When it comes to comfort food, Chicken Fried Steak is the real deal. Tenderized cubed steak is breaded and pan-fried and then topped with a creamy milk gravy made from the pan drippings.
Serve over mashed potatoes for an economical and filling meal the whole family will enjoy.
Having grown up in the South, I love southern comfort food. Chicken Pot Pie, Cubed Steak, Country Ribs, you name it. But you really can’t beat this Chicken Fried Steak Recipe.
In addition to Chicken Fried Steak I also love making these Chicken Fried Steak Fingers. Comfort food gets even better when it becomes finger food!
How To Make
(Full instructions in recipe card below.)
- Season the cubed steak with salt and pepper.
- Place half a cup of flour on a plate.
- Whisk remaining flour with Saltine cracker crumbs, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish.
- Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow bowl.
- Coat the cubed steak. To get a nice coating on the cubed steak, I first coat it in flour, then dip it in an egg and milk mixture, and then coat it a mixture of flour and crushed saltine crackers with a little seasoned salt and cayenne pepper mixed in.
- Cook the cubed steak. I put almost an inch of oil in the pan, heat it over medium heat, and add the cubed steak in 2 batches. It only takes 3 to 4 minutes per side to cook.
- To make the gravy, I add flour to 1/4 cup of the cooking oil. Cook for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. Simmer until thickened and then season with salt and pepper.
- To serve top cubed steak with gravy.
After the meat is done cooking, I drain off all the oil and pour it through a sieve to remove any of the browned bits. Then I add about 1/4 cup of the oil back to the pan, add flour and then milk plus black pepper to make a thick and creamy gravy.
In no time at all, you have a delicious meal that can easily fill a hungry family, including teenagers.
How To Serve
This recipe goes great with mashed potatoes or white rice and a side of Southern-Style Green Beans and Homemade Yeast Rolls.
Type Of Pan To Use
I like to cook Chicken Fried Steak in my cast iron pan.
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Chicken Fried Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pieces cube steak, about 2 pounds
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour, divided
- 25 Saltine crackers, crushed
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- Vegetable oil
Gravy
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Season cubed steak lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place 1/2 cup flour on a plate.
- Mix remaining 1/2 cup flour, Saltine crumbs, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Whisk together eggs and 1/3 cup milk in another shallow bowl.
- Dredge cubed steak in flour, dip in egg mixture, and then coat with Saltine mixture.
- Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a large pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat.
- Cook steak in 2 batches for about 3 minutes per side. Remove steak to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Pour oil that is left in pan through a fine-meshed sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Measure out 1/4 cup and return it to pan.
- Add flour to pan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Comfort Food
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What is cube steak, I live in Canada and we dont call any of our steak this,what could I substitute. Tks
Cube steak is a cut of beef, usually top round or top sirloin, tenderized by fierce pounding with a meat tenderizer, or use of an electric tenderizer. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left by that process (called “cubing”).[
Minute steaks
I haven’t had a delicious chicken fried steak in years. And I’ve never made it myself. Yours looks fantastic! CFS always reminds me of my childhood in Texas. Good memories! Stopping by from Food Gawker. So glad I found you. Following on Pinterest.
Thank you so much! You need to give it a try yourself so you can have chicken fried steak whenever it strikes your fancy! 🙂
What a coincidence, we have cube steak in the fridge waiting to be turned into Chicken Fried Steak! Yours look divine! The crispy, crunchy coating looks perfect.
Chicken fried steak!!! Holy cow this looks amazing, I might have to make this…like right now! 🙂
It has been so long since I’ve had chicken fried steak! This looks so comforting! And now I want some mashed potatoes and green beans …. haha
Looks like such a great meal! Perfect dinner!
Oh, my! I haven’t had chicken fried steak in forever! Seeing it always reminds me of my dad, because he loved it! Such a comforting and delicious dish! Yours looks epic! Totally drooling! Pinned! Cheers, lovely!
Once in a while I like to make chicken fried steak (for a grand total of maybe 3x in my life)…mine never comes out this perfectly! I think I’m drooling…
Christin, you seriously make the BEST family-style dinners! I can only imagine how crazy the boys in my family would go over this chicken fried steak over a bunch of mashed potatoes and gravy! You’re seriously making me drool right now. 🙂
This chicken fried steak looks amazing, Christin! I used to have this years ago and one of my favorite restaurants and it was always so delicious. Definitely pure comfort food!
Made it and was the bomb! Used penzey cajun seasoning.