Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy is a dinner the whole family will love. It’s simple to make and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
I’m a lover of southern food- so much so 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 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 my absolute favorite thing to eat on the planet.
And Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy couldn’t be simpler to make. It all starts with a cube steak which is, essentially, a beef 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.
Why is it called Chicken Fried Steak if there is no chicken in the recipe?
I know it’s confusing! This recipe doesn’t contain any chicken, but it’s is so-named because the cooking method is similar to that of pan-fried chicken breast cutlets.
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?
Do you know what’s even better? This easy to make Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy 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.
Where can I find cube steak to make Chicken Fried Steak?
You should be able to find cube steak in your regular market. It’s not your usually “throw on the grill” kind of steak. Ask your butcher to assist you if you are unable to find it.
To me, it looks a little bit like ground beef. It’s steak that has been pounded with a tenderizer until it creates little dimples all over the steak. This helps greatly with tenderizing the meat and making it easy to cook as it will all be an even thickness.
And you know what the best thing is? This recipe is totally family friendly. In fact, your family will love you to pieces if you serve this for dinner, and they’ll be begging you to make it again. I view it as the perfect Sunday night dinner.
We 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.
Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy is a comfort food, treat-yourself kind of meal for sure. But it’s totally worth the extra 1/2 hour on the treadmill, and everyone you serve this to will be so happy and content with your dinner choice.
So many people have enjoyed this recipe. I love to read through the comments to see what people who have made the recipe are saying. A lot of people say that Chicken Fried Steak is much better than fried chicken. And I have quite a few people asking if they can try this recipe with actual chicken in place of cube steak. I haven’t tried it that way, but let us know in the comments if you do!
For me, I truly enjoy the crispy coating on the steak, and the white country gravy really puts it over the top. I don’t make this often but when I do… my family is so very excited. It’s the perfect Sunday night dinner.
Chicken fried steak with Country Gravy is comfort food to the max. And it’s a classic that thousands of RecipeGirl readers really seem to be enjoying!
If you enjoy this recipe, I have recommendations for a few more Southern favorites too. Cheesy Shrimp and Grits is one that a whole lot of people have been enjoying. My first time having shrimp and grits was in Savannah, Georgia, and this recipe rivals that experience for sure!
Truly Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, Caramel Cake, Southern Savory Corn Pudding and Southern Pimento Cheese are four more favorites the the Southern cooking category.
Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy
Ingredients
STEAKS:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 pounds cube steak
COUNTRY GRAVY:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1½ cups low sodium chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Buy round steak and you butcher put t rough the tenderizer for free.
Chicken Fried Chicken …..Halve chicken breasts long ways. Gently us a tenderizing mallet to flatter the breast halves..they will spread out easily so be gentle with them. Season then dredge lightly in flour then into chilled beaten eggs and then fully dredge in the flour. Some of you say your flour falls off….let the dredged pieces set for at least 5 minutes before putting in the pan to fry. Once you put it in the pan…do not try to move it around….let the edges brown a little before you turn it over, This should help keep the batter from falling off. You can also add a little bit of cracker meal to the final flour dredge to aid in the crispyness…but only a small amount. We have this often and love it as much as we do chicken fried steak! Also great to use for chicken burgers.
my breading always falls off too! I bet this would be good as chicken fried chicken..mmmm
This is pretty much how I’ve always made cube steaks, except I bread them in crushed saltines instead of that second coating of flour mixture. Can’t wait to try your gravy recipe!
I can’t wait to try your recipe. We have chicken fried steak every winter, it’s one of the few dishes I only cook in the winter time. Something to look forward to and never get tired of. LOL I’ve always used beef broth for the gravy, since we like the gravy on mashed potatoes never been a fan of white on white. I may give it a try. I do over cook it so after reading so many recipes to cook for just 30 min I can’t wait to make it again. For me, I think the cayenne pepper is what’s going to make it over the top. Thanks for the recipe.
my breading always falls off
I just made this tonight for my BFS birthday, and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and the gravy was hands down the best gravy that I’ve ever made. Thank you for the recipe!!
I still do it my mother’s way…round steak, dredged in flour dipped in milk/egg back in flour then dipped last time and covered in crushed crackers and fried. I brown one side then turn and put the lid on and it is so tender but crunchy.
I’ve made this with chicken and beef. Both are good.
I make this all the time but use Round Steak instead of cubed. Best if you get it tenderized at the market or do it yourself. SO GOOD