I am a big fan of Southern cuisine, and you must have heard about such cuisines as a famous Chicken Fried Steak recipe. This dish is a staple in many households and restaurants, and it's not hard to see why. The crispy coating and juicy steak make for a mouthwatering combination that will leave you craving more. In this article, we'll show you how to make a delicious Chicken Fried Steak recipe from scratch.
Chicken Fried Steak is made by coating a piece of steak in seasoned flour, dipping it in egg and milk mixture, and then coating it in seasoned breadcrumbs or cornmeal. The steak is then deep-fried until crispy and golden brown. The dish is traditionally served with creamy gravy and mashed potatoes.
What is Chicken Fried Steak?
Chicken Fried Steak is a classic Southern dish that is made by breading and deep-frying a thin cut of steak. It's similar to a schnitzel or a country-fried steak but with a few differences. The main difference is that Chicken Fried Steak is coated in a mixture of seasoned flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, while schnitzel is usually just coated in breadcrumbs. Country-fried steak is often served with brown gravy, while Chicken Fried Steak is served with white gravy made from pan drippings.
Ingredients for Chicken Fried Steak
I will enlist the ingredients for steak first and after that I will show you what ingredients are needed for making gravy. Both are presented as follows:
For the steak:
- Thin-cut steaks (such as cube steak)
- All-purpose flour
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Eggs
- Milk
- Breadcrumbs or cornmeal
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the gravy:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
Below is the complete process of making a chicken fried steak recipe:
- Find a shallow dish and mix together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Get another shallow dish and whisk together the eggs and milk.
- Take a third shallow dish and place the breadcrumbs or cornmeal.
- Dip every steak in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Dip the steak in the egg mixture, making sure it's fully coated.
- Finally, coat the steak in the breadcrumbs or cornmeal, pressing the mixture onto the steak to help it adhere.
- Place the coated steaks on a wire rack and let them rest for 10-15 minutes to help the coating set.
How to Cook the Steak
- Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.
- Carefully place the steaks in the hot oil and fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet and place them on a wire rack or paper towels to drain any excess oil.
How to Make the Gravy
- Once you've removed the steaks from the skillet, pour off all but ¼ cup of the oil.
- Add the butter to the skillet and melt it over medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk it constantly for 1-2 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
- Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Cook the gravy for 5-7 minutes or until it thickens to your desired consistency.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Serve Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Fried Steak is traditionally served with creamy gravy and mashed potatoes, but you can also serve it with other sides such as green beans, corn, or coleslaw.
Pro Tips and Tricks
For the best results, use thin-cut steaks such as cube steak or round steak. Let the coated steaks rest on a wire rack before frying them to help the coating set and prevent it from falling off. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the steak reaches 145°F for medium-rare doneness or 160°F for medium doneness.
Don't overcrowd the skillet when frying the steaks to ensure that they cook evenly. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the steaks from the skillet to prevent the coating from falling off.
Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks, each about ⅓ pound
- 1 cups vegetable oil
Buttermilk Marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk, see notes for substitutions
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons salt
Breading
- 1 cups flour
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoons seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoons black pepper
Gravy
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 3 Tablespoons pan drippings
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup half and half
Instructions
Chicken Fried Steak
- Place saran wrap over each cube steak and use the rough end of a meat tenderizer to pound it thin, about ½ inch thick or so. This really makes a nice difference in the consistency of the meat even though cube steak has already been tenderized.
- Pat the steaks completely dry. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large casserole dish.
- Cover and marinate the steaks in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or overnight. (The longer the better.)
- Combine breading ingredients. Generously coat each steak just before you fry it.
- Add enough oil to cover the steak by ⅓ and heat it to 350° F. (Make sure it’s properly preheated or the breading will fall off.)
- Cook the steaks in batches of 2, leaving room around each. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Use kitchen tongs to carefully check the bottom and flip.
- Remove and transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow excess oil to drip out from the bottom. This keeps the bottom nice and crispy.
- Once all the steaks are fried, keep them warm in a 200° F oven while you prepare the gravy.
Gravy
- Transfer the pan drippings into a small heat-proof bowl. Don’t clean the pan.
- Allow the black flecks to fall to the bottom and skim 3 tablespoons of clean oil off the top. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Add the oil drippings and minced garlic. cook for 1 minute.
- Add the seasonings, and then the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously.
- Add milk and half and half in splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let it simmer and thicken until desired consistency is obtained.
Notes
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.
Pro Tips:
- Use kitchen tongs 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.
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