The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak is fried to golden perfection and topped with the creamiest gravy you can imagine, sure to quickly become a family favorite. It’s hard to imagine a more quintessential Southern meal than Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy. The hard part is deciding whether you want to make it for breakfast or dinner. My family can’t get enough of these tender steaks with that delightful crispy, crunchy coating. And the gravy? Heaven!
Enjoy this amazing dinner with some of my Nana’s green beans and the BEST dinner rolls.
Sponsored by TABASCO® Brand.
Chicken Fried Steak
I figured it was high time I share one of my all-time favorite recipes with you guys. I have been eating this Southern food classic for as long as I can remember. My Nana is the first one that introduced me to this delightful recipe. (Big shocker there – she basically introduced me to all of my favorites…) This recipe is an adaptation of hers – or, at least, as I remember it and I’m pretty sure she’d agree, that this really is the best chicken fried steak recipe out there.
Chicken Fried Steak: Breakfast or Dinner?
There is nothing quite like chicken fried steak when it comes to versatility. We love serving it for dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and my Nana’s Green Beans to even it all out… 😉 Orrr, if it’s brunch we’re craving, serving this yumminess with a couple sunny side up eggs and hash browns always does the trick.
My boys almost always order chicken fried steak when we’re out for breakfast but the thing is, it’s incredibly easy to make at home! Now, I’ve tried lots of subpar recipes in my lifetime but trust me, this is not one of them.
I’ve developed the ULTIMATE recipe that goes just perfectly with a rich, creamy gravy that that little ole steak is just begging to be smothered in.
How to Properly Season and Flavor
Every layer of this Chicken Fried Steak recipe is seasoned to perfection. The steaks are seasoned with salt and pepper, the flour mixture is seasoned with herbs and spices, and even the buttermilk and egg batter is seasoned with TABASCO® Sauce.
TABASCO® Sauce is a staple in our house (the original is our favorite) and my oldest wants it with and in every.single.recipe. I love the extra flavor it adds to this recipe and if you’re worried about it being spicy, don’t. It really doesn’t add any heat to the dish as much as it brings out the other flavors in the dish.
If you want to, you can always bump up the heat by adding in another teaspoon or so of TABASCO® Sauce, or, you can always just add a dash or two to the top of your steak. That’s how my Grandpa ate his and Reece and Chris do the same.
So, if you’re not familiar with chicken fried steak or country fried steak, let me clear up any confusion…
Why is it called Chicken Fried Steak?
Chicken Fried Steak is not made with chicken. Period. No chicken to be found. It’s called this because the steak is breaded and fried much like you would a piece of chicken. Chicken Fried Steak is made with cube steak that you find already tenderized at your grocery store.
The steak is dredged in a seasoned flour mixture, dipped in a buttermilk and egg mixture and then back into the flour one last time. Finally, it’s fried to golden perfection and topped with the creamiest, tastiest gravy you’ve ever tried. Some might even say that the gravy is the best part 🙂
Don’t Forget the Gravy!
There are a few secrets to the best Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.
- Do NOT scrape the skillet. Leave all of that goodness in there. Simply remove the grease and add back in just enough to make the creamy gravy.
- Let the flour cook and brown before adding liquids. This builds up flavor and removes that raw flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in the milk AND cream (yes, I use a little cream in this gravy… 😉 ) This keeps lumps from forming and you end up with a smooth, creamy Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.
- Season at the end. My gravy usually doesn’t need any additional salt but I add LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.
Now, I go into detail in my instructions below but I want to highlight a few steps here that I want you to pay close attention to before making this recipe.
Tips for the Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
- There is no need to deep fry. I shallow fry to golden perfection with a cup of oil – or less. I prefer to use vegetable oil.
- A heavy skillet works best. I use my favorite cast iron skillet but any large, heavy bottomed skillet will work.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. EVER. Two at a time is the way to go. Preheat your oven to 225-250F to keep it warm and crispy while you’re making the gravy.
- Buttermilk keeps the steaks nice and tender and the TABASCO® Sauce adds loads of flavor without being overly spicy. I make mine with about 2 teaspoons but you can go up to 4 teaspoons if you want to up the ante. I like to keep it relatively calm and my family can add a couple of dashes on top if they like.
- You’ll notice the baking soda and baking powder in the breading. This gives it a perfectly crispy coating that you won’t find in other recipes.
- After breading the cube steaks, really press the flour in. You want the steaks to be completely coated with the breading.
- Do not flip the steaks more than once. Wait until they are nice and golden brown before flipping. You don’t want to disturb that crunchy coating.
Refer to the video if you have any more questions or leave me a comment below. I’d love to know what you think when you give it a try!
Favorite Family Dinners
- Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
- The BEST Turkey Meatballs
- Easy Stuffed Shells
- Crockpot Chili
- Tater Tot Casserole
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak
The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks (about 1/3 lb each)
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons TABASCO® Sauce (original)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Chicken Fried Steak Gravy
- 4 tablespoons grease
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 to 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk , TABASCO® Sauce, and eggs. Set aside.
- Pat cube steaks dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat dry again with paper towel.
- Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then once again in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Place breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any of the remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks making sure that the entire steak is completely coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 225 to 250 F.
- Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. How much oil you need depends on the size of your skillet. You want it to be about 1/4-inch deep. We aren’t deep frying the steaks, just shallow frying.
- Test the oil by dropping a bit of the breading into in. The oil should sizzle and bubble around the breading. Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking – about 320-340 degrees F. Now we’re ready to fry.
- Place two steaks into the pan at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Do not flip more than once or the breading will fall off. Do not fry more than two steaks or the pan will be too crowded and the breading will fall off.
- Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven. Turn skillet heat to medium.
Chicken Fried Steak Gravy
- Pour the remaining grease into a heat safe bowl or glass measuring cup (I used my Pyrex). Do NOT scrape the skillet clean. We want all of those bits of yumminess to remain in the skillet so they can flavor the gravy.
- Add back in 4 tablespoons of the grease to the hot skillet.
- Whisk in flour and continue whisking for two to three minutes or until nice and golden brown.
- Combine the cream and milk and slowly drizzle in about 2 1/2 cups into the skillet, whisking constantly. It might look a little crazy right at the beginning, but it will all come together.
- Continue whisking and bring the gravy to a simmer. Cook until the gravy is smooth and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the gravy gets too thick, add in a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Mine didn’t need any salt but LOTS of pepper!)
- Serve chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and your favorite green veggies. ENJOY!
April says
Winner, winner chicken fried steak dinner, yummmmm. My picky husband loved this meal. He is super hard to please but seriously liked this, definitely will be one of my go to recipes, thank you so much for sharing.
Lorene Marie Stencel-Szajowski says
I also don’t usually do ratings or give comments, but this was the best my husband and I have ever tasted….and, the first time I made it myself! The only thing I handed was a dash os Worcestershire and a small grate of fresh nutmeg to the gravy. Definitely will be made again!
Lorene Szajkowski says
The best my husband and I have had! Absolutely a keeper! The only thing that I did was to add a good dash of Worcestershire and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to the gravy.
Aim says
Any advice on the gravt turning out bland and tasteless? This recipe was my first time making homemade gravy and I know I’m doing something wrong…
KMac says
First time making CFS and your recipe didn’t disappoint! Delicious with every bite, crispy tender seasoned perfectly and the gravy! Oh my! Thank you for sharing!
Debi says
We bought a 1/4 of a beef side. I like cube steaks, but my husband of nearly 30 years, claimed he doesn’t. I made these chicken fried steaks one evening & he couldn’t eat enough. Your recipe is a GREAT recipe for chicken fried steak. Making these for the 4th time again tonight & just wanted to say thank you, Trish, for the best recipe out there. I Just found out the other night my son-in-law LOVES chicken fried steak. Next time I fix dinner for them, chicken fried steak it. Is!
These “steaks” & gravy are delicious! So comforting!
Valerie Vincent says
Family loved this recipe so much that I have to double it now. This is definitely our go to Chicken Fried steak recipe now. Going to have to check out more of your recipes!!
Becki says
I followed your recipe to the letter, and this CFS is absolutely the bomb.com!! Each ingredient and each step, leads to pure deliciousness! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Milinda says
I would love to make this! The directions for the oven kind of confused me. Is the purpose just to keep it warm while making the gravy? Or is it part of the cooking process?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Just to keep them warm AND crisp while making the gravy. Hope that helps!
Kimberly says
I NEVER write reviews, but I sure do read them. Had to do it for this recipe. My husband LOVES chicken fried steak and I’m more of a chicken fried chicken kinda gal. I wanted to try to make this for him and boy did it pay off! We absolutely loved it 🙂 Kudos on a great recipe and thank you for sharing. I frequently use recipes from your site and I am never disappointed. Thank you for making me look like a badass in the kitchen!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I truly appreciate this SO much Kimberly! I hope you have an amazing week!
Susan says
We butchered a steer during Covid and have a lot of cubed steak in our freezer. I have never made anything with cubed steak so we came upon this recipe and cooked them up. This Chicken Fried Steak is amazing. The batter is so fluffy and crisp and super flavorful. The gravy was a hit also.
Angie M from San Antonio TX says
I usually never eat chicken fried steak. It is definitely not my go to meal. But my husband enjoys a good one now and then if we go out to eat. Unfortunately ever since the Covid19 pandemic era we haven’t eaten out in a long time. And I have been in the kitchen more than ever. So when my son suggested that I try making a chicken fried steak dinner I went ahead and looked at different ones online. This one didn’t have as many ratings but it had 5 stars. Also it was slightly different than other recipes so I decided to give it a shot. Oh…My…Goodness!!! This is the most tender delicious chicken fried steak ever. My husband is super picky about his chicken fried steak in restaurants thats why I never make it. But he thinks it is THE Best he has ever had in his whole 51yrs of his life. My son absolutely loved it also. My husband said this recipe is worth keeping. So if you are wondering which of the million chicken fried steak recipes to make, please look no further. You found the right one.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wow! What a review! Thank you so much Angie! This is definitely one of our favorites and I’m so glad you and your family loved it too! Have a great week!
Alan D Glaesmann says
Tried this last night. I’m from Texas and have been eating CFS basically my whole life (50+ years) and have tried many. I’ve also tried to cook at home in the past without the results I was after.
I finally found the recipe that meets my standard. I don’t think what I made last night quite measures up to some of the very best restaurant CFS’s I’ve had, but it’s close and with a few more tries to perfect my technique maybe I’ll get even closer.
Used cube steak and pretty much followed the recipe to the tee. The steak was in a package of 3 and 2 were quite thin, but one was a little thicker so I took a meat tenderizing hammer and pounded it a little bit thinner to match the other 2 – all between 1/4″ to 3/8″. I would say that patting the steaks as dry as you can before the breading process is one of the keys. Also, after breading and letting the steaks sit, the egg wash bleads through and will easily come off when you try to pick up the steak. Make sure you spread more flour mixture over the steak as the egg wash bleads through and keep pressing it in, both sides.
I’ll think I’ll bump up the Tobasco next time too. 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you for the great feedback and tips Alan!
Mary Shaw says
Thank you for posting this recipe. It was delicious. Six plates were completely empty after the meal… a sure sign of a successful dinner!
David Cockrell says
I have ate and made chicken fried steak many times but this recipe is the bomb!!! I will definitely keep this recipe the gravy was to die for along with mashed taters and corn on the cob. Thanx, for sharing.