For years, my partner and I have been tantalizing our taste buds with a recipe that has captivated Southern food lovers since its inception. Chicken fried steak is truly Southern comfort food. A near-perfect adaptation of this classic dish from my Aunt’s kitchen is truly one for the books! From creamy country gravy to crispy fried steak. This Southern disk is prepared and cooked in true restaurant style. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better version than this tried and tested favorite.
Step One – Whisk the Dry Ingredients
For flavorful chicken fried steak, whisk up a bold combination of flour, black pepper, and salt for the perfect kick. Then add paprika for warmth; onion powder to pungentize; garlic powder to bring out the aroma; baking soda and baking powder!
Step Two – Whisk the Wet Ingredients
The second step in creating a succulent chicken fried steak is to prepare the perfect buttermilk batter. Simply whisk together some buttermilk, Cholula hot sauce, and eggs into a shallow bowl – resulting in an irresistible blend of flavors that will tantalize your tastebuds!
Step Three – Prepare the Cube Steaks to be Chicken Fried
To bring out the best in your chicken fried steak, start by patting it dry with a paper towel. Then, sprinkle them with some salt and pepper. Wait 5 minutes for those flavors to really sink into the meat. Finally, dry off any excess liquid one more time. You’ll be left with delicious goodness!
Step Four – Dredge the Chicken Fried Steaks
Step four of preparing delicious Chicken Fried Steak is to give the cube steaks a triple-dredge – first in flour, then buttermilk and egg, and finally back into the flour. Shake off any excess before frying for an unforgettable crunchy coating!
Step Five – Allow the Flour to Dry
After carefully coating the cube steaks in flour, it’s time to take things up a notch! Place them on a sheet pan or metal rack and give each steak one final press of any remaining flour mixture. Then let this flavorful concoction sit for 10 minutes as you prepare your other ingredients – soon enough, chicken fried steak will be ready to savor!
Step Six – Prepare the Oil for Deep Fried Goodness
Get your pans ready! Heat up some vegetable oil in a skillet – make sure it’s about 1/4 inch deep, depending on the size. Test the heat of your fryer by dropping a bit of breading into the pan. Watch as it sizzles around that tasty morsel. When you see glistening droplets but before things start smoking (between 320-340 degrees), then you are set to begin frying those juicy chicken fried steaks!
Step Seven – Fry the Steaks
To achieve the perfect chicken fried steak, make sure to cook the steaks in batches. Just 3-4 minutes on each side should do. Flip only once, and be careful not to let too much of that golden-brown crusting fall off!
Step Eight – Remove and Keep Warm
After frying up a golden-brown chicken fried steak, place it in the oven to keep warm. You can’t rush the gravy. Turn your skillet heat back up to medium for the final step.
Step Nine – Make the Country Gravy
To get the most flavor out of your gravy, pour the grease from your skillet into a heat-safe bowl or cup. Don’t bother scraping all those flavorful little bits and pieces left in there; they’ll add that extra something special to the end result! Add 4 tablespoons of the oil back into your hot pan, and give it an enthusiastic whisk with some flour for two to three minutes until it’s beautifully golden brown. Yum!
Step Ten – Add the Milk
To complete your chicken fried steak gravy, slowly add 2 1/2 cups of milk to the skillet. Whisk it in vigorously. It might seem a bit chaotic at first, but don’t fret! Keep whisking until you’ve got yourself a smooth, creamy gravy. Simmer for 5 – 7 minutes before seasoning with salt and lots of black pepper. If things tense up too much just remember – more milk can help loosen anything up!
Restaurant-Style Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
- 2 cube steaks
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp cholula hot Sauce
- 1 cup vegatable oil
Resturant-Style Chicken Fried Steak Gravy
- 4 tbsp grease
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
Chicken Fried Steak
- 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 , Cholula hot 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.
- 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.
- Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking – about 320-340 degrees F. Now we’re ready to fry.
- Place the 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.
- Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven. Turn skillet heat to medium.
Chicken Fried Steak Country Gravy
- Pour the remaining grease into a heat safe bowl or glass measuring cup (I use an old coffee mug). 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.
- Slowly drizzle in about 2 1/2 cups of the milk into the skillet, whisking constantly. It might look funny 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.
- Serve chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and your favorite green veggies. ENJOY!
