Description
This classic Southern Chicken Fried Steak recipe features tenderized cube steaks, marinated and breaded for a crispy golden crust, then pan-fried to perfection. Served with a rich, creamy garlic gravy made from pan drippings, this hearty dish is perfect for a comforting family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Steak and Marinade
- 4 cube steaks (each about 1/3 pound)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons salt
Breading
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking Oil
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Gravy
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons pan drippings
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ¾ cup half and half
Instructions
- Prepare the Steaks: Place saran wrap over each cube steak and use the rough end of a meat tenderizer to pound the meat until about ½ inch thick. This tenderizes the meat significantly despite it already being cube steak.
- Dry and Marinate: Pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels. In a large casserole dish, combine buttermilk, eggs, and salt to make the marinade. Submerge the steaks, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 12 hours for more flavor.
- Mix the Breading: In a shallow dish, mix together flour, corn starch, seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Just before frying, generously coat each marinated steak in the breading mixture.
- Heat the Oil: Pour vegetable oil into a heavy skillet or frying pan to a depth that will cover the steaks by about one-third. Heat the oil to 350°F, ensuring it is fully preheated to prevent the breading from falling off.
- Fry the Steaks: Fry steaks in batches of two, leaving space around each so they cook evenly. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until crust is golden brown, using tongs to carefully flip and check doneness.
- Drain Excess Oil: Remove fried steaks and place on a wire cooling rack to drain excess oil and keep the bottom crust crispy. Keep cooked steaks warm in a 200°F oven while preparing the gravy.
- Prepare the Gravy: Transfer pan drippings to a heat-proof bowl. Let the black specks settle and skim off 3 tablespoons of clean oil from the top. Return the same pan to medium heat and melt butter.
- Cook the Roux: Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste. Stir in the reserved oil drippings and minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute.
- Add Liquids and Seasoning: Stir in seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chicken broth gradually while stirring continuously. Then add milk and half and half in splashes, continuing to stir.
- Simmer and Thicken: Bring the gravy to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Serve: Pour the creamy garlic gravy over the hot chicken fried steak and enjoy a hearty, flavorful meal.
Notes
- For buttermilk substitutes, you can mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Proper oil temperature (350°F) is crucial for crispy breading that doesn’t fall off.
- Use a wire rack to drain oil from fried steaks rather than paper towels to keep crust crispy.
- Letting the steaks marinate longer tenderizes the meat further and enhances flavor.
- The pan drippings add depth and richness to the gravy, so do not discard them.
