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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Dinner

    Country Fried Steak

    Published: August 16, 2021 ยท Updated: August 14, 2021 ยท By: Krissy ยท 14 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Country Fried Steak, also known as Chicken fried steak, is a Southern food classic but is so easy to make at home. Tenderized round steak, or cube steak, is breaded and fried to a crispy golden brown. The pan drippings are used to make a flavorful creamy milk gravy to smother the steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes for a decadent comfort food dinner.

    Country Fried Steak covered in gravy

    Why this recipe is so great:

    • Pure comfort food. Sometime we all just need a breaded fried tender steak smothered in the most delicious gravy. Similar to fried chicken, but with beef!
    • Easy to make. Since nothing needs to be done in advance, this is a simple dinner that can be prepared any night of the week.

    Ingredients needed:

    Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    • Round steak: This is an inexpensive cut of meat. If you can find cube steak, which is essentially pre-tenderized round steak, it will save you a step in the recipe.
    • Coating: You'll be dipping the steak in a flour mixture with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper along with an egg wash buttermilk mixture.
    • Gravy: Along with the pan drippings and some butter, you'll add some flour, heavy cream, and milk to make the gravy.
    ingredients to make Country Fried Steak

    How to make Country Fried Steaks:

    Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    Prep the steaks:

    1. Pound: Place the round steaks in a resealable plastic bag and use a mallet to thin and tenderize the steaks. Plan on hitting them hard because this is a rather tough cut of meat.
    2. Prepare ingredients: Once all the steaks have been flattened, prepare the flour mixture and egg wash in flat bottom containers that are big enough to fit the entire steak.
    3. Coat steaks: Press the steaks into the flour mixture, then coat in the egg wash, and then coat in the flour mixture for a second time.
    • round steak in plastic bag
      place steak in bag
    • tenderized round steak in plastic bag
      pound until thin and tender
    • dishes with egg wash and flour
      prepare egg wash and seasoned flour
    • round steak in flour
      coat in flour mixture
    • round steak in egg wash
      cover in egg wash
    • breaded Chicken fried steak
      coat in flour mixture again

    Fry the steaks:

    1. Heat oil: Make sure the oil reaches 350ยฐF before adding the steak. Ideally this can be checked with a thermometer, however you can test by adding a pinch of flour. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready.
    2. Fry: Cook the steaks one at a time. Use tongs to place the steak in the oil, cook for two minutes, flip, cook for another two minutes, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
    3. Keep warm: Since the steaks are cooked one at a time, they need to be kept warm and crisp in the oven while the remaining steaks and gravy are cooked.
    • measuring oil temperature of 350ยฐF
      Heat oil to 350ยฐ F
    • Chicken fried steak just before flipping
      Fry for two minutes
    • frying Country Fried Steak
      Flip and fry two more minutes
    • keeping Country Fried Steak warm in toaster oven
      keep warm in oven

    Make the gravy:

    1. Add butter to drippings: Once all of the steaks are done cooking, discard excess drippings and add some butter.
    2. Roux: Add the flour to the oil butter mixture and whisk continuously until it thickens and turns golden brown.
    3. Add milk and cream: Combine the milk and cream and pour them into the roux, continually whisking. Once the gravy thickens, it is done and it can be seasoned with salt and pepper.
    • melting butter in pan drippings
      reduce drippings and add butter
    • roux made from pan drippings
      brown roux with flour
    • cream gravy made from pan drippings
      add milk and whisk until thick

    Recipe tips for perfect results:

    • Tenderizing and flattening steaks: If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a variety of objects including a rolling pin, wine bottle, the bottom of a heavy pan, or a rubber mallet. Round steaks are incredibly tough, however, and you have to pound much harder than you would a chicken breast. For that reason, I recommend a mallet and be prepared to hit hard. Continue pounding the roast until it doesn't "fight you back", meaning it feels tender when you hit it.
    • Keeping steaks warm: Since the country fried steaks are large enough to be cooked one at a time prior to cooking the gravy, preheat oven to 200ยฐF to keep steaks warm and crisp prior to serving.Use a wire rack over a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack to keep both sides crisp, but foil or a pan can be used. If your toaster oven is large enough, use that instead.
    • No need to deep fry:ย Restaurant versions of Chicken Fried Steak are deep fried. When cooking at home, you can use less oil by spooning the hot oil over the top of the steak prior to flipping it. This will ensure the steaks are equally browned on both sides.
    • Cook time: If the oil temperature is right, the steaks will cook for exactly two minutes on each side. For best results and to avoid forgetting about them, use a timer.
    • Temperature of oil: For best results, measure the temperature of the oil with a thermometer to verify it is at 350ยฐF. You can also verify it is hot enough by adding a small amount of flour. If it does not sizzle and turn golden brown, the oil is not hot enough. If it burns, or the oil starts to smoke, the oil is too hot. Oil temperature may tend to fluctuate during cooking process, so adjust heat as needed.
    • Reheating: For best results, store gravy and country fried steak separately before reheating. To reheat, wrap the steaks in foil and place in the oven or toaster oven at 300ยฐF until heated through. Remove from foil at the end to help crisp. Warm the gravy in the microwave at 50% power in 1 min increments or in a pot on the stove over low heat.
    • Nutritional information: Serving size is based on one whole steak with lots of gravy. Recipe makes plenty of gravy - enough to smother your steak as well as the mashed potatoes. You can easily get 8 servings out of this recipe by cutting the steaks in half.
    four Country Fried Steaks
    serve

    Serve this recipe with:

    • Mashed Potatoes - there's just no alternative when making Country Fried Steaks!
    • And a vegetable to balance it all out like Wilted Garlic Spinach or Garlic Parmesan Oven Roasted Asparagus.
    Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy

    If youโ€™ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

    You can also follow along on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes to satisfy any foodie craving!

    Chicken fried steak cut in half
    Country Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and gravy

    Country Fried Steak

    Country Fried Steak, also known as Chicken fried steak, is a Southern food classic but is so easy to make at home. Tenderized round steak, or cube steak, is breaded and fried to a crispy golden brown. The pan drippings are used to make a flavorful creamy milk gravy so you can smother the steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes for a decadent comfort food dinner.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Scale: 4 servings
    Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

    Ingredients

    Country Fried Steak:

    • 1 ยฝ pounds round steaks (or pre-tenderized cube steaks (4 steaks))
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 large eggs (beaten)
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to season meat)
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne
    • ยฝ cup Oil (peanut, olive, canola or avocado oil (amount will vary but you need enough to cover the bottom ยผ inch of your pan))

    Gravy:

    • ยผ cup pan drippings (reserved after making the country fried steak (roughly 4 Tablespoons))
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • ยผ cup all-purpose flour ((roughly 4 Tablespoons))
    • ยฝ cup heavy cream (can omit)
    • 2 cups whole milk (amount can vary depending on your preference )
    • Salt (to taste)
    • Freshly ground pepper

    Instructions

    Prepare the steaks:

    • Pound the steaks: Flattening one steak at a time, place steak into a large resealable plastic bag and use a meat tenderizer mallet to pound them to a uniform ยผ inch thickness.
      tenderized round steak in plastic bag
    • Sprinkle a little salt over both sides of each steak. Preheat oven to 200ยฐF.
    • Prep the coating: Using two flat bottomed dishes large enough to fit the tenderized steaks, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in one dish and combine the flour with the salt and seasonings in the other.
      dishes with egg wash and flour
    • Coat the steaks: Press both sides of each steak into the flour mixture. Shake off excess. Dredge both sides into the egg mixture. Shake off excess. Then, set steak in the flour mixture for a second time, ensuring that the entire surface is well coated by shaking it around. Flip to coat both sides, but take care not to pull off any coating. Transfer to a clean plate or large cutting board while you finish remaining steaks.
      breaded Chicken fried steak

    Fry the steaks:

    • Heat the pan: Over medium high heat, heat pan with oil until the oil reaches a temperature of 350ยฐF.
      measuring oil temperature of 350ยฐF
    • Cook steak: Carefully place one prepared steak in the hot oil. Use a large metal spoon to transfer excess hot oil in the pan to the top of the steak. Fry until you see the edges of the steak turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use tongs to carefully turn the steak in the pan and cook for another 2 minutes (no need to spoon hot oil on top of already cooked side).
      frying Country Fried Steak
    • Transfer to rack: Use tongs to lift fried steak out of pan and allow any excess oil to drip off. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease and then a wire rack placed over baking sheet and keep warm in preheated oven until all steaks and gravy are finished and ready to serve.
      keeping Country Fried Steak warm in toaster oven
    • Fry remaining steaks: Follow same process to cook remaining steaks and transfer each on to the rack in the oven to keep warm until done. Adjust heat, if needed, to maintain an oil temperature of 350ยฐF.

    Make the gravy:

    • Reduce amount of oil. Transfer all but ยผ cup of the drippings to a glass or metal bowl. Do not discard in case more is needed later. Add butter to pan.
      melting butter in pan drippings
    • Make the roux. Reduce heat under pan to medium low. Sprinkle the flour over the hot oil and whisk to combine. Flour should absorb all of the oil and will turn golden brown over the low heat when whisked continually. If mixture seems too greasy once mixed, add a bit more flour. If mixture is to dry, add additional reserved drippings. Cook about 5 minutes while continually whisking, until the roux is a light brown.
      roux made from pan drippings
    • Finish gravy: Combine milk and heavy cream. Slowly pour into roux, whisking the entire time. Continue to heat and whisk until gravy reaches desired consistency. If gravy doesn't thicken, slowly increase heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
      cream gravy made from pan drippings

    How to serve Country Fried Steak:

    • Serve each chicken fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes and smother everything with the warm gravy.

    Notes

    Tenderizing and flattening steaks: If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a variety of objects including a rolling pin, wine bottle, the bottom of a heavy pan, or a rubber mallet. Round steaks are incredibly tough, however, and you have to pound much harder than you would a chicken breast. For that reason, I recommend a mallet and be prepared to hit it hard. Continue pounding the roast until it doesn't "fight you back", meaning it feels tender when you hit it.
    Keeping steaks warm: Since the steaks are large enough that they will be cooked one at a time and then the gravy will be made, preheat oven to 200ยฐF to keep cook steaks warm and crisp prior to serving. Ideally they will be kept warm on a wire rack over a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack to keep both sides crisp, but they can also be set on foil or in a pan. If your toaster oven is large enough, use that instead.
    No need to deep fry:ย If you were to order Chicken Fried Steak at a restaurant, it will be deep fried. When cooking at home, you can use less oil by spooning the hot oil over the top of the steak prior to flipping it. This will ensure the steaks are equally browned on both sides.
    Temperature of oil: For best results, measure the temperature of the oil with a thermometer to verify it is at 350ยฐF. If you don't have a thermometer, you can verify it is hot enough by adding a small amount of flour. If it does not sizzle and turn golden brown, the oil is not hot enough. If it burns, or the oil starts to smoke, the oil is too hot. Oil temperature may tend to fluctuate during cooking process, so adjust heat as needed.
    Nutritional information: Serving size is based on one whole steak with lots of gravy. Recipe makes plenty of gravy - enough to smother your steak as well as the mashed potatoes. You can easily get 8 servings out of this recipe by cutting the steaks in half.

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 896kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 2027mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1291IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 8mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane

      January 23, 2023 at 2:21 pm

      Very delicious Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    2. Amy

      November 29, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      Very tasty!

      Reply
    3. lance

      August 25, 2022 at 6:45 pm

      All real southerners know Country Fried Steak is !!NOT!! the same as Chicken Fried Steak.

      Reply
    4. Nicci Bates

      April 04, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      Can you make these and freeze them cook from frozen like premade ones in the freezer aisle?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        April 12, 2022 at 5:46 am

        I don't think they would be super great reheated.

        Reply
      • Kim

        May 17, 2022 at 5:15 pm

        We use to freeze and take out as needed for a restaurant that I worked at and they turned out perfect. That was years ago so I donโ€™t know what exactly we used for the egg mixture though. Could always just try a couple n go from there good Luck ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
        • Kim

          May 17, 2022 at 5:17 pm

          We froze them uncooked. N thawed and cooked as needed sorry I forgot that๐Ÿ˜Š

          Reply
    5. Bethany

      March 15, 2022 at 6:47 pm

      My last response had a typo in it. It was supposed to say "chicken breasts" but gotta love autocorrect because it put "chicken breaststroke" ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคช๐Ÿ˜ฌ

      Reply
    6. Bethany

      March 15, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this tonight but used chicken breaststroke that I cut in half because they were too thick. I followed the directions to the end and it turned out AMAZINGLY GREAT! My family loved it and went back for more. This is definitely a keeper!

      Reply
      • Dottie

        August 25, 2022 at 9:16 am

        5 stars
        ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š I get some silly corrections too ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
    7. Gloria Eberhart

      February 03, 2022 at 7:48 am

      Can this recipe be prepared a day ahead?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        February 04, 2022 at 6:37 am

        The only thing I would do ahead of time is to pound/tenderize the meat.

        Reply
    8. Geri

      August 17, 2021 at 6:03 am

      Is there a good way to reheat these if there are left overs.

      Reply
      • Krissy

        August 18, 2021 at 4:28 am

        Yes! It's best if you store the gravy and country fried steak separately before reheating. You can wrap the steaks in foil and place in the oven or toaster oven at 300ยฐF until heated through. Remove from foil at the end to help crisp. Warm the gravy in the microwave at 50% power in 1 min increments or in a pot on the stove over low heat. Thanks for asking... I'll update the post with these recommendations.

        Reply

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