This country fried steak is the ultimate comfort food: crispy, tender cube steaks fried to golden brown perfection, then smothered in a rich and creamy peppered gravy. It’s a southern down-home classic that never goes out of style and makes for a hearty dinner your whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love This Country Fried Steak Recipe
- Crispy fried steaks with juicy, tender centers
- A creamy, peppery gravy made from flavorful pan drippings
- Easy recipe perfect for Sunday supper or an easy weeknight dinner
- Pairs great with side dishes like mashed potatoes, fried okra, or green beans
What You’ll Need
- Tenderized cube steaks – also called minute steaks or round steak
- Buttermilk – tenderizes the meat and adds tang
- Large eggs – helps the coating stick
- Hot sauce – adds a little kick to the egg mixture
- All-purpose flour – for dredging the steaks
- Cornstarch – adds extra crispiness
- Cajun seasoning – for flavor and heat
- Garlic powder – brings depth to the flour mixture
- KosherSalt – seasons the steak and flour
- Black pepper – in both the steak and gravy
- Cayenne pepper – optional for added spice
- Celery salt – a unique touch that deepens flavor
- Neutral oil – for deep frying, like canola or vegetable
- Pan drippings – saved from frying to build the gravy
- Seasoned flour – reserved from dredging for the gravy base
- Chicken broth – adds richness to the gravy
- WholeMilk – for the creamy texture
- Salt – to taste
How to Make Country Fried Steak
- In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce. Add cube steaks, cover, and marinate at least 30 minutes.
- In another shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, celery salt, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of this seasoned flour for the gravy.
- Remove steaks from marinade, shaking off excess. Dredge in seasoned flour, pressing in to coat well. Let rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes so the coating adheres.
- Heat neutral oil in a large skillet to 350°F over medium-high heat. Carefully place steaks into hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet with rack to drain. Keep warm in a low oven. Do not put paper towel in oven.
- Pour off excess oil, leaving 4 tablespoons in the pan. Sprinkle in reserved seasoned flour. Whisk and cook over medium heat until golden and bubbling.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth, followed by milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Season with salt and coarse black pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened to creamy gravy consistency.
- Serve steaks hot, topped with plenty of cream gravy.
Tips
- Use a meat mallet or meat tenderizer if your steaks aren’t already tenderized
- Letting the dredged steaks rest on a wire rack helps prevent the coating from falling off. Very Important!
- For best results and crispy coating, maintain oil temperature at 350°F while frying. Do not overcrowd pan!
- For brown gravy, just use all broth and no milk.
- Use a very coarse black pepper for the gravy to really elevate the flavor.
FAQs
What cut of beef is used for country fried steak?
Typically tenderized cube steaks, which are often made from round steak.
What’s the difference between country fried steak and chicken fried steak?
To me, there’s no difference. Sometimes I say country fried, sometimes chicken fried!
Can I deep fry instead of pan-fry?
Yes, just make sure to use a high smoke point oil and maintain 350°F.
What are good side dishes?
Mashed potatoes, fried okra, coleslaw, green beans, or cornbread all pair perfectly.
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Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy
This classic country fried steak is made with tenderized cube steak, fried to golden perfection, and smothered in a creamy peppered gravy made from pan drippings. It’s an easy, hearty Southern favorite the whole family will love.
Ingredients
For the Steaks and Marinade
- 4 tenderized cube steaks
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp celery salt
- Neutral oil for frying
For the Gravy:
- 4 tbsp oil from frying
- 4 tbsp reserved seasoned flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce. Marinate cube steaks for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, and seasonings. Reserve 1/4 cup of seasoned flour.
- Dredge steaks, press to adhere. Rest on wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Heat oil to 350°F. Fry steaks 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
- In skillet, whisk oil and reserved flour until golden.
- Slowly whisk in broth, then milk. Bring to a boil, then lower heat.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer until thick.
- Pour gravy over steaks and serve hot.
