The Best Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, the best Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy is a dinner the whole family will love. Simple to make and ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
Chicken Fried Steak
I don’t know what’s gotten into me, I’m totally binging on the nostalgic, comfort food. Which isn’t really doing me any favors in the shorts/swimwear area.
But right now, all I want is my old favorites like Salisbury steak and Oven Fried Chicken with heaping piles of mashed potatoes. Know what I’m sayin’? And nothing beats a Chicken Fried Steak smothered in creamy white gravy. It is the ultimate chicken recipe.
I’m a lover of southern food, so much that I sometimes wonder if I were actually raised there and somehow transplanted to the north without any recollection of living elsewhere.
Except for my lingering love of southern comfort foods, Spanish moss and sweet tea. If given the opportunity to pick just one food to eat for the rest of my life…it would be a toss up between crispy fried chicken or Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy. It truly is one of my absolute favorite thing to eat on the planet….besides a bowl full of chocolate ice cream, of course.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – Because olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, I use it in addition to butter for frying the steaks. You can use all olive oil or another neutral oil as a substitute.
- Butter – I love frying in butter for the added flavor but you can skip it and use all olive oil, if you prefer.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is my go-to and provides a flakey, crispy coating.
- Seasoning – To season the flour mixture, I like to use onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and black pepper. You can add your favorites like garlic powder, Italian seasoning or even cajun seasoning to amp up the flavor.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature to help the batter stick.
- Steak – Cube steak is traditional for chicken fried steak and is a pretty cheap cut of steak but if you can’t find it, round steak pounded thin with a meat mallet is a good substitute.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken broth or chicken stock is whisked with the pan drippings to create a rich gravy.
- Milk – Because we always have whole milk on hand, that’s what I used for the gravy. If you want a richer gravy, you can substitute with heavy cream or half and half.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
What is Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Fried Steak is actually just a really thin piece of beef or cube steak that’s dredged and shallow fried like fried chicken. Contrary to what the name suggests, there’s no chicken in this recipe at all. “Chicken Fried” is actually the technique in which the steak is cooked just like fried chicken…..and that’s why it’s called Chicken Fried Steak.
It’s, then, drenched in a creamy country gravy that’s ready in just a few minutes making this the BEST Chicken Fried Steak recipe (at least north of the Mason Dixon line.)
How to Make Chicken Fried Steak
This Easy Chicken Fried Steak recipe with Country Gravy couldn’t be simpler to make. It all starts with a cube steak which is, essentially, a round steak that’s been tenderized into oblivion then dredged in a seasoned flour mixture, egg and then back into the flour before being lightly fried to a crispy golden brown.
The breading for chicken fried steak is just a simple mix of flour and seasonings that you can adjust to your own taste.
- Make the dredging station. Whisk the flour, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a medium shallow dish. Set aside.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides of the meat.
- Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture being sure to shake off the excess flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then back to the flour mixture to coat on both sides of the steak. Arrange on a baking sheet until all the steaks have been coated.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the steak to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, working in batches so you don’t steak the steaks, until they are crispy and golden brown. Flip the steak and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks.
- Make the gravy. Reduce the temperature to medium heat. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and sprinkle with flour. Whisk together in the pan and cook until golden brown to create a roux.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and cook until thickened. Stir in the milk and cook until smooth.
- Serve the steaks immediately with the cream gravy.
It’s actually quite genius if you ask me, and whoever created this beautiful thing decided that you MUST make a creamy pan gravy from the drippings to drape lovingly over your crispy fried goodness. How dreamy does that sound?
If you want to make chicken fried steak a little spicy, you can add a bit of hot sauce to the egg mixture.
What is the Difference Between Chicken Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak?
Chicken-Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak are VERY similar being that they’re made by dredging and frying the steak in a pan. The difference comes as the Country Fried Steak is usually served with a brown gravy and fried onions while the Chicken Fried Steak is served with a creamy gravy like my Country Gravy used in this recipe.
Tips for Perfect Chicken Fried Steak Gravy
- The flavor is already in the pan, don’t discard all those wonderful brown bits in the bottom of the pan after cooking your steaks. They’re like little flavor bombs that make your creamy gravy amazingly tasty.
- Be sure to cook the flour until golden brown and it begins to smell a little nutty. This will ensure your country gravy doesn’t taste overwhelmingly like flour.
- The chicken stock and milk help keep calories in check. Lots of Chicken Fried Steak gravy recipes call for heavy cream and milk but I my lighter version still tastes just as rich and amazing without adding even more calories to an already rib sticking dish.
Do you know what’s even better? Chicken Fried Steak is ready in less than 30 minutes. That’s right….30 minutes! Because the steaks are thin they cook quickly and evenly. They’re perfect for busy weeknights and always a huge hit with my family.
I may not be from the south but I certainly try to channel my inner southern belle when I’m in the kitchen. And this recipe is simply fabulous. The best comfort food there is.
What is Cube Steak and Where To Buy It
Cube steak is actually just a thin cut of beef, usually top round or top sirloin, that’s been tenderized by pounding with a meat tenderizer or an electric tenderizer. The name “cube steak” refers to the shape of the indentations in the meat from the tenderizing called cubing.
You can usually find cube steaks at your local grocery store, but if you can’t locate cube steak, you can make it at home buy buying thin sirloin steaks and pounding thin between two sheets of plastic wrap with a meat tenderizer.
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer any leftover Chicken Fried Steak to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Store the gravy in it’s own container so it doesn’t make the steak soggy.
Reheat the steaks in the oven at 425˚F until crispy, approximately 5-10 minutes.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- BEST Salisbury Steak Recipe
- Oven Baked Chicken Breast
- Easy CrockPot Meatloaf
- Quick and Simple Swedish Meatballs
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- The Best Oven Fried Chicken
Want even more easy recipe inspiration? Follow us on Instagram!
Get the Recipe: Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick butter, divided
- 1 cup + 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large Eggland’s Best egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cube steaks, or round steaks pounded thin with a meat tenderizer
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
PREPARE THE STEAKS:
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until ripples begin to form.
- While the oil heats, whisk 1 cup flour, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge one steak in the flour mixture, then the egg and then back in the flour mixture to coat.
- Add the steak to the skillet. Repeat with the remaining steaks adding more oil as needed. Work in batches if necessary as to not overcrowd the pan. (Overcrowding will cause the steaks to steam and the coating will not get crisp.) Cook the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Flip the steaks and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes until golden. Transfer the steaks to a platter or baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm.
PREPARE THE GRAVY:
- Add butter to the skillet and sprinkle with flour. Whisk together in the pan and cook until golden. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and continue cooking until thickened. Stir in the milk until smooth and beginning to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the steaks immediately with the gravy.
22 Comments on “The Best Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy”
Can one use frozen breaded chicken burgers to do this recipe?
Thank You.
You could certainly try it!
Made the “chicken fried steak” for supper today, was a real winner!!!, very yummy!! I do enjoy your recipes, keep up the great work!!!
Jerry
Did I read the calories correctly-2780?
That’s incorrect….I’ll be sure to adjust that.
Hello everyone,
I love this recipe. However, can anyone help me with frying in the cast iron?? Everything I fry comes out mushy. I do the flour then egg dip then flour again but it never works!
Add a little buttermilk to the egg mixture. Keep the rippling oil temperature at 350 degrees and don’t overcrowd. The meat will come loose from the skillet easily when the down side is ready. If you have a thermometer be sure to use it.
Great tips!
Love this recipe as it was my first chicken fried steak making adventure. I make it all the time and pair it with your brown butter peas with mint. Thank you for taking time out and sharing it with us.
Such a great combination! Thank you for commenting!
Why do people post their remarks about nit spicy enough or other mundane comments. Yes the seasonings were a tad bland but tweet the spices as you choose and move on. Rosemary? 10 generations of Southern cooking and CFS and we never used rosemary. This was a standard intro for those who never made it and it is fine, generic CFS. Keep your negative comments and move on. I hope young teens learning to cook use thus recipe as a starter and l appreciate your providing it.
Thank you so much! I agree, if you want it spicier (which we do here) add more spice. I tend to keep things simple when I introduce a classic recipe but like to throw in a little twist of my own (Rosemary. 🙂 ) So, I appreciate you standing up for the art of home cooking and reinforcing the idea that you can change a recipe however you like. Thanks again for your comment!
Anyone who’s cooked for some time, can just look at a recipe and know if they want something like more salt etc. People often think they have to follow a recipe exactly. This is a good easy recipe I will use. Thank you !
Thank you, Vicki!
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Chicken ??????? This is chicken fried steak.
Right Kathy!! They either didn’t read the recipe very well or, they’re NOT SOUTHERNERS!
Ha ha ha ha ha!!! I was trying to be kind when I responded but I hope they didn’t make it with chicken because that’s a completely different recipe. 🙂
So I made this. As promised, it’s pretty quick. Lots of dishes.
The chicken is not very flavorful, I would suggest more of the spices (especially cayenne for more depth).
The gravy is extremely pale and needs a lot of salt.
I’m sorry you found it lacking in the seasonings but some readers are sensitive to salt and since that’s an easy fix at the end I tend to pull back. I like things salty so I probably would like your style. 🙂
The pics look terrific. But I’m surprised the recipe didn’t have powdered rosemary or rubbed sage which is what usually makes something southern.