Go Back
+ servings
Side shot of easy chicken fried steak on a plate with green beans and cornbread
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

This easy Chicken Fried Steak recipe is truly the best! Each steak is tender on the inside, crispy and golden brown on the outside, and smothered in a delicious creamy gravy.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Southern
Keyword best chicken fried steak recipe, chicken fried steak, easy chicken fried steak
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 812kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 4 beef cube steaks, pounded to ¼-inch thick
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • Freshly-ground black pepper
  • Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, kosher salt, paprika and cayenne. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
  • Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then dip in the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Dredge once more in the flour to coat.
  • In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the steaks to the pan and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a paper towel-lined tray. Season with a little bit of salt while the steaks are still warm. You may need to cook the meat in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
  • Reserve 3 tablespoons of oil; drain off the rest. Wipe the skillet clean. Warm the reserved 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour to the oil and stir until browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth, cream, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and rosemary. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Serve the steaks smothered in the creamy gravy. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Thin Steaks: Some stores sell the cube steak already pounded thin. If your steak is not already about ¼-inch thick, you'll need to use a meat mallet, rolling pin or empty wine bottle to pound it flat yourself.
  • Give the breaded steaks time to rest (dry) for a few minutes while the oil heats. This will help the breading adhere to the meat when it cooks.
  • Never cover your warm fried steak with foil. This traps steam and moisture, which will make your steak soggy.
  • Keep the oil at a steady temperature. Don’t overcrowd the pan by trying to cook too many steaks at once, which will bring down the temperature. If the oil is too cool, the meat will absorb the oil and have a soggy texture when done. Too hot, and the breading will burn.
  • Keep the fried steaks warm on wire racks on baking sheets (uncovered) in a 200° F oven while you finish frying the remaining steaks in batches and prepare the gravy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 252mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1156IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 5mg