First off: What is chicken fried steak? Chicken fried steak is thinly sliced steak that is pounded to tenderize (aka cube steak) that is breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy. It gets it’s name from the fact that it is cooked in a method that is similar to fried chicken.
I am a fan of crispy fried chicken and this beef version is just as good, if not better, especially with the super tender beef! This recipe works so well because the beef is tenderized and really thin which allows it to cook through quickly while frying. The seasoned breading fries to a nice golden brown and gets crispy while the steak on the insides cooks and is still moist and tender! I like to season the chicken fried steak coating with a homemade cajun seasoning to add a a touch of heat and a ton of flavour!
What is cube steak? Cube steak is a a beefsteak cut of beef, typically a top round, round, eye of round, etc., that is tenderized by pounding it thin. It gets its name from the cube like indentations in the meat from the meat mallet, aka cubing.
Chicken Fried Steak
Quick and easy tender steaks covered in breading and fried until golden brown crispy and all sorts of good, just like fried chicken!
ingredients
- 1 pound cubed steak*
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
For the chicken fried steaks:
For the gravy:
directions
- Dredge the steaks in the mixture of the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and cajun seasoning flour and dip in the mixture of the buttermilk and egg before dredging in the flour mixture a second time.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom.
- Fry the steaks in the oil, one at a time, until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, before setting aside on a rack and continuing on with the remaining steaks.
- Drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the cooking oil, return to medium heat, sprinkle in the flour and cook until it turns a deep golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the milk, bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens, about 3-5 minutes, before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
For the chicken fried steaks:
For the gravy:
Note: The cajun seasoning can be replaced by another seasoning or simple salt and pepper and it can be mixed into either the buttermilk and egg mixture AND/or the flour. (Montreal steak seasoning is also good!)
Tip: Leave any ‘bits’ left in the pan after cooking the steaks when draining off the extra oil; these bits have flavour in them!
Option: Season the gravy with a pinch of cajun seasoning!
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where did you get that flat whisk?? We have been looking high & low for one like this. For some reason I call it an English whisk. Thank you. Pat
Amazon carries a variety of flat whisks.
We bought a Pioneer Woman whisk like this -except has a wooden handle – bought it at Walmart I think – a couple of years back. Love it!
Made it for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Chicken Fried Steak is one of my faves. This one looks fantastic. I am going to make this for sure.
This really takes me back to my Moms cooking! One quick curbside pickup to the grocery store to pick up the steak and I’ll be ready to make this recipe happen this weekend or maybe sooner. 🙂
Where does the egg go?
The egg is mixed in with the buttermilk. (I have updated the recipe.) Thanks and enjoy!
Can this be made without the egg? We have an egg allergy in the house and I always have a tricky time frying. This looks so yummy!
You can omit the egg!