Chicken Fried Steak - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

Sink your teeth into this incredibly flavorful and crispy Chicken Fried Steak, smothered in a creamy white gravy. Each bite is pure comfort food perfection that will have your guests coming back for more.

Chicken Fried Steak

If you want savory steak with the crispiest coating covered in a white pepper gravy, then you’re ready to experience my incredible Chicken Fried Steak. This classic Southern dish features tender cube steak, breaded to golden perfection and smothered in a rich gravy so good you’ll be sopping it up when your steak is gone. Get ready to wow your tastebuds, your guests, and yourself. Let’s make some steak.

The Best Steak for Frying

Cube steak is the perfect cut for chicken fried steak. The tenderizing process creates tiny pockets that soak up the flavors of the breading and gravy. When fried, the exterior becomes super crunchy while the interior stays juicy and tender. The texture alone will have you coming back for bite after bite. If you can’t find cube steak, you can use a meat mallet or rolling pin to tenderize a top round or sirloin steak, then slice it into thin cutlets.

Breading for Steak

The key to a perfectly crispy and flavorful chicken fried steak lies in the breading. We’ll be using a two-step wet and dry dredging process. First, we’ll start with a seasoned flour mixture that includes:

After coating the steaks in this savory mixture, we’ll dip them in a wet dredge of buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce. The buttermilk tenderizes the meat while adding tangy flavor, the eggs help the flour mixture stick, and the hot sauce gives a subtle kick of heat. Finally, we’ll return the steaks to the flour mixture for a last coat to ensure a shatteringly crisp crust.

Chicken Fried vs Country Fried

While often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between chicken fried steak and country fried steak. Chicken fried steak typically uses a flour-based breading, while country fried steak may use breadcrumbs or crushed crackers. Most argue the difference lies in the gravy. Chicken fried steak is usually served with a peppery white gravy, while country fried steak comes with a brown gravy. Both dishes are fried to deliciousness and guaranteed to satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

Chicken Fried Gravy

No chicken fried steak is complete without a generous helping of white, pepper gravy. This gravy is a simple mixture, made from your frying lard, dry dredge, and a couple easy ingredients:

Serve your steaks with a hearty spoonful (or more) of this incredible gravy for the full chicken fried experience. Be sure to have sides on hand, because once you taste this gravy, you’ll want to smother everything in it. If you prefer a brown gravy, you can substitute beef broth for the half and half, and add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor.

How to Make Chicken Fried Steak

Now that your mouth is watering, let’s dive into how to make this crispy, flavor-packed dish in a just a few simple steps:

Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

Don’t be too chicken to try this recipe, and don’t be surprised when this one-of-a-kind comfort food becomes a favorite with all your friends and family. If you want to learn how to truly master this crowd-pleasing cut of beef, then be sure to check out our steak class in The Grill Squad.

If you still can’t get enough BBQ in your life, then be sure to follow Hey Grill Hey on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. We’re always sharing new recipes, tips, and tricks, to help you become the backyard BBQ hero to feed the ones you love.