Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy (Extra Crispy)
This extra-crispy chicken fried steak uses a cornstarch-flour dredge that stays crunchy even under a blanket of peppery cream gravy. It's the kind of Southern comfort food worth fighting over — and the leftovers make an incredible sandwich the next day.
Ingredients
Cream Gravy Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper this makes a boldly peppery gravy — reduce to 1 teaspoon for a milder version
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ cups whole milk warmed slightly
Chicken Fried Steak Ingredients
- 2 pieces tenderized round steaks 6–8 oz each (170–225g each)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning adjust to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 2-3 tablespoons water just enough to thin out the eggs
- 2-3 cups vegetable or peanut oil for shallow frying, enough for ½ inch depth
Instructions
Cream Gravy Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt, pepper, and onion powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the flour and whisk it in. Let it cook just a minute to toast the flour slightly. Keep whisking, so it does not burn!
- Add the warmed milk gradually, about ½ cup at a time, whisking constantly. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it becomes too thick, whisk in a splash more milk. Once the gravy is thickened but not too thick, you can take it off the heat and place a lid on it. Turn the burner back on to low a few minutes before you pull your last steak out of the pan to warm it up.
Chicken Fried Steak instructions
- Pour oil into a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan to a depth of ½ inch. Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F / 175°C. Preheat your oven to 170°F / 75°C (or the lowest warm setting) and place a wire rack over a sheet pan inside.
- In a pie pan or shallow dish, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Taste the dredge — it should be noticeably seasoned. The cornstarch helps create a crisp crust that stays crunchy.
- In a separate shallow dish, whisk the eggs with 2–3 tablespoons of water until smooth.
- Once your oil reaches 350°F / 175°C, you can start coating the steaks. Place the steak in the flour dredge first, then into the egg mixture, and again into the flour dredge.
- Place no more than 2 steaks into the pan at once, and you may have to cook one at a time if your pan is small. Don’t overcrowd or they will not cook properly.
- Fry for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature reaches 160°F / 71°C. Remove when both sides are done and keep warm in the oven until all the steaks are finished. Cover in cream gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and corn.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 2945kcalCarbohydrates: 142gProtein: 26gFat: 255gSaturated Fat: 54gPolyunsaturated Fat: 128gMonounsaturated Fat: 60gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 363mgSodium: 2515mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1920IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 308mgIron: 7mg
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