When you think of Texas, hearty, comforting food comes to mind, and few dishes capture this spirit better than crispy Chicken Fried Steak. This southern staple, with its golden brown, crunchy coating and creamy white gravy, is a dish that reflects the rich culinary traditions of Texas. Served at family dinners, diners, truck stops and even country fairs, chicken fried steak is more than just a meal. It’s a Texas classic that embodies the spirit of cooking and community.
Chicken fried steak, with its seasoned crispy coating, has roots in Southern cooking where breaded and fried meats are common. It is certainly a beloved dish in Texas and is often served with sides like mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and, of course, cream gravy.
Within Texas, there are regional variations of chicken fried steak, each adding its own twist to the dish. The one thing they all have in common is that they are all made with inexpensive cuts of beef making the dish economical to serve. In this post, we will show you how to make this delicious Texas dish.
Try my recipes for Chicken Fried Lobster, Texas Double-Cut Pork Chops - Brined, Smoked & Grilled and Lobster Tempura.
Ingredients
- Top-round steak
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Most chicken fried steak recipes use cube steak which is just tenderized round steak. They are typically run through a machine that makes a lot of small cuts in both side of the meat. The process tenderizes the meat by cutting the tough fibers. I’m not a fan of buying blade-tenderized meat because of past problems with properly cleaning the tenderizer. Some folks got sick. So, I opted for an un-tenderized top round steak instead.
If you go this route, you will need to tenderize the steak yourself or you will think you deep fried your shoe. That means that you need to use a meat tenderizer and beat the living daylights out of the meat. Some meat tenderizers look like medieval hammers while other look more like a big paperweight. They all have spikes that will penetrate the meat and break down the tough fibers.
Prepare the Meat
Place the steak on a plastic cutting board, cover it with several pieces of plastic wrap, and hit it with the spiky end of the meat mallet or tenderizer. Make sure to hit every square inch and hit it hard. Turn it over and do it again. Then repeat on each side. When you think you are done, hit it some more. The top-round should be about ¼” thick and full of small holes when finished. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
Prepare the Coating
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour with the paprika, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Dredge each piece of tenderized steak in the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring it’s well-coated. Gently shake off any excess flour. Dip it into the milk mixture, letting any excess drip off, and return it to the flour mixture for a second coating. This double breading is what makes a crispy, crunchy coating.
Cooks the Steaks
In a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, add ½” of oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat, to 300°F. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
Using a pair of tongs, carefully place one or two of the breaded steaks into the hot oil. Be careful, it will sizzle and spit hot oil. Fry the steaks in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook each steak for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.
Remove the cooked steaks and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Cook the remaining steaks. If you’re cooking multiple steaks, keep the cooked chicken fried steaks warm by placing them in a single layer on a wire rack in a preheated oven at 200°F.
Make the Gravy
After the beef is all cooked, carefully pour off the hot oil into a heat proof bowl. Retain any brown bits in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot oil back into the skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add the flour to the skillet and whisk continuously for 2 minutes until the mixture turns golden brown. Gradually whisk in the milk, making sure to break up any lumps. Continue to cook and stir until the gravy thickens and becomes creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve your crispy chicken fried steak hot, drizzled with cream gravy.
Storage
Leftover chicken fried steak can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in an oven at 300°F until warm.
Top Tip
While top round steak works for this dish, you can also use sirloin steak for a different texture and flavor. It still has to be tenderized the same way. Also, don’t skimp on seasoning the flour mixture. It’s the key to flavorful, well-seasoned chicken fried steak.
Final Thoughts
With this recipe, you’re ready to make authentic Texas chicken fried steak. Enjoy the crispy, golden brown steak with creamy gravy, and experience a true taste of Texas comfort food. Enjoy!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Fried Steak
- 1 ½ lbs top-round steak
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon paprika not smoked
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 each eggs beaten
- ½ cup whole milk
- vegetable oil for frying
Cream Gravy
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 tbs all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- black pepper freshly ground to taste
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Chicken Fried Steak
- Cut the top-round steak into four even pieces. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the beef with the spiky end. Hit every square inch on both sides multiple times until the meat is ¼" thick. Season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat ½" oil to 300°F.
- Mix the flour, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper together in bowl. Then transfer the mixture to an 8X8 or 9X13 pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs then add the milk. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a second 8X8 or 9X13 pan.
- Dip a piece of beef in the flour mixture and coat both sides. Then, carefully dip both sides of the beef in the egg mixture and then back into the flour mixture. Coat the remaining pieces of beef.
- Gently place one or two pieces of beef into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Use tongs to turn the pieces of beef over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove the beef and drain on a paper towels. If cooking multiple steaks, keep them warm on a wire rack in a 200°F oven.
Gravy
- After the beef is all cooked, carefully pour off the hot oil into a heat proof bowl. Retain any brown bits in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot oil back into the skillet and heat over medium-low heat.
- Add the flour to the skillet and whisk continuously for 2 minutes until the mixture turns golden brown.
- Add the milk and stir to combine. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: Cream gravy needs a lot of salt.
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