There’s something about sitting down to a big plate of this on a chilly day: the golden-brown crust, the seasoned steak, and the creamy, peppery gravy. I’ll be honest with you: you’ll use a ton of dishes. But this recipe isn’t hard. And it’s totally worth the effort.
I love making this on a cold day because it will definitely heat you up while you’re making it.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Cubed steak is already tenderized, and thin, so no extra prep required. If you buy a cow from a local butcher, this is a common cut that you can ask for. But if your steak isn’t thin, make sure you pound it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. A cast iron skillet is ideal but any heavy bottom skilled is okay. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil are all good for frying.
This makes 4 servings. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- mixing bowls
- cookie sheet
- cooling rack
- meat mallet or rolling pin
Ingredients
Steaks
- 1 ½ pounds cube steak (you’ll want 4 equal pieces)
- 1¼ teaspoons salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon pepper divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups cooking oil for frying
Gravy
- ¼ cup oil saved from frying
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon beef bouillon base
How to Make
Don’t skip letting it rest in the fridge after breading it. It helps the breading set and give that crunchy texture.
Step One: Get Your Steaks Ready
If your cube steaks aren’t already pounded flat, grab a meat mallet (or just use a rolling pin) and pound them down to about ⅛ inch thick. Season both sides with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Step Two: Set Up Your Coating Station
Get two shallow bowls. In the first one, mix 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In the second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.
Step Three: Prep Your Workspace
Preheat your oven to 200℉ and set a cooling rack on a cookie sheet near your stove.
Step Four: The Double-Dip Coating
Take one steak and coat it completely in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess, then dunk it in the egg mixture. Let the extra drip off, then back into the flour for a second coating. This double-dip is what makes it REALLY crispy. Put the coated steaks on a plate and stick them in the fridge for 15 minutes – trust me, this keeps the breading from falling off when you fry.
Step Five: Heat Your Oil
Pour about an inch of oil into a heavy skillet (cast iron works best). Heat it to 350℉ over medium-high heat.
Step Six: Fry the Steaks
Fry two steaks at a time for 2 minutes per side. Don’t crowd them or the oil temperature drops.
Move the finished steaks to your cooling rack and pop the whole setup in the oven to stay warm.
Carefully pour the hot oil into a pot, but don’t clean the skillet – you need those crispy bits for the gravy.
Step Seven: Make the Gravy
Heat 3 cups of milk in the microwave for 2 minutes (or on the stove until almost boiling, but then you have yet another pot). Pour ¼ cup of your frying oil back into the skillet and heat over medium. Whisk in ¼ cup flour and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Slowly add the warm milk while whisking constantly. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and beef bouillon base. Keep whisking until it thickens up.
The gravy gets thick REALLY quickly once it’s off the heat, so serve as soon as you can. If you need to thin it out, just whisk in more milk.
Storage Instructions
Store the steak and gravy separately to keep the steak crispy. Reheat the steak in a 400°F oven for about 10-12 minutes, and gently warm gravy on the stovetop, whisking in extra milk if needed.
The breaded steaks can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and kept refrigerated until frying.
Serving Ideas
Serve with any of these comforting and classic side dishes.
- Creamy mashed potatoes are the best for a cozy Sunday dinner.
- Green beans with bacon will make everyone eat their veggies.
- Old fashioned coleslaw goes with everything.
- Scoop up the gravy with delicious and easy cream biscuits.
Make It Your Own
- Swap cubed steak for pounded chicken breast for classic chicken fried chicken (yes that’s what it’s really called and it’s delicious)
- Add cayenne to the breading
- Try different seasonings in the gravy. Sage and thyme work beautifully
More Fried Favorites
Why does frying something always make it better?
- Deep fried onion rings are so much cheaper to make at home.
- Deep fried zucchini helps me eat one of my least favorite vegetables.
- Oreos are already delicious, but have you tried deep fried Oreos?? Even better!
- Never buy those frozen appetizers again. Make your own deep fried mozzarella sticks.
Printable Recipe
Chicken Fried Steak
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- Mixing Bowls
- cookie sheet
- cooling rack
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
Ingredients
Steaks
- 1 ½ pounds cube steak cut into 4 equal pieces
- 1¼ teaspoons salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon pepper divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups cooking oil for frying
Gravy
- ¼ cup oil saved from frying
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon beef bouillon base
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Instructions
- Pound and season steaks. Pound the steaks to ⅛ inch thickness or less. (Yours may come already flat and tenderized.) Season the steak with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Mix ingredients separately. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.
- Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 200℉. Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet and put it near the stove.
- Coat steaks. Using tongs, dip one steak at a time into the flour mixture, thoroughly coating on both sides. Shake off any additional flour. Next, place the floured steak into the egg mixture, thoroughly coating on both sides and letting the extra egg mixture drip back into the bowl. Finally, return the steak to the flour mixture and coat a second time on both sides, shaking off any additional flour. Place steak in an even layer on a small cookie sheet or large plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the breading.
- Fry. Pour cooking oil into a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet until it is about an inch high in the skillet (a cast iron skillet is best). Heat to 350℉ over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully place two pieces of steak, side by side, into the hot oil and cook steak on each side for 2 minutes. Using tongs or a skimmer for frying, carefully remove the steak from the hot oil and set it on the cooling rack resting on the cookie sheet. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining steak.Place the cookie sheet with the steak in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy.
- Carefully set hot oil aside. Using oven mitts, carefully place your hands on the handle and the opposite side of the skillet. Carefully pour the hot oil into a medium-sized pot and set aside. Do not wipe out the pan.
- Heat milk. Microwave the milk in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes or heat until just below boiling in a small pot.
- Make gravy. Measure ¼ cup of the cooking oil and return it to the pan you used to cook the steak. Warm the oil over medium heat and add the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Whisk together the flour and oil and let it simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring. Gradually, whisk in 2 ½ cups of the warm milk and let the gravy come to a boil. Reduce the heat and whisk in ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, bouillon, and garlic powder. Whisk frequently until the gravy is thickened, adding more milk if necessary to get the desired thickness of the gravy. The gravy will thicken as it sits.
- Serve. Serve the gravy immediately with the chicken fried steak. Once plated, sprinkle the gravy with additional pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
can this possibly be made in a slow cooker crock pot this looks delicious
hey Tina it would be a VERY different recipe. you can’t really get that crispy coating without frying it.