Classic Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy

Who better than Ree Drummond to give us a classic recipe, flavorful and easy.

This is a favorite in my family, for sure.   Enjoy!
~Shelly








Ingredients

Chicken Fried Steak:   6 servings

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pounds Harter House Tenderized Cube Steak 

Kosher salt

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

Gravy:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 to 4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. For the steak: Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
2. Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, place it back in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it's ready. (It should not brown right away, if it does, the fire is too hot.) Cook the meat, 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
4. After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.
5. For the gravy: When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Add more flour if it looks overly greasy; add a little more grease if it becomes too pasty/clumpy. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden brown color.
6. Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned.
7. Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes.
   Pour gravy over the whole shebang! 

Find this recipe and a video demonstration at

TheFoodNetwork.com

My Favorite Chicken Fried Steak

This was always a favorite dinner at my house. 
And they are on sale this week.
Comfort food for sure.
~Shelly

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. Two at a time is the way to go. Preheat your oven to 225-250 F 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.

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.

Ingredients

Harter House tenderized cube steaks (about 1/3 lb each)  On Sale this week, July 9 - 15, 2025
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsps TABASCO® Sauce (original)
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

• 4 tbsp grease
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 to 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk , TABASCO® Sauce, and eggs. Set aside.
• Pat cube steaks dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat dry again with paper towel.
• Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then once again in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. 
• Place breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any of the remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks making sure that the entire steak is completely coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 225 to 250 F.
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. How much oil you need depends on the size of your skillet. You want it to be about 1/4-inch deep. We aren't deep frying the steaks, just shallow frying. 
• Test the oil by dropping a bit of the breading into in. The oil should sizzle and bubble around the breading. Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking - about 320-340 degrees F. Now we're ready to fry.
• Place two steaks into the pan at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Do not flip more than once or the breading will fall off. Do not fry more than two steaks or the pan will be too crowded and the breading will fall off. 
• Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven. Turn skillet heat to medium.

Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

• Pour the remaining grease into a heat safe bowl or glass measuring cup (I used my Pyrex). Do NOT scrape the skillet clean. We want all of those bits of yumminess to remain in the skillet so they can flavor the gravy.
• Add back in 4 tablespoons of the grease to the hot skillet.
• Whisk in flour and continue whisking for two to three minutes or until nice and golden brown.
• Combine the cream and milk and slowly drizzle in about 2 1/2 cups into the skillet, whisking constantly. It might look a little crazy right at the beginning, but it will all come together.
• Continue whisking and bring the gravy to a simmer. Cook until the gravy is smooth and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the gravy gets too thick, add in a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Mine didn't need any salt but LOTS of pepper!)
• Serve chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and your favorite green veggies. ENJOY!

This recipe from; momontimeout.com