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chicken fried steak with white gravy on plate
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4.77 from 17 votes

Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Fried Steak is a southern classic made with tender marinated cube steaks that have been breaded and pan fried until golden. And don't forget the creamy white pepper gravy on top!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fried steak, how to make chicken fried steak
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 616kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

  • 4 cube steaks around 1/3 lb each
  • enough peanut or vegetable oil to fill your frying pot/pan about 3/4 - 1" up
  • white gravy (click on the ingredient name for the recipe for our favorite white gravy!)

Buttermilk Marinade

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp Tabasco or hot sauce
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Seasoned Flour

  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked or regular sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

  • Add marinade ingredients (buttermilk, eggs, tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to a large dish (I usually use a baking dish) and whisk to combine.
  • Pat cube steaks dry with paper towels, then add the steaks to the marinade, turning to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
  • Add enough oil to be 3/4 - 1” deep in a heavy bottomed pot (I use a shallow dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet), and heat over MED heat until oil reaches 350°F.  The amount of oil needed will depend on the size of your pan.
  • Get out a rimmed baking sheet and top it with an oven-safe metal cooling rack.  Set close by the frying pan.  This will be where you place the fried steaks once they’re done.
  • Combine seasoned flour ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried thyme) in a shallow bowl and whisk to combine well.
  • Preheat oven to 225°F.  This is to keep the fried steaks warm until they’re ready to be served.
  • When the oil is ready, coat one cube steak in the seasoned flour, then carefully add it to the hot oil.  Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Use a frying spider to remove steak from oil and place on prepared baking sheet/cooling rack.
  • Repeat with remaining cube steaks, frying one or two at a time (depending on the size of your pan).
  • When all the steaks are fried, place the baking sheet/cooling rack with the steaks on it to the preheated oven to keep warm while you make the peppered white gravy.
  • Serve chicken fried steaks with gravy poured over the top, sprinkled with a bit of extra pepper.

Notes

We like to serve our chicken fried steaks with this peppered white gravy

Air Fryer Directions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
  2. Bread steaks as directed, then add to air fryer basket, in a single layer.  Spray liberally with cooking spray.
  3. Air fry for 4-5 minutes, then flip steaks over, spray the other side with cooking spray, and air fry another 4-5 minutes.

Oven Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with an oven-safe metal cooling rack.
  2. Bread steaks as directed, then add to prepared baking sheet/cooling rack.  Spray with cooking spray.
  3. Bake for 5-6 minutes, then flip steaks over and spray other side with cooking spray.
  4. Return to oven to bake another 5-6 minutes.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 229mg | Sodium: 1515mg | Potassium: 843mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 472IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 6mg