How To Make 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. Since I shallow fry the steaks, I only use a small amount of oil, and dont even need to pour the oil out to only add about 1/4 cup back.
If you do have more oil in your pan, you will want to remove some so that you dont end up with overly greasy gravy.
- Use 1/4 cup of the drippings and oil left from cooking the chicken fried steaks.
- Whisk in 1/3 cup of flour. Salt and pepper.
- Cook the flour mixture for 4-5 minutes. The flour needs to cook, and this will get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Whisk in the milk. Bring this to a simmer. As the gravy simmers for about 5 minutes you will see it thicken.
- Taste the gravy and add more seasonings as needed. I find that it typically needs a lot of coarse ground black pepper.
Making The Best Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
Just like when you make fried chicken at home, youre always looking for a moist and tender chicken piece that has been perfectly fried until golden brown with a very light, airy, and crispy skin. Well, in the case of steak, were looking for the same thing. You want the steak to be cooked through, but still tender not well done. The batter must be fried until crispy, because no one likes deep fried food to be soggy.
That batter must be super flavourful too. And, if youre going to call this steak chicken fried, it must have familiar fried chicken seasonings like garlic, onion, salt, paprika, thyme, and basil. All of these things must be present in a flour and cornstarch mixture. These two dry ingredients are what makes the batter. And, the cornstarch makes the batter crispier and lighter.
Everyone has a fried chicken coating that they like, but it doesnt matter how good it is if you dont use the right frying method. When deep frying, I like to use a Dutch oven. Its cast iron and has a heavy bottom which means it will hold and maintain the temperature of the oil better. And, it has deep sides which means easier clean up! The oil should be at 350 degrees and the chicken should be fried until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak
Start by collecting 3 bowls…one for the flour mixture, one for the buttermilk mixture, and one for the steaks once they’re battered.
1. Combine 2 cups of flour with garlic salt, dried steak seasoning and dried oregano in the first bowl. Yes, I use dried oregano because it gives the steak a hint of herbed deliciousness. Some southern cooks use paprika, but oregano gives it an extra kick.
2. Whisk egg and buttermilk with salt and pepper in the second bowl.
3. Next, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Begin dredging the cube steak by coating both sides in the flour mixture, then dipping in the buttermilk mixture, and back again in the flour. Be sure to coat both sides of the meat. Add the breaded meat to the last bowl and repeat the process for each cube steak.
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What Exactly Is Chicken
First and foremost, you should know that this dish has absolutely nothing to do with chicken.
It doesnt contain any chicken meat, nor is it seasoned with any chicken flavoring. The only reason chicken is part of chicken-fried steaks name is because chefs prepare this dish much like they prepare fried chicken.
Chicken-fried steak is just a cut of steak thats coated in seasoned breading, and then panfried or deep-fried, depending on where you get it.
Since its breaded and fried like fried chicken, early cooks dubbed the dish chicken-fried steak, and the name clearly stuck.
What Are The Most Popular Side Dishes
What to eat in the United States of America? Top 10 most popular American side dishesPorridge. Grits.Casserole. Pastelón. Side Dish. Tostones. Side Dish. Fried Okra. Side Dish. Boston Baked Beans. Boston. Side Dish. Home Fries. United States of America. Rice Dish. Red Beans and Rice. Louisiana. Side Dish. Collard Greens. South Carolina.
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Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
What are people saying about southern restaurants in Arlington, TX?
This is a review for southern restaurants in Arlington, TX:
“The food was amazing! I had one of the best chicken fried steaks I’ve ever had. My wife ordered a breakfast stacked enchilada with chorizo the guy said it was one of their staple items… man that was amazing! Salsa, chorizo, refried beans, egg and avacado. The staff was friendly. Great place!! Will definitely stop again next time in town!”
This Keto Chicken Fried Steak Recipe Is Total Southern Comfort Food The Black Pepper Gravy Is What Dreams Are Made Of This Recipe Is Gluten
Keto Chicken Fried Steak. Are those not the most glorious 4 words youve ever heard? Crispy Keto fried steak gets smothered in a Southern-style gravy for one epic dinner.
Fried steak and gravy was a definite staple for a lot of our staff growing up so were all very excited about this recipe that mimics that Southern classic perfectly. The crunch of the steak + the creamy gravy is just the Bees knees.
Read on for the ins and outs of the recipe plus some answers to common questions.
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What Ingredients To You Need
- Cube steak
- Milk
- Oil
There are a few different names that this recipe can go by. We call it Chicken Fried Steak but others may call it Country Fried Steak.
The country gravy that goes over this steak is really what makes it over the top. Now Im a gravy person, mainly a country gravy person, Im not really big into that brown gravy stuffsorry.
But take the steak, deep fry it and pour some gravy over the top and use some for dipping and you have yourself something so comforting and perfect that you wont know what to do with yourself!
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak And Gravy:
For the steaks: If your cubed steak is more than ½ thick, youll want to pound it out until thin. This will provide additional tenderizing as well as allowing for more even cooking. Season cubed steaks lightly with salt and pepper.
On a plate, place ½ cup flour – set aside. In a shallow bowl, mix remaining ½ cup flour, saltine cracker crumbs, seasoned salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
In another shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
Dredge cubed steak in flour.
Then dip it in egg mixture.
Finally coat the steak with saltine cracker mixture.
Continue the same procedure for the rest of the steaks and place them on a large baking sheet.
Heat vegetable oil or shortening in a large pan over medium heat until oil reaches a temperature to 350 – 375F degrees.
Cook steak in 2 batches. Continue with the rest of the steaks. Remove steaks to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil.
For the sawmill gravy: Once steaks are finished cooking, remove excess oil from pan and add flour to pan Whisk and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk and cook until thick.
Whisk constantly and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour gravy over steaks.
Serve with mashed potatoes and your delicious creamy gravy!
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Tips For Making The Best Chicken Fried Steak
- Pound the steak thin. We use a meat hammer for this, but you could use a rubber mallet, a rolling pin, or even an empty wine bottle. A thin steak will cook quicker and be less chewy
- Press the flour into the meat. We dredge the steak cutlets in flour twice, first before, then after an egg wash. The first time you dredge the steaks into the flour, use the heel of your hand to really press it in. That way, the coating will adhere better.
- Spoon hot oil over the steaks in the pan. You don’t need to deep fry the chicken-fried steaks. You can easily shallow fry them in less oil. Help firm up the coating on top by spooning hot oil over the top before flipping the steaks.
- Use a warming oven. After you fry the steaks, keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you make the gravy.
Why Should I Use A Cast Iron Skillet
You can make Chicken Fried Steak in a regular skillet, but cast iron holds the heat and cooks the meat much faster. A cast iron skillet is also my go-to vessel for making cream gravy.
Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Gently place each breaded cube steak in the skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side. The oil should sizzle when cooking. If it’s not, turn up the heat. When the steaks look golden brown, remove the meat and place in a 13 X 9 casserole dish. Keep warm by covering with foil.
Sauté the sliced onion in skillet drippings for about 2 minutes until transparent. Drain onions and spoon over steaks in casserole dish. Cover with foil while you’re making the gravy.
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Chicken Fried Steak Origin
Now that you have some ideas of what goes with chicken fried steak, lets discover its origin story.
Its no secret that this comfort food is a Southern treat, quite similar to the breaded chicken fillet called milanesa.
However, the origin of chicken-fried steak is debatable, but historians do agree it came from German and Austrian immigrants who came to live in Texas in the 19th century.
Some speculate this dish was created to mimic the Austrian wiener schnitzel, which follows a similar recipe.
The Austrian version uses pork, dipped in eggs, then bread crumbs, then pan-fried to perfection.
This common cooking method used in the early 1800s made use of the more affordable, tough cuts of meat.
In order to improve the taste, the Austrians put spices in the breading before frying.
Today it is served with a creamy gravy and sides to complement the taste of the breaded chicken.
Although quite a number of Texas restaurants claim the dish came from the South, no evidence actually backs this up.
Either way, a trip to the South wouldnt be complete without a taste of the legendary chicken steak, served in most establishments.
In fact, restaurants serve it from breakfast to lunch, to dinner, and even make burgers and breakfast platters out of it.
Yukon Golds Make The Best Mashed Potatoes
Most people use starchy Russets for mashed potatoes. With their high starch and low water content, they’re good for baking, for making French fries, and for mashing. Here’s my secret thougheven better than Russets for mashing are Yukon Golds.
They’re a little more expensive than Russets, but worth it! They’re naturally creamy when mashed, never mealy, and have a slightly buttery flavor all on their own. Yukon golds make the most perfectly creamy, buttery mashed potatoes.
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Chicken Fried Steak With Gravy And Mashed Potatoes
This is my all time favorite Southern meal: Chicken fried steak with brown gravy and mashed potatoes. If youve never had this delicious meal, pull up a chair and let me share it with you. Chicken fried steak is a cube steak dipped in a buttermilk batter, followed by a dusting of flour, and then fried in a cast iron skillet. The drippings in the pan are then used to make brown gravy. Its traditionally served with mashed potatoes so that you can sop up the extra gravy.
Get Your Chicken Fried Steak Fix At One Of These Longstanding Houston
Briana Zamora-Nipper, Community Associate Producer
Trigger nostalgia and unrelenting fried food cravings in an instant with three simple words: Chicken fried steak. The beloved dish is a southern staple, a comfort food and a great unifier among us Houstonians. Regardless of where youre from or who you are, chances are youre likely to like chicken fried steak. After all, whats not to love? Seriously, who could actually resist the crispy golden crust, the tenderized beef and the sumptuous coat of peppercorn white gravy?
Safe to say, many a Houstonian has made cherished memories over a piping-hot plate of chicken fried steak. And if that chicken fried steak wasnt homemade it was cooked up at a local diner, cafeteria, hole-in-the wall or some other beloved off-the-beaten-path locale.
Listed chronologically by opening date, heres a look at the longstanding Houston-area restaurants that have been dishing out chicken fried steak for decades. Obviously, these Houston-area stalwarts do the humble dish justice. While some merely feature the delectable entrée on their menu, others have garnered national acclaim and enduring popularity for their take on the chicken fried steak. Note that several of the establishments listed below have been in business longer than half a century.
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What’s Served With Chicken Fried Steak
Serve this dish with a heaping pile of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli or Lemon Butter Asparagus. Now, that’s some good southern cooking!
If you give this recipe a whirl, be sure to leave a comment below telling me how it turned out. I’d love to hear from you!
- Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield:41x
How Do I Make Chicken Fried Steak With Gravy
OH the GRAVY is the best part, isnt it!?! Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post for the best gravy you ever put your tongue on.
You will use the drippings from the chicken fried steak and add flour, milk, salt and pepper and you will be in business in no time! See the photo?
The Secret to Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
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A Flavorful Breading The Secret To Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
The secret to a flavorful breading is SEASONING. It may seem that I am having you to LOAD the final breading up with a LOT of seasoning and I am. That is because there is a lot of stuff to overcome before the flavor ever gets on your tastebuds.
Just add the ingredients and mix it up and then make that the final dip for your steak before it goes in the oil.
The Secret to Perfect Chicken Fried Steak
How To Properly Season And Flavor
Every layer of this Chicken Fried Steak recipe is seasoned to perfection. The steaks are seasoned with salt and pepper, the flour mixture is seasoned with herbs and spices, and even the buttermilk and egg batter is seasoned with TABASCO® Sauce.
TABASCO® Sauce is a staple in our house and my oldest wants it with and in every.single.recipe. I love the extra flavor it adds to this recipe and if youre worried about it being spicy, dont. It really doesnt add any heat to the dish as much as it brings out the other flavors in the dish.
If you want to, you can always bump up the heat by adding in another teaspoon or so of TABASCO® Sauce, or, you can always just add a dash or two to the top of your steak. Thats how my Grandpa ate his and Reece and Chris do the same.
So, if youre not familiar with chicken fried steak or country fried steak, let me clear up any confusion
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Dallas: Ellen’s Southern Kitchen And Bar
Ellen’s Southern Kitchen and Bar features a chicken fried steak with perfectly spiced cream gravy that is the stuff every Texan’s dreams are made of.
Pair yours with their rich mashed potatoes, bacon-laced green beans, and a caramel macchiato that rivals a certain, very popular, coffee chain.
What Is A Good Side For Salisbury Steak
What to serve with Salisbury steak? I love to serve Salisbury steak with potatoes, noodles or even rice. To make this into a great family meal add in some vegetables like green beans, peas, roasted cauliflower or carrots to bring in some color and extra flavor. These have been our favorite family potatoes.
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If You Can Have Chicken Fingers Why Not Steak Fingers Too
John.e always makes the same dad joke every time McKenna wants chicken fingers. Chickens dont have fingers! She rolls her eyes. I either select chicken strips from her favourite fast food joint on the Uber Eats app, or make them from scratch. This is also where I remove myself from the conversation. A long time ago, I read somewhere that it doesnt matter whether you call them chicken tenders or chicken fingers. As long as theyre hot, taste good, and have great crunch. I agree!
Fact is, a chicken finger is a strip of chicken that is usually cut from a chicken breast. So, then wouldnt a steak finger be a strip of beef cut from a steak? I cant wait to hear that conversation after I prepare this dish or can I?
The 15 Best Places For Chicken Fried Steak In Albuquerque
Frances : Chicken fried steak with the green chile gravy FTW! The crab cakes were also delicious.
Ken Hicks: The Range Chicken is a must have as well as the Chicken fried steak with green Chile gravy! You cannot go wrong with either one!
Linda DeVlieg: The green is just right, especially this time of year.
Robert Nelson: Get the chicken fried steak, it’s awesome.
Roger Ma: Chicken fried steak!
Jessica Beavis: Best green chile cheese fries in ABQ.
Cynthia Bernyea: Chicken Fried steak Xmas style thee best!
Lynne Sturtevant: Very nice people. Delicious food. Hot, though.
Irby: Try the red chile and/or green chile stew. Truly amazing flavor and great spice!
Matt DeBack: Chicken Fried steak & biscuits to die for! Big plus for me is that it seems to be owned & ran by a veteran.
Admiral Duke: Their Green Chile Stew is AMAZING. Their fries are super tasty and always abundant. Nothing on the menu is ‘Typical.’ A unique and super tasty experience.
Tiffany Faneese: Super friendly
Lewis: Chicken fried steak is delicious
Antonio Reyna: Chicken Fried Steak, hands down…
Andrew: Warm and gooey and delicious. Get the monte cristo.
Jay man: The chicken fried steak and eggs are amazing. So is the service and atmosphere. Love this place.
Vicki Stetson: Good hearty food, EXCELLENT service, and crazy fast!!!!
Robynn Finn: Season 5 breaking bad scene! Very cool! Fast service and great breakfast!
luke davis: Order the sweet roll GRILLED! nom nom nom
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