Chicken Fried Steak Recipe With Gravy

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This easy chicken fried steak recipe is a time-honored Southern staple that involves tender steak covered in a crispy coating and served with a deliciously creamy gravy.

Bite taken out of chicken fried steak with gravy and carrots.

Chicken fried steak is one of my favorite meals. But it wasn’t always that way. While it is a Southern staple in most homes and restaurants, I didn’t try it for years. But when I first tried it in Texas, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the chicken fried steak meat was anything but chicken. And I sure wasn’t disappointed because instead I was served the most tender cubed steak infused with some of the most beautiful flavors that I had ever had.  

From my first bite of that chicken fried steak sandwich, I was hooked. Thankfully, this chicken fried steak recipe comes together so fast that I regularly serve it for supper on the busiest of days. In this post, I’m gonna show you a little trick that will help you to have a nice crunchy breading on your fried steak every time. I serve mine with a creamy gravy that also’s quick and easy to make, but I’ve included more serving suggestions below.

Now let’s get a head start on supper!

Ingredients for chicken fried steak recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Milk
  • Flour (whatever you have on hand: all-purpose flour, self-raising flour, or almond flour for gluten-free friends).
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cubed steak

How To Make Chicken Fried Steak

Heat oil in skillet.

Before ya start, pour a little oil into a large skillet and set it over medium to medium-high heat.

Mix together flour, salt, and pepper in shallow dish.

Now place your flour in a shallow dish. Season it with salt and pepper and then stir this flour mixture up well.

Pour milk into another shallow dish.

Now pour a little milk into another shallow dish and you’ve got a breading station set up.

Dip cube steak in milk.

Take one piece of cube steak and dip it into the milk on both sides.

Hold it up to drip excess milk off a few seconds and then…

Dip both sides in flour mixture.

Dip both sides into the flour mixture.

Dip steaks back into the milk.

Dip it BACK into the milk…

See, the trick to getting a nice thick breading is to double-dip. That first dip is basically creating a “glue” for the second coating to stick to.

Then dip steaks back into the flour mixture.

Dip it back into the flour mixture.

Repeat with the rest of your cube steak.

Placed breaded steak in skillet.

Carefully place the breaded steak into the hot skillet and cook until golden brown.

Once golden brown, flip the chicken fried steak and cook on the other side.

Flip, and cook until browned on the other side as well. This will probably take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Once it’s brown, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate.

Add flour to skillet to make gravy.

Pour off most of the oil in your skillet, but keep about 3-4 tablespoons.

Add your flour to the hot skillet.

Stir until flour browns and then add milk.

Stir constantly until flour is brown, just a minute or two. Then reduce heat to low, pour in the milk, and stir.

Continue cooking until gravy at preferred consistency then season with salt and pepper.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Continue cooking until gravy at preferred consistency.

Continue cooking until gravy is as thick as you like (2 to 4 minutes).

If it gets too thick, stir in more milk.

Covering chicken fried steak with gravy.

Place your chicken fried steak on a plate with some friends, like mashed potato, carrots, and a biscuit.

Plate of chicken fried steak with gravy and carrots.

Dive into some old-fashioned goodness that money just can’t buy!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating either in the oven or air fryer to get it crispy once more.

Recipe Notes

  • Whatever flour you have on hand will work just fine, whether it is all-purpose or self-rising. These days I even use almond or coconut flour. If using self-rising flour, you can just leave the salt out since it already has salt in it.
  • If you want to add some heat to this chicken fried steak recipe, add a tablespoon of hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco) to the milk before you dredge the steaks. Otherwise, add 3/4 teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
  • You can use any kind of oil or fat for frying: canola oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, or shortening.
  • For an even creamier country gravy, use 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 1.5 cups of milk.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan. I cooked them one at a time and they were perfect!
  • Instead of milk, you can dip your chicken fried steak in buttermilk.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with chicken fried steak and gravy?

Mashed potato is the most popular side dish to serve with chicken fried steak. But you might want to serve it with mashed sweet potato or even cheesy garlic mashed potatoes for something different. Then I love to serve it with some kind of bread to soak up that creamy gravy. Take your pick between Southern cornbread, hoecake, buttermilk biscuits, or homemade dinner rolls.

My final serving suggestion is the vegetables of your choice. Simply add some roasted vegetables, zucchini and squash, collard greens, or even grilled asparagus. The choice is all yours!

What is the best cut of meat for chicken fried steak?

You want to use cube steak that’s already been tenderized or a cheap cut like round steak, which you’ll need to pound into a thin cut with a meat mallet. 

What’s the difference between chicken fried steak and country fried steak?

People often use the terms interchangeably. However, some Southern folk differentiates the two on the basis of gravy. Some people will say chicken fried steak is served with a milk-based gravy, but country fried steak is served with a beef-based gravy. In saying that though, you’ll find the country fried steak at Cracker Barrel is served with a milk-based gravy.

Can I cook my chicken fried steak in the air fryer?

Yes, you can air fry this chicken fried steak recipe. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees, bread the steaks and then add them to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray them with lots of cooking spray for extra crunch! Air fry for about 5 minutes, turn them over, spray the other side, and then cook for another 5 minutes. You can also follow these directions to cook your chicken fried steaks in the oven, but they won’t get as crispy.

You may also like these easy steak supper recipes:

Cubed Steak and Milk Gravy

Steak Sandwiches

Fork Tender Crockpot Swiss Steak

Swiss Steak in Oven

Steak Kabobs in the Oven

Delicious Hamburger Steak Recipe with Fried Onions

Chicken fried steak recipe with gravy.

Chicken Fried Steak

This chicken fried steak recipe is a Southern staple that involves tender steak covered in a crispy coating and served with a creamy gravy.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fried, gravy, steak
Servings: 4
Calories: 791kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces cubed steak
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour self-rising flour is fine, just omit salt
  • 1/2 tsp salt more if you like
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper more if you like
  • vegetable oil for frying

For Gravy

  • 3 tbsp reserved oil from frying steaks
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups milk

Instructions

  • Pour oil to a depth of 1/4-inch in a large skillet. Place over medium heat while you prepare the cubed steaks.
    vegetable oil for frying
  • In a shallow bowl or pie plate, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another shallow bowl, pour the milk.
    1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Dip each piece of meat into the milk on both sides, then the flour mixture on both sides. Then dip them back into the milk on both sides, and back into the flour mixture on both sides. Repeat until both pieces of meat are breaded.
    2 pieces cubed steak
  • Carefully place steaks in the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 8-10 minutes). Remove to a paper towel-lined plate while you prepare the gravy.

For the Gravy

  • Drain off all grease except for 3-4 tablespoons. Add flour to grease and stir over medium heat until flour is brown (just 1-2 minutes).
    3 tbsp reserved oil from frying steaks, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Reduce heat to low and pour in the milk while stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir over low heat until gravy is of desired thickness. Add more milk if it becomes too thick.
    1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 - 2 cups milk, 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Pour gravy over the fried steak and serve with mashed potatoes and biscuits if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 791kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

What you get out of life is measured by what you’re willing to put into it.

~ Thomas Edison, Submitted by Johnny Lansdell

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98 Comments

  1. Just a suggestion for you… any time I make “chicken fried steak”, I use cubed PORK steak. It has an amazing taste and is considerably more tender than the beef cubed steak.

  2. Christy, I stumbled upon your website about a month and a half ago. I was suffering with major sciatica, read about your accident, and realized we had a lot in common. It is so hard to understand that feeling of helplessness and not being able to even bathe yourself until you have been through it. Although I graduated from using the walker, I still am using my cane. I was feeling really down about all of this, but I want to say thank you for all of your uplifting posts. You really helped me to see the good in everything. You are so inspiring and touched my life and faith in a major way. I continue to pray for you and your family. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

    Now the reason for this: I made this tonight for my family and everyone loved it!!! Hubby was so impressed that he asked me to save him a piece to go on his biscuit for breakfast in the morning. LOL Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    1. First, WELCOME to Southern Plate Lydia!!! I am so glad you found me. It is good to hear that you are on the mend and are feeling better, I will keep you in my prayers for a continued and complete recovery. I am so glad to hear that y’all like the recipe!!! I hope you find others to try and enjoy and I look forward to getting to know you!!

  3. Christy, love your recipes!!!! Just literally read today about your accident! I will be lifting you up in prayers for continued healing. Reading your journal moved me so much. God is so good, I am sure you have helped many of your readers come out of dark places in their lives by sharing this journey, and God will reward you greatly for that! Giving Him all praise and glory!!!

  4. How timely…I am teaching a young gal how to cook this tonight. She has a meat and potatoes guy that won’t touch veggies….and she is a newbie to cooking….so the lessons begin. Funny this posted today.

  5. Christy,
    I have been hungry for Chicken Fried Steak for awhile now, I just happened upon your site when I was looking for Cocunut Cream Pie (which I am going to make yours). I am going to make this too! By the way, can I cook this canola or olive oil? This is also my first time on your site!

  6. I just finished reviewing your cookbook at Barnes and Noble and I must tell you it needs to be the new premier bridal shower gift for all newlyweds. It is written so well and the recipes are easy to prepare and the ingredients don’t break the bank.

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