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Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Fried Steak

Crispy, golden-breaded cubed steak finished in the oven and topped with a creamy, peppered milk gravy. Ready in about 32 minutes, this makes a hearty family dinner or comfort-food weeknight meal.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:23 minutes
Total Time:32 minutes
Course: Dinner
Keyword: Chicken Fried Steak, cubed steak

Equipment

  • large heavy-duty skillet (3–4 inches deep)
  • baking sheet
  • baking rack
  • deep-dish pie plates (or shallow dishes) for breading
  • large plate or rimmed baking tray
  • medium saucepan
  • whisk

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups peanut oil enough to come up at least 1 inch in your skillet
  • 2 pounds beef steak pieces cubed, room temperature, six 5 ounce pieces
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon season salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a baking rack on a large baking sheet tray and very lightly spray the rack with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Heat 2-3 cups peanut oil in a large heavy-duty skillet (at least 3 to 4 inches deep) over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. While the oil heats, prepare the steaks for breading.
  3. Set up a breading station by whisking 1/4 cup milk and 4 large eggs together in one dish.
  4. In a second dish, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoons season salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper; stir to combine.
  5. Dip each cubed steak piece first into the flour mixture to lightly coat both sides, then into the egg mixture on both sides, and finally back into the flour mixture so each piece begins and ends with flour. Place breaded pieces on a large plate or rimmed baking tray and repeat until all pieces are breaded.
  6. Very carefully place 2 to 3 breaded pieces (depending on skillet size) into the hot oil and cook about 1 ½ minutes on each side, or until a light golden brown. The steaks will finish cooking in the oven and may darken slightly while baking.
  7. Remove the golden brown pieces from the oil, allow excess oil to drip off, and transfer the pieces to the prepared baking rack on the sheet tray.
  8. Repeat frying and transferring in batches until all pieces are fried.
  9. Place the sheet tray with the fried cubed steak into the oven and bake for 20 minutes to finish cooking.
  10. While the steaks bake, make the gravy: in a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, whisk in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook on medium for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is a pale gold. Slowly pour in 4 cups whole milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
  11. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the gravy and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Once thickened, turn off the heat.
  12. Plate each chicken fried steak piece and top with the prepared gravy.

Notes

If cubed steak isn’t available, thin slices of sirloin are a great alternative. Tenderize them with a meat mallet, then follow the usual recipe steps.
This recipe scales easily. Reduce ingredients for smaller families, keeping oil quantity consistent with skillet size, or increase for larger groups.
Use peanut oil for frying to benefit from its high smoke point, which prevents burning. Maintain oil at around 350°F; note that frequent frying may darken the oil.
Finish cooking your chicken fried steak in the oven. It might darken slightly but will be thoroughly cooked.