Some classic Southern recipes elicit a “Now that’s some good eatin’” after finishing it off. Chicken fried steak is one of those recipes. It’s hearty, flavorful, and pure comfort food at its best. I remember when I did the Dr. Oz show I had the task to make chicken fried steak healthier. I cringed at the fact lol. Some things are just not meant to be made healthy! Is it chicken fried steak without the magic of being fried to crunchy golden perfection in hot oil and then smothered in homemade white gravy?
I’ll post my healthier take another day, but right now it’s all about the traditional chicken fried steak and all of her glory!
Have you ever had chicken fried steak?
What is chicken fried steak?
If you never had or heard of chicken fried steak you’re probably thinking what the heck! It’s a pretty simple dish. In short, it’s a tenderized steak (usually cube steak) that is coated and fried.
The outside resembles fried chicken because it is coated in flour, milk, and eggs, basically the same stuff you’d use to coat fried chicken.
It’s fried until golden and crispy. So you get to experience that crispy golden crust and tender delicious steak all in one bite!
Now it’s pretty easy to see why it’s called chicken fried steak huh? And if that wasn’t enough, chicken fried steak is often served with a generous drizzling of creamy white or brown gravy.
Yeah, tell me about it! This delicious dish cares nothing about your waistline goals.
Chicken Fried Steak w/ Country Gravy
Ingredients
STEAK
- 1 lb tenderized cube steak (4 steaks), (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
COATING MIX
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt (or seasoned salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- cayenne pepper, pinch
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 egg
- ½-¼ cup whole milk, (can add a little buttermilk if desired)
CREAMY WHITE GRAVY
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth, (see note)
- 1½ cups whole milk
- salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme
Instructions
SEASON THE STEAKS
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To season the tenderized steaks, mix sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Season both sides of the steaks. Set aside.
MAKE THE DIPPING STATIONS
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In a large dish (I use a glass casserole dish) , whisk together flour, and all of the remaining coating mix seasonings until combined.
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In another large dish, place ½ cup of the seasoned flour into the dish. Add in the egg and enough milk to create a thick batter.
DREDGE THE STEAKS
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Dip the steak in the flour mixture first, lightly coating both sides.
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Next dip the steak into the batter mixture, coating both sides and letting the excess drip off.
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Finally place the steak back into the flour mixture, being sure to press the flour into the steaks, coating both sides. Repeat until all steaks have been coated.
FRY THE STEAKS
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Preheat your oven to 200 F. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and place it into the oven. (This will be where you will keep the cooked steaks to keep them warm until you are ready to serve).
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Fill a large deep skillet with about an inch of canola oil and heat to 350 F.
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Fry the steaks 1-2 at a time, (about 2-3 minutes per side) until golden. Place finished steaks on the cooling rack in the oven. Repeat until all steaks have been fried.
MAKE THE GRAVY
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Carefully drain the oil from the pan and wipe out the pan. (You can leave the flavorful brown bits in the bottom of the pan if desired. If you do, this will result in a tan and not white gravy though)
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Add butter to the pan over medium heat.
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Once the butter has melted, add flour to the pan.
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Cooked while stirring constantly until golden brown,(about 2-3 minutes). This will remove the raw flour taste.
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Gently whisk in the broth and milk a little at a time.
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Cook while stirring constantly to remove any lumps and until the mixture begins to thicken to your liking. (Cook longer if you want thicker gravy or add more milk if you want thinner gravy)
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Season gravy with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and a bit of thyme until your desired flavor is reached (Be sure to taste after each seasoning to prevent overseasoning the gravy. Let your tastebuds be your guide. The end result should taste good enough to eat plain!)