Homemade Chicken Fried Steak

This perfect southern comfort meal of chicken fried steak is easy to recreate at home. I am sharing with you all of the tips and tricks you need to know to create a restaurant-worthy dish in your own kitchen! This dish is perfect served along with some of Dad’s Famous Mashed Potatoes, or some Roasted Carrots. Finish off with some Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler for a truly southern meal.

Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

Here today to share one of my all-time FAVORITE southern comfort foods. Homemade Chicken Fried Steak. It’s a definite classic and a favorite in our home. It’s one of those meals that I don’t make all the time, so it’s a special treat for the family when I do. This dish is incredibly flavorful, with just a few simple ingredients. Most of which you probably have on hand. The only thing I usually need to pick up is some cube steak! Even though the ingredients list is fairly simple, there are a few tips and tricks in HOW I make this dish that make it even better than a restaurant. One bite of this chicken fried steak with the best cream gravy, and you’ll be a believer!

Ingredient List

Let’s dive into each ingredient and how they make chicken fried steak taste so good. (If you’re looking for measurements, they’re all in the recipe card at the end of the post!)

Cube Steak: The meaty foundation of your chicken fried steak. It’s typically tenderized beef, often cut into patty shapes, perfect for frying up to a golden, crispy perfection. Salt and Pepper: Basic seasonings to add flavor to your steak. All-Purpose Flour: The flour sticks to the steak, creating that perfect golden crust when fried. Baking Powder: So the coating is extra crispy. Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a magic ingredient for chicken fried steak. It not only tenderizes the meat but also infuses a tangy, rich flavor into every bite, making it incredibly moist. Eggs: These are the binding agents that help the coating stick. Vegetable Oil: For frying the steaks in so they get nice and golden brown! Paprika: A subtly smoky flavor enhancer. You can also use cayenne pepper for more heat. Garlic Powder: So your steaks have tasty, savory flavor. Onion Powder: Another great seasoning to add a punch of flavor!

For the Gravy:

Oil and Drippings: The flavorful leftovers from cooking the steak. All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the gravy. Whole Milk: The creamy base. Heavy Cream: So the gravy has richness and creaminess. Garlic Powder: A touch of garlic flavor. Onion Powder: A hint of oniony goodness. Salt and Pepper: To balance out all the flavors.

How to Make Chicken Fried Steak

So you get that amazing Southern flavor from the comfort of your kitchen! This is one hearty dish you’ll want to come back to time and time again. If you are unable to get cube steak you can also use another cut of steak called Round Steak, but you will need to tenderize this with a meat mallet prior to using. Almost to the point that the meat is falling apart.

Preparing Oven and Skillet

Making the Steaks

How to Make the Cream Gravy

The key to making the chicken fried steak gravy, is to keep the drippings in the pan from making the actual chicken fried steak. Due to shallow frying the steaks there typically isn’t much leftover oil by the time the steaks are done. Which is the perfect amount for making the gravy. IF you have more than 1/4 cup of oil left in your skillet, you will want to pour some out. But make sure you leave all the bits and pieces leftover from the steaks!

Reheating the Chicken Fried Steaks: Add to a baking sheet and heat for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Reheating the Gravy: Warm in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can add a little milk, beef broth, or chicken broth to adjust the consistency if it has gotten too thick.