Chicken Fried Steak
Pounded thin, breaded thick, smothered in cream gravy. Your cardiologist doesn’t need to know about this one.
Ingredients
For the steak
- 4 cube steaks (about 1.5 pounds total)
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- vegetable oil for frying
For the cream gravy
- 3 tablespoons pan drippings (from frying)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- salt and lots of black pepper
Method
Step 1: Set up the dredging station
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Mix the flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk. Season the cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2: Double-dredge
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Dip each steak in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, then into the egg-buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour. Press the flour in firmly the second time. This double coating is what gives you that thick, craggy crust that shatters when you cut into it. Let the breaded steaks rest on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes so the coating sets.
Step 3: Fry
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Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles immediately, it’s ready — around 350°F. Fry the steaks two at a time, about 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Don’t crowd the pan or the temperature drops and you get soggy breading instead of crispy. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200°F oven while you make the gravy.
Step 4: Make the cream gravy
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Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the frying oil, keeping the browned bits in the pan. Sprinkle flour over the drippings and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes until the roux turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 5 minutes. Season generously with black pepper and salt. The pepper is non-negotiable here. Good cream gravy should have a visible amount of black pepper in it.
Off the Galley Mike
Mike — Off The Galley
Six years as a Navy cook on submarines and destroyers, feeding 130 sailors from a galley the size of your bathroom. Now I cook the same big-flavor, no-nonsense food for my family of four — and share every recipe here. No culinary school. No fancy plating. Just real food that works, tested on the toughest critics afloat and the pickiest ones at home.
Chicken Fried Steak — Pounded Thin, Breaded Thick, Smothered in Gravy
Pounded thin, breaded thick, smothered in cream gravy. Your cardiologist doesn’t need to know about this one.
Chicken fried steak is one of those dishes that sounds confusing until you eat it, and then it makes perfect sense. It’s a piece of beef — cube steak — breaded and fried exactly like fried chicken, then drowned in white cream gravy. It’s called chicken fried steak because of the technique, not the protein. Once you understand that, everything clicks.
This is pure Texas diner energy. The kind of plate where everything overlaps — the gravy runs into the mashed potatoes, the green beans are touching the steak, and you’re mopping it all up with a biscuit. No pretension, no plating technique, just good food that fills you up and makes you happy.
What You Need to Know About Cube Steak
Cube steak is a tougher cut — usually top round or top sirloin — that’s been mechanically tenderized. You can see the little indentations on the surface where the machine pounded it. This tenderizing breaks down the muscle fibers, which is exactly what you want because it means the steak cooks fast and stays tender under that crispy coating.
If your cube steaks are thick, give them a few extra whacks with a meat mallet between two sheets of plastic wrap. You want them about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Thinner steaks cook faster and give you a better crust-to-meat ratio, which is the whole point.
Ingredients
For the steak: 4 cube steaks (about 1.5 pounds total), 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional), salt and pepper, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, vegetable oil for frying.
For the cream gravy: 3 tablespoons pan drippings (from frying), 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cups whole milk, salt and lots of black pepper.
How to Make It
1
1Set up the dredging station
Mix the flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk. Season the cube steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
2
2Double-dredge
Dip each steak in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, then into the egg-buttermilk mixture, then back into the flour. Press the flour in firmly the second time. This double coating is what gives you that thick, craggy crust that shatters when you cut into it. Let the breaded steaks rest on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes so the coating sets.
3
3Fry
Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers and a pinch of flour sizzles immediately, it’s ready — around 350°F. Fry the steaks two at a time, about 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Don’t crowd the pan or the temperature drops and you get soggy breading instead of crispy. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200°F oven while you make the gravy.
4
4Make the cream gravy
Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the frying oil, keeping the browned bits in the pan. Sprinkle flour over the drippings and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes until the roux turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 5 minutes. Season generously with black pepper and salt. The pepper is non-negotiable here. Good cream gravy should have a visible amount of black pepper in it.
The Gravy Is Everything
I need to be clear about something: the gravy makes or breaks this dish. A perfectly fried steak with bland gravy is a waste. The secret is using the pan drippings from frying — all those seasoned flour bits and beef drippings dissolve into the milk and give the gravy real depth. If you dump the pan and start with clean butter, your gravy will taste like white sauce from a cafeteria. Keep the drippings. That’s where the flavor lives.
Chicken Fried Steak vs Country Fried Steak
People use these terms interchangeably, but technically they’re different. Chicken fried steak is served with white cream gravy and the coating stays crispy. Country fried steak is served smothered in brown gravy, which softens the coating. Both are great, but this recipe is the chicken fried version — crispy coating, white gravy on top.
What to Serve With It
Creamy mashed potatoes are mandatory. The gravy goes on both the steak and the potatoes. Green beans on the side, and a biscuit for sopping up whatever’s left on the plate. This pairs beautifully with the same cream gravy you’d use for biscuits and gravy — same technique, same results.
For a full Southern dinner spread, add coleslaw and cornbread.
Tips for the Crispiest Crust
Press the flour in hard. The second dredge is the money step. Really press the seasoned flour into the wet surface. Those thick, rough spots become the crunchiest bites.
Let it rest before frying. Five to ten minutes on a wire rack after breading lets the coating hydrate and bond. Skip this and the breading falls off in the oil.
Cast iron is king. Heavy skillets hold heat better than thin pans. When you drop cold meat into oil, a thin pan’s temperature crashes. Cast iron barely flinches.
Don’t flip more than once. Set it down, leave it alone until it’s golden on the bottom, then flip once. Constant flipping knocks the crust off.
Storage
Chicken fried steak is best eaten fresh — the crust softens quickly. If you have leftovers, store the steak and gravy separately. Reheat the steak uncovered in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the coating. Warm the gravy on the stovetop with a splash of milk. Leftovers keep 2-3 days in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use something other than cube steak?
You can pound any thin steak — sirloin, round steak — to 1/4 inch thick. Cube steak is just the most convenient because it’s already tenderized.
Can I skip the buttermilk?
Regular milk works in a pinch, but buttermilk adds tenderness and tang that makes the coating taste better. A splash of vinegar in regular milk gets you close.
Why is my gravy lumpy?
Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly. Dumping all the milk in at once causes clumps. If it does get lumpy, strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
The Double-Dredge Technique
Single dredging (flour once) produces a thin, fragile coating. Double-dredging (flour, egg wash, flour again) produces a thick, crunchy, armor-like coating that stays attached during frying and holds up under gravy. The second flour layer adheres to the wet egg wash and creates the ridged, textured surface that defines great chicken fried steak. Never skip the double dredge — it’s the difference between diner-quality and gas-station-quality.
The Gravy Partnership
Chicken fried steak without cream gravy is incomplete. Make the gravy in the same skillet used for frying — the leftover bits of breading in the oil add flavor and body to the gravy. The flour-based gravy should be peppery, creamy, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to pour.
More From Off The Galley
Classic Meatloaf · Chicken And Dumplings · Beef Pot Roast · Biscuits And Gravy · Orange Chicken