Simple Chicken Fried Steak Recipe With Gravy
on Aug 04, 2023, Updated Feb 04, 2025
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This chicken fried steak recipe delivers that perfect crispy crust and tender meat you remember from your favorite diner. The rich, peppery gravy will cover everything on your plate.
Now, if you’re wondering, “Wait, is that chicken or steak?” you’re not alone! Despite its name, this dish is all about tender steak coated in a crispy batter, similar to fried chicken, and it’s downright delicious.
When it comes to comfort foods, very few dishes can rival the heartiness and satisfaction of chicken fried steak. This classic Southern recipe has won the hearts and palates of many people all around the world.
Tenderized beef cutlets are dipped in a seasoned flour mixture, often including salt, pepper, and other spices, and then fried until they develop a crispy, golden-brown coating. Despite its name, there’s no chicken involved in the dish; it’s called “chicken fried” due to its similarity in preparation to fried chicken.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
- Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and basic steps, this chicken fried steak recipe is perfect for both beginners and seasoned cooks. You’ll have it on the table in no time!
- Crispy Perfection: The steak is coated in a golden, crunchy crust that’s irresistibly satisfying, making every bite a delight. It’s the perfect balance of tender meat and crispy coating.
- Creamy Gravy: Topped with a rich, homemade gravy, this dish brings the ultimate comfort food experience to your table. The gravy is so good, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything!
- Make Ahead: The steaks can be breaded and stored in the fridge for up to 4 hours before cooking, making dinner prep more manageable on busy nights.
🥩 My kids get ridiculously excited every time I make an air fryer steak – it’s become my go-to comfort food on lazy Sunday evenings!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cubed steaks
- Flour
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Sour cream
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
- Prep the Meat: Pat the cubed steak dry with paper towels and pound between plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Create the Coating: In a shallow bowl, mix flour, salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and sour cream. Dip each steak first in flour mixture, then egg mixture, and back in flour mixture. Shake off excess.
- Fry to Golden Brown: Heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350°F in a large skillet. Fry 1-2 steaks at a time for 2-4 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Whip Up the Gravy: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a paste. Gradually whisk in milk until the gravy thickens to your liking.
- Time to Dig In: Pour hot gravy over your crispy steaks and serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken fried steak is a classic dish made from tenderized beef steak coated with seasoned flour and fried until crispy, resembling the texture of fried chicken.
No! Despite its name, chicken fried steak does not contain chicken. The dish got its name because the preparation method is similar to that of frying chicken.
Chicken fried steak is different from regular steak due to its preparation method. It involves tenderizing the meat and coating it in seasoned flour before frying, which gives it a distinct crispy texture.
For smooth gravy, whisk continuously while adding the milk and make sure your butter-flour paste (roux) is smooth before adding any liquid. If you still get lumps, strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve.
Expert Tips
- Let Them Rest: For extra crispy coating, let the breaded steaks rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick better and creates those signature crunchy ridges.
- Oil Temperature: Keep a thermometer in the oil while frying. If the temperature drops below 350°F, wait for it to heat back up before adding the next steak. This ensures even browning and prevents greasy results.
- Gravy Success: For the smoothest gravy, warm your milk slightly before adding it to the roux. Cold milk tends to create lumps.
- Meat Check: When pounding the meat, look for even thickness across the entire steak. Uneven thickness leads to some parts being overcooked while others remain tough.
- Season Well: Don’t be shy with the seasoning in your flour mixture. The meat, breading, and gravy should each be well-seasoned independently for the best flavor throughout.
- Make Space: Use your largest skillet for frying. Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature and makes the coating soggy. Better to fry in batches than to rush.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken fried steak and gravy separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
While not ideal, you can freeze the cooked steaks for up to 2 months by wrapping each piece individually in plastic wrap, then foil, before placing in a freezer bag.
The gravy can also be frozen separately in an airtight container.
For the best results when reheating, avoid the microwave as it will make the coating soggy. Instead, warm the steaks in a 375°F oven on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes until heated through and crispy. Meanwhile, reheat the gravy on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk to thin it if needed.
More Delicious Beef Recipes To Try
Slow Cooker Recipes
Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Slow Cooker Veggie Beef Soup
15-Minute Recipes
Cornbread Waffles with Chili – 15 Minute Dinner Idea
Quick Dinner Ideas
Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Simple Chicken Fried Steak Recipe With Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 cubed steaks, (about 1 pound total)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk, (whole milk recommended)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Oil for frying, (about a quart)
For the Gravy
- 4 tablespoons butter OR oil from the frying pan, (I prefer using butter as it will be a thicker sauce and sometimes the cooking oil tastes a little old after frying the steaks.)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ to 2 cups milk
Instructions
Make the Steaks:
- Unpack the cubed steak and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place the steak between 2 layers of plastic wrap and using a mallet (or a rolling pin), pound the steak until they are about 1/4 of an inch thick.
- Add a light sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks. Place the steak on a plate. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl large enough to fit your pounded out steaks, mix the flour, salt, paprika, ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix well. Set aside.
- In a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and sour cream. Whisk until they are well combined.
- Take one steak, put in the flour mixture, and coat on both sides. Shake excess off.
- Transfer to the egg mixture and coat on both sides. Shake excess off.
- Finally, put the steak back in the flour mixture and coat on both sides. Shake excess off.
- Place the steak on a plate while you re-do steps 6, 7, and 8 for each steak.
- Pour frying oil into a pan, about ½-inch.
- Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Place the steak, 1 or 2 at a time, in the oil. Fry for 2-4 minutes on each side. The coating should deep golden brown.
- Note: Don't overcrowd the pan, as it will decrease the oil temperature too much, resulting in a soggy, not crispy steak.
- Place the cooked steak on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.
- You can place the cooked steaks in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the gravy.
Make the Gravy:
- In a medium-size saucepan, add the butter.
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to create a paste.
- Note: You can use the same pan you just fried in, just pour the oil out first. You can also use 4 tablespoons of the cooking oil instead of butter.
- Pour the milk slowly while whisking. (Use 1 ½ cups if you like the gravy a bit thicker.)
- Cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens.
- Pour the gravy over the chicken fried steak.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- In the egg mixture, I add milk and sour cream, but you can substitute this with buttermilk as well.
- Drain well by placing cooked steaks on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil and keep the crust crisp.
- To make it a bit spicy, add some chili powder or red pepper flakes to the flour mixture.
- or the best texture and flavor, serve the chicken fried steak hot, right after frying and topping with gravy.
