Classic Chicken Fried Steak is a Southern comfort food staple that features tenderized beef cutlets coated in a seasoned flour mixture, fried until crispy, and smothered in creamy country gravy. This dish is perfect for a hearty dinner that brings warmth and satisfaction to the table. Serve it alongside mashed potatoes and green beans for a true Southern feast.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
For the Chicken Fried Steak
- 4 beef cube steaks (about 1/2 inch thick)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Country Gravy
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Steaks
- Place the beef cube steaks between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound them to about 1/4 inch thick if necessary.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (if using).
- In another shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and milk.
Step 2: Coat the Steaks
- Dredge each cube steak in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the egg mixture, and dredge it again in the flour mixture, pressing the flour onto the steak to ensure it is well coated. Set aside on a plate.
Step 3: Fry the Steaks
- In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
- Carefully place the coated steaks in the hot oil, frying 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Step 4: Make the Country Gravy
- Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet, leaving the browned bits in the pan.
- Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 5: Serve
- Serve the chicken fried steaks smothered in country gravy. Enjoy with your favorite sides!
Cooking Tips & Notes
- Cube Steaks: Cube steaks are typically used for chicken fried steak because they are tenderized, but you can also use round steak and tenderize it yourself with a meat mallet.
- Oil Temperature: Maintaining the oil temperature at around 350°F (175°C) is crucial for getting a crispy coating without making the steak greasy.
- Gravy Consistency: If the gravy is too thick, add a little more milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Variations
- Spicy Chicken Fried Steak: Add extra cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the egg mixture for a spicier version.
- Buttermilk Soak: Soak the cube steaks in buttermilk for an hour before coating to add extra tenderness and flavor.
- Herbed Gravy: Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme or rosemary to the gravy for an herbal twist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I Use Chicken Instead of Beef?
Yes! You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pound them to an even thickness, and follow the same coating and frying process.
2. How Do I Store Leftover Chicken Fried Steak?
Store any leftover chicken fried steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through to maintain crispiness.
3. Can I Make the Gravy Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make the gravy ahead of time and reheat it on the stovetop, whisking in a little extra milk if needed to reach the desired consistency.
4. What Is the Difference Between Chicken Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak?
Chicken fried steak is typically served with a white, creamy gravy, while country fried steak is often served with brown gravy.
Serving Suggestions
- Mashed Potatoes: Serve the chicken fried steak with creamy mashed potatoes to soak up all the delicious gravy.
- Green Beans: Pair with sautéed or steamed green beans for a well-rounded meal.
- Biscuits: Freshly baked biscuits make a perfect accompaniment to this classic dish.
- Coleslaw: Add a side of coleslaw for a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors of the steak and gravy.
Classic Chicken Fried Steak is a beloved Southern dish that’s perfect for any comfort food craving. The crispy coating, tender beef, and rich country gravy make this recipe a favorite for both family dinners and special occasions. Serve it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits for a hearty meal that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Give this recipe a try, and enjoy the comforting flavors of Southern cooking at its best!
Came away feeling slightly smarter than I was when I started, that is a real win, and a stop at pearlpath added a bit more to that, the rare site that actually transfers some of its knowledge to the reader in a way that sticks rather than just creating an illusion of learning briefly.
The whole experience of reading this was pleasant from start to finish, no pop ups and no annoying interruptions, and a look at kovaria continued that clean experience, technical choices about page design matter for the reader and this site clearly cares about the small details that add up to comfort across multiple visits.
Reading this in a quiet coffee shop matched the calm energy of the writing, and a stop at chaiandchic extended that environmental match, content that has its own ambient quality which can match or clash with surroundings is content with a personality and this site has the kind of personality that suits calm reading.
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Now saved this in a way that I will actually find again rather than the casual bookmark approach, and a stop at reportroost earned the same careful saving, organising my reading bookmarks so that high quality sources rise to the top is something I should do more of and this site triggered that organisation today.
После обращения в клинику «Основа» наш специалист незамедлительно выезжает для оказания экстренной медицинской помощи в Новосибирске. Процесс установки капельницы предусматривает комплексную диагностику и последующее детоксикационное лечение, что позволяет снизить токсическую нагрузку и стабилизировать состояние пациента. Описание процедуры включает следующие этапы:
Ознакомиться с деталями – капельница от запоя в новосибирске
Came across this and immediately thought of a friend who would enjoy it, and a stop at chaiandchic also reminded me of someone, content that triggers the urge to share is content that has earned my recommendation and this site has earned multiple from me already across different conversations during the week.
Liked the way the post balanced confidence and humility, and a stop at blog33me maintained the same balance, knowing when to assert and when to acknowledge uncertainty is a sign of mature thinking and the writers here have clearly developed that calibration through what I assume is years of careful work on their craft.
Loved the writing voice here, friendly without being fake and confident without being arrogant, and a stop at kovaria carried the same tone forward, the kind of personality that makes a reader feel welcome rather than lectured at which is a balance plenty of writers struggle to find no matter how long they have been at it.
A piece that did not require external context to follow, and a look at storagestation maintained the same self contained quality, content that stands alone without forcing readers to chase prerequisites is more accessible and this site has clearly thought about how each piece can serve a fresh visitor rather than only existing members.
A piece that handled a controversial angle without becoming heated, and a look at driftden continued that calm engagement, content that can address contested topics without inflaming them is doing rare diplomatic work and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to handle sensitive material with the appropriate temperature of writing throughout.
Reading this gave me the rare experience of fully agreeing with all the conclusions, and a stop at serversummit continued that agreement pattern, content that aligns with my existing views without seeming designed to do so is just content that happens to be reasonable and this site reads as reasonable rather than ideological mostly.
If I had to summarise the editorial sensibility of this site in a few words it would be careful and human, and a look at clustercanyon extended that summary feeling, capturing the essence of a sites approach in brief is hard but this site has a clear enough identity that the summary comes naturally enough.
В нашей практике применяется множество методик, направленных на восстановление физического и психоэмоционального состояния. Наша команда профессионалов готова поддержать и направить каждого пациента на пути к здоровой жизни.
Разобраться лучше – http://алко-лечебница.рф/vivod-iz-zapoya-na-domu-v-samare/
Decided to read more before commenting and the more I read the more I wanted to say something, and a stop at devagent pushed that impulse further, when content provokes the urge to participate rather than just consume it is doing something quite specific and worth recognising clearly when it happens during reading.
Помощь можно получить анонимно, с аккуратным оформлением и внимательным отношением к личным данным.
Ознакомиться с деталями – кодирование от алкоголизма с выездом
Solid endorsement from me, the writing earns it, and a look at clustercanyon continues to earn it across the broader site too, the kind of operation that maintains quality across many pages rather than just one viral post is a sign of serious commitment and that is what I see here clearly across what I read.
Now wondering how the writers calibrated the level of detail so well, and a stop at verovista continued the same calibration, the right level of detail is one of the harder editorial calls in any piece and this site has clearly developed an instinct for it through what I assume is years of careful practice publicly.
Appreciate the practical examples, they made the abstract points easier to grasp, and a stop at neovanta added more of the same, this site clearly understands that real examples beat empty theory every single time which is the mark of a writer who knows their audience well and respects their time.
Thanks for treating the topic with the seriousness it deserves without becoming pompous about it, and a stop at questkit continued that balanced treatment, the gap between earnest and self serious is huge and writers who can stay on the right side of it earn my respect when I find them online today.
Worth a quiet moment of recognition for the consistency I have noticed across multiple posts, and a stop at dynocode continued that consistent quality, sites that maintain quality across many pieces rather than peaking on one viral post are sites with real editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that discipline carefully.
My usual pattern is to skim and bounce but this site has reset that pattern temporarily, and a stop at verovista maintained the slower reading mode, content that changes how I read is content with structural influence and this site has clearly nudged my reading behaviour toward something better at least for the duration of these visits.
My friends would appreciate a few of these posts and I will be sending links accordingly, and a look at europeelevate added more pages to my share queue, content that earns shares to specific people in specific contexts is content with social utility and this site is generating those targeted shares from me consistently lately.
Appreciated that the writer trusted the reader to follow along without constant restating of earlier points, and a look at serversummit continued that respect for the reader, treating an audience as capable adults rather than as people to be hand held through every paragraph is something I notice and value highly across the open internet today.
Reading this prompted a small note in my reference file, and a stop at serversummit prompted another, the rare site that contributes useful nuggets to my own working knowledge rather than just consuming my attention is worth the time investment many times over compared to the usual pile of forgettable scroll content.
Refreshing to find writing that does not try to manipulate the reader into clicking onto the next page through cliffhangers and forced engagement, and a stop at storagestation continued in the same respectful way, this is what reader first design actually looks like in practice rather than just in marketing copy that sounds nice.
A genuine compliment to the writer for keeping the post focused on what mattered, and a look at questkit continued that disciplined focus, focus is a editorial choice that compounds across many small decisions and this site has clearly made those small decisions consistently across what I have read so far this week here.
Запой опасен не только похмельным самочувствием. При длительном употреблении спиртного повышается нагрузка на печень, сердце, сосудистую и нервную системы, головной мозг и другие внутренние органы. У зависимых могут развиваться обезвоживание, нарушения электролитного баланса, аритмии, тревожность, депрессия, судорожные состояния и алкогольные психозы. Поэтому вопрос, стоит ли самостоятельно резко прекращать длительный запой, необходимо решать вместе с врачом. Особенно важно обратиться за медицинской помощью, если больной употребляет алкоголь несколько дней подряд, страдает тяжелыми хроническими заболеваниями или ранее сталкивался с осложнениями отмены.
Ознакомиться с деталями – vyvod-iz-zapoya-ceny-domodedovo
Genuine reaction is that I will probably think about this on and off for a few days, and a look at storagestation added fuel to that, the best content lingers in your head after you close the tab rather than evaporating immediately and this site clearly knows how to write that kind of memorable content.
Reading this fit naturally into my afternoon walk because I was reading on my phone, and a stop at appelite continued well in that walking format, content that survives mobile reading without becoming awkward is content with format flexibility and this site has clearly thought about how it reads across different devices today.
Наркологическая помощь оказывается в клинике, стационаре и при подходящей ситуации на дому. Нарколог анализирует общее самочувствие, противопоказания и готовность отказаться от спиртного. При выраженной интоксикации или абстиненции первым шагом становится лечение запоя. Когда острые симптомы сняты, врач подбирает метод кодирования, препарат и дальнейшую программу лечения зависимости. Такой порядок позволяет сделать кодирование безопаснее и использовать современные методики по клиническим показаниям.
Подробнее – https://kodirovanie-ot-alkogolizma-shchelkovo3.ru/
Now recognising the specific pleasure of reading writing that shows real care for sentence shapes, and a look at ordernest extended that craft pleasure, sentence level writing quality is something most blog content ignores entirely and this site has clearly invested in the prose layer alongside the substance which is rare today.
Glad to have another data point on a question I am still thinking through, and a look at pearlpath added two more, content that acknowledges its place in a wider conversation rather than pretending to settle the question alone is intellectually honest in a way that I wish was more common across the open web.
Reading this prompted me to clean up some old notes related to the topic, and a stop at roastandroute extended that organising urge, content that triggers personal organisation rather than just consuming attention is content with motivating energy and this site has the kind of clarity that prompts active follow up rather than passive consumption.
Now understanding why someone recommended this site to me a while back, and a stop at europeelevate explained the recommendation, sometimes recommendations make sense only after experience and this site has finally clicked into place as the kind of resource I now understand was being recommended for sound editorial reasons by my friend.
My friends would appreciate a few of these posts and I will be sending links accordingly, and a look at europeelevate added more pages to my share queue, content that earns shares to specific people in specific contexts is content with social utility and this site is generating those targeted shares from me consistently lately.
Honestly impressed by the consistency of voice across what I have read so far, and a quick visit to ordernest continued that consistent feel, when a site reads like one careful person rather than a committee the experience is more rewarding for the reader who notices these subtle editorial details over time.
Started forming counter examples to test the claims and the post handled most of them implicitly, and a look at pearlpath continued that anticipatory style, writers who think two steps ahead of the critical reader save themselves from a lot of follow up work and this writer has clearly internalised that habit consistently.
Glad the writer did not feel the need to argue with imaginary critics in the post itself, and a stop at blog33me kept the same focused approach going, defensive writing wastes the reader time and confidence on positions that did not need defending and this post has clearly avoided that common failure.
Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at sweetstreet added another unexpected useful piece, content that exceeds expectations rather than just meeting them is the kind that builds enthusiasm and earns repeat visits without any explicit ask from the writer or platform behind the work being read.
Easy to recommend without reservations, the site delivers on every promise it implicitly makes, and a look at fluxengine kept that same standard going, the kind of consistency that earns trust over time rather than chasing it through aggressive marketing is what I see here and it is appreciated greatly by this particular reader today.
Reading this gave me the rare experience of fully agreeing with all the conclusions, and a stop at appelite continued that agreement pattern, content that aligns with my existing views without seeming designed to do so is just content that happens to be reasonable and this site reads as reasonable rather than ideological mostly.
Appreciate the practical examples, they made the abstract points easier to grasp, and a stop at appelite added more of the same, this site clearly understands that real examples beat empty theory every single time which is the mark of a writer who knows their audience well and respects their time.
Worth bookmarking and sharing with anyone interested in the topic, that is my honest take, and a stop at blog33me reinforces that, the kind of generous resource that makes the open web feel worth defending against the constant pressure to retreat into walled gardens and curated feeds today everywhere I look across all my devices.
Just want to flag that this was useful and not bury the appreciation in caveats, and a look at roastandroute earned the same direct praise, recognising good work without hedging it with criticism is something I try to practice because over qualified compliments tend to read as backhanded and miss the point sometimes.
Reading this on a phone at a coffee shop and finding it perfectly suited to that context, and a stop at driftden continued the comfortable mobile experience, content that works across reading conditions without compromising on substance is increasingly important and this site has clearly thought about the whole reader experience here.
Liked everything about the experience, from the opening through to the closing notes, and a stop at roastandroute extended that into more pages, finding a site where the editorial vision shows through every choice rather than feeling random is an increasingly rare experience and one I am glad to have today during this particular reading session.
Strong recommendation, anyone interested in this topic owes themselves a visit, and a stop at devagent extends that recommendation across more of the site, this is the kind of resource that makes me more optimistic about the state of the open web than I usually am these days actually for once which is genuinely refreshing.
Well done, the writing is professional without being stiff, and the topic is treated with care, and a look at driftden reflected that approach, the kind of site I would point a colleague to if they asked for a reliable starting point on this topic in the future without any hesitation at all.