Chicken fried steak is classic comfort food. The crispy, golden steak is the perfect family recipe served with gravy and mashed potatoes.
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.
How to make chicken fried steak?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What to serve with chicken fried steak
- Garlic parmesan mashed potatoes
- Maple butter mashed sweet potatoes
- Crispy salt and pepper smashed potatoes
- Easy creamy mushroom sauce
Chicken fried steak
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.
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
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.
Seriously awesome! My BF said it was the best he has ever had!
Oh yay! I’m so happy to hear that!
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.
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 .
Where is the recipe for the cheese sauce?
You can have a look here at the my cheese sauce recipe: http://simply-delicious-food.com/make-bechamel-sauce-cheese-sauce/
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. 🙂
You could use any steak really, just make sure you thin it out with a meat mallet before you bread it.
Like your mom, I hate cooking too. But I tried this recipe & it’s out of this world! Thanks for sharing. God bless you.
Thanks so much Ayesha! So glad you liked this recipe.
We don’t use gravy on our, we actually dip it in honey! It is a lovely combination of sweet with salty!
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.
Lynne, I always make schnitzel with breadcrumbs, not flour and I know in the US they call this chicken-fried or Country-fried steak.
I’ve always made it by rolling it in flour, then egg and then cracker
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
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.
Add a little cornstarch to the dredging flour. No more than 1 – 2 tsp. per cup of flour. Or beat together 1/2 tsp. cooking oil for every egg you use.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Thanks Katy!
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. 🙂
i LOVE chicken fried steak… well pretty much anything fried, but especially this. it looks amazing- thanks so much for sharing!
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!
thanks for sharing your nice recipe will definitely try it out
mmm.. chicken fried steak, egg, pancakes AND french toast at Dennys .. the cornerstrone of an american breakfast
Yum! I agree on the sprtiz of lemon aspect though…and maybe some homemade garlic mayo too 🙂
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.
OOhhh That looks so good and quick… The man is eating American tonight.. ‘-) Thank you
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!
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!
That’s my idea of comfort food! I could eat that right now… wow.
Glad you like it Linda! 🙂