How to Make Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy Recipe with Mashed Potatoes

How to Make Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy Recipe with Mashed Potatoes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

 

Learn how to make chicken-fried steak & gravy, understand the difference between chicken-fried steak vs country-fried steak, and get a simple mashed potatoes recipe.

by Rita Heikenfeld

I couldn’t resist the pack of four cube steaks on sale at the grocery. It took me back in time to my mom’s kitchen. Growing up in a large family with a meager food budget, we didn’t have steak regularly. But, occasionally, my mom served chicken-fried steak made from cube steaks for dinner. She prepared the steaks like fried chicken, thus the name. We thought we were dining like gourmets!

Back then, chicken-fried steak was a much-loved staple and a blue plate special in local diners.

how-to-make-chicken-fried-steak-gravy

Chicken-fried steak is enjoying a resurgence of sorts, partly due to the cost of beef and also, I think, to nostalgia. There’s something so comforting about sitting down to chicken-fried steak smothered with cream gravy and served with sides of mashed potatoes and corn.

What’s in a Name?

Just what is chicken-fried steak? What cut of meat is used to make cube steak? How is it different from country-fried steak? What about the gravy — should it be white or golden brown?

Chicken-fried steak is most often made with leaner, less tender, top round or top sirloin steak that’s machine tenderized. After the meat is run through the tenderizing machine, it comes out with little indentations, sort of like dimpled cubes.

Chicken-Fried Steak vs Country-Fried Steak

Yes, they’re both from the same cut of meat and go through the identical tenderizing process. Many folks use the names interchangeably, but there are slight differences in how the steaks are prepared and served.

floured-steak

Chicken-fried steak is usually topped with cream gravy, while country-fried steak is mainly topped with darker brown gravy and cooked onions. My chicken-fried steak gravy turns more golden than light-colored since I use my cast iron skillet to make the steaks and gravy. The retained heat in the skillet allows the gravy to darken a bit.

Crispier Topping

Chicken-fried steak has a crispier topping than country-fried due to the amount of leavening in the flour coating and the fat used to fry the steak.

I’m sharing a recipe for chicken-fried steak that my whole family enjoys. I’ve given detailed instructions so you’ll have success making it.

crispy-chicken-fried-steak

In addition to the recipe for chicken-fried steak, I hope you’ll try the garlic mashed potatoes to go alongside. And, of course, some buttered corn!

Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy Recipe

I use my heirloom cast iron skillet to fry the steaks. The retained heat turns the gravy golden brown.

Steak Ingredients:

  • Canola oil for frying
  • 4 cube steaks
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1-1/4 cups buttermilk or milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional but good)

Gravy Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup drained fat from frying steaks
  • 1/4 cup reserved flour mixture
  • 2-1/2 cups milk or half milk and half water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
chicken-fried-steak-seasonings

Steak Instructions:

  1. Lay steaks on cutting board and place plastic wrap over them.
  2. Pound gently all over with a mallet to tenderize. Set aside.
  3. Pour cornstarch in shallow dish.
  4. Whisk together buttermilk and egg. Pour into shallow bowl.
  5. Whisk together flour, salt, paprika, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, baking powder, and cumin. Pour into shallow dish.
  6. Take steaks, one at a time, and dip into cornstarch, patting cornstarch on to make sure meat is well-coated.
  7. Dip each coated steak into buttermilk/egg mixture. Let excess drip off.
  8. Press each steak into flour mixture. Flip and press mixture on until it’s thickly coated. Save whatever seasoned flour you have left to thicken gravy.
  9. Place on wire rack to sit a few minutes for coating to adhere.
  10. Fill a cast iron or heavy skillet with 1/4-inch or so of oil. Heat to 350 degrees F. (A cube of bread will turn golden quickly when proper temperature is reached.)
  11. Fry steaks about 2 minutes on each side. Be careful — they fry up quickly.
  12. Place on wire rack, tented lightly with foil while making gravy.

Yield: 4 servings

Gravy Instructions:

  1. Drain fat from skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of oil and as much of the solid pieces left on bottom as possible.
  2. Turn heat to medium-low and add reserved oil.
  3. Whisk 1/4 cup of remaining flour mixture into oil and cook until mixture starts to bubble a bit.
  4. Pour in milk and increase heat to medium. Cook, whisking often, until as thick as you like, about 5 minutes. Season to taste.
  5. Pour over steaks and serve.

Mashed Potato Tips

What Potato is Best for Mashing?

Depends on what you like and have on hand. Russet and Idaho potatoes cook up fluffy, while Yukon Golds have a decent starch content and a buttery flavor.

simple-mashed-potatoes-recipe

To Peel or Not

You can leave a bit of peel on Yukon potatoes since their skin is thin. Russet and Idaho potatoes have tough skins, so I like to peel those off.

Simple Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Smashing garlic cloves allows garlic flavor to penetrate but not overwhelm the potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tablespoon salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1/2 cup butter, cut up
  • 3/4 cup or so whole milk, warm
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Put potatoes, garlic, and salt in a saucepan.
  2. Pour cold water over to cover by 1 inch.
  3. Cover pan and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 12 minutes.
  4. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir until dry.
  5. Add butter and stir gently until melted.
  6. Pour in milk and mash potatoes as smooth as you like. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Top with more butter if you want.

Yield: 4 servings

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Rita Heikenfeld comes from a family of wise women in tune with nature. She’s a certified modern herbalist, culinary educator, author, and national media personality. Most important, she’s a wife, mom, and grandma. Rita lives on a little patch of heaven overlooking the East Fork River in Clermont County, Ohio. She’s a former adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she developed a comprehensive herbal course. AboutEating.com column: rita@ommunitypress.com


Originally published in the May/June 2024 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

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