The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak Recipe with Gravy (2024)

TheUltimate Chicken Fried Steak is fried to golden perfection and topped with the creamiest gravy you can imagine, sure to quickly become a family favorite. It’s hard to imagine a more quintessential Southern meal than Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy. The hard part is deciding whether you want to make it for breakfast or dinner. My family can’t get enough of these tender steaks with that delightful crispy, crunchy coating. And the gravy? Heaven!

Enjoy this amazing dinner with some of my Nana’s green beans andthe BEST dinner rolls.

Sponsored by TABASCO® Brand.

Chicken Fried Steak

I figured it was high time I share one of my all-time favorite recipes with you guys. I have been eating this Southern food classic for as long as I can remember. My Nana is the first one that introduced me to this delightful recipe. (Big shocker there – she basically introduced me to all of my favorites…) This recipe is an adaptation of hers – or, at least, as I remember it and I’m pretty sure she’d agree, that this really is the best chicken fried steak recipe out there.

Chicken Fried Steak: Breakfast or Dinner?

There is nothing quite like chicken fried steak when it comes to versatility. We love serving it for dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and my Nana’s Green Beans to even it all out… 😉 Orrr, if it’s brunch we’re craving, serving this yumminess with a couple sunny side up eggs and hash browns always does the trick.

My boys almost always order chicken fried steak when we’re out for breakfast but the thing is, it’s incredibly easy to make at home! Now, I’ve tried lots of subpar recipes in my lifetime but trust me, this is not one of them.

I’ve developed the ULTIMATE recipe that goes just perfectly with a rich, creamy gravy that that little ole steak is just begging to be smothered in.

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 (the original is our favorite) and my oldest wants it with and in every.single.recipe. I love the extra flavor it adds to this recipe and if you’re worried about it being spicy, don’t. It really doesn’t 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. That’s how my Grandpa ate his and Reece and Chris do the same.

So, if you’re not familiar with chicken fried steak or country fried steak, let me clear up any confusion…

Why is it called Chicken Fried Steak?

Chicken Fried Steak is not made with chicken. Period. No chicken to be found. It’s called this because the steak is breaded and fried much like you would a piece of chicken. Chicken Fried Steak is made with cube steak that you find already tenderized at your grocery store.

The steak is dredged in a seasoned flour mixture, dipped in a buttermilk and egg mixture and then back into the flour one last time. Finally, it’s fried to golden perfection and topped with the creamiest, tastiest gravy you’ve ever tried. Some might even say that the gravy is the best part 🙂

Don’t Forget the Gravy!

There are a few secrets to the best Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.

1. Do NOT scrape the skillet. Leave all of that goodness in there. Simply remove the grease and add back in just enough to make the creamy gravy.
2. Let the flour cook and brown before adding liquids. This builds up flavor and removes that raw flour taste.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk AND cream (yes, I use a little cream in this gravy… 😉 ) This keeps lumps from forming and you end up with a smooth, creamy Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.
4. Season at the end. My gravy usually doesn’t need any additional salt but I add LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.

Now, I go into detail in my instructions below but I want to highlight a few steps here that I want you to pay close attention to before making this recipe.

Tips for the Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

• There is no need to deep fry. I shallow fry to golden perfection with a cup of oil – or less. I prefer to use vegetable oil.
• A heavy skillet works best. I use my favorite cast iron skillet but any large, heavy bottomed skillet will work.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. EVER. Two at a time is the way to go. Preheat your oven to 225-250F to keep it warm and crispy while you’re making the gravy.
• Buttermilk keeps the steaks nice and tender and the TABASCO® Sauce adds loads of flavor without being overly spicy. I make mine with about 2 teaspoons but you can go up to 4 teaspoons if you want to up the ante. I like to keep it relatively calm and my family can add a couple of dashes on top if they like.

• You’ll notice the baking soda and baking powder in the breading. This gives it a perfectly crispy coating that you won’t find in other recipes.
• After breading the cube steaks, really press the flour in. You want the steaks to be completely coated with the breading.
• Do not flip the steaks more than once. Wait until they are nice and golden brown before flipping. You don’t want to disturb that crunchy coating.

Refer to the video if you have any more questions or leave me a comment below. I’d love to know what you think when you give it a try!

Favorite Family Dinners

1. Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
2. The BEST Turkey Meatballs
3. Easy Stuffed Shells
4. Crockpot Chili
5. Tater Tot Casserole

How To Make Chicken Fried Steak