17 AM

    This is my guilty pleasure- the only time I get it is when they make it at the cafeteria at my work, but this recipe looks so delicious I just might try it at home!

    Reply
  17. sandra

    March 18, 2011 at 11:36 AM

    thanks for sharing your nice recipe will definitely try it out

    Reply
  18. JT

    March 18, 2011 at 8:50 AM

    mmm.. chicken fried steak, egg, pancakes AND french toast at Dennys .. the cornerstrone of an american breakfast

    Reply
  19. Lori

    March 17, 2011 at 1:34 PM

    Yum! I agree on the sprtiz of lemon aspect though…and maybe some homemade garlic mayo too 🙂

    Reply
  20. Fired Up Cooking SA

    March 17, 2011 at 1:10 PM

    My mom also made this when I was a kid! Thanks for reminding me of it, Ally. It’s good to have a name and recipe for it.

    Reply
  21. Flee

    March 17, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    OOhhh That looks so good and quick… The man is eating American tonight.. ‘-) Thank you

    Reply
  22. Hungry-Lea

    March 17, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    YUM! I shall be making that for dinner tonight. My brood won’t know what hit them! Not much of a cook, though I can be if I apply myself!

    Reply
    • Ally_R

      March 18, 2011 at 5:41 PM

      Hungry-Lea : What did they think?

      Flee: Hehehe, did he like it?

      Zabwan: I don’t know if this is the correct recipe but I know this was how my mom made it.

      Lori : oh YUM! Aioli would go SO well with this!

      JT : I believe you! It was while watching DDD that I saw this and was reminded of my mom’s version!

      Sandra: I hope you do! Let me know if you liked it!

      Reply
  23. Linda

    March 17, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    That’s my idea of comfort food! I could eat that right now… wow.

    Reply
    • Ally_R

      March 17, 2011 at 9:49 AM

      Glad you like it Linda! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alida, mom of twins and creator of Simply Delicious. I hope to encourage a love for cooking by creating fool-proof recipes that are easy and delicious. Read More…

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