Disclosure: Please note that some of the link in this post are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those link.
Craig has been begging me to make Chicken Fried Steak for years. His mom and Granny used to make it for him when he was a kid. Not having a real connection with Chicken Fried Steak it took me awhile to put this one on the meal plan, but I finally caved in.
As I searched my cookbook library for the best one it came down to 2 recipes. The first one was a fancied up version, my choice of course, but somehow I knew Craig wouldn’t go for it. Nope he wanted the second choice, the good old fashioned southern-style chicken fried steak with cream gravy.
Now I am a brown gravy type of girl, the white cream gravy has just never done it for me, but Craig was okay with letting my pick the gravy for this one so I chose an onion gravy, which came out brown! Score!!!
This Chicken Fried Steak definitely hit the spot for both me and Craig. Just like his mom and Granny used to make for him!
Adapted by Mary from Texas Eats by Rob Walsh
Southern Style Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
SEASONED FLOUR
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
- 1 quart peanut oil, for frying
- 2 cups Seasoned Flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 12 tenderized eye-of-round steaks, about 3 pounds total
ONION GRAVY
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 5 tablespoons Seasoned Flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
SEASONED FLOUR
- Stir together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside 5 tablespoons of flour to use for the Onion Gravy.
CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
- Preheat an oven to 200 degrees. Pour enough oil in a cast iron skillet to come up about 1 inch and heat oil to 370 degrees. While the oil is heating, put 2 cups Seasoned Flour in a pie dish or shallow bowl. In a separate pie dish or shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Dip each steak in the flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip it into the buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off and then dip again in the flour, evenly coating the batter so it is dry on the outside.
- Slide 2 or 3 steaks into the hot oil, but be sure not to overcrowd the pan. The temperature will fall as soon as the steaks are added to the oil so adjust your heat accordingly. As the steaks cook try to keep the temperature around 350 degrees. If the oil gets too hot the steaks will burn before they are cooked, if the oil is not hot enough the batter will be soggy. You may have to wait for the oil to come back to temperature before adding the next batch. Cook the steaks for 3 to 5 minutes, until the batter is crisp and brown and meat is cooked, flipping once while cooking. Using a wire skimmer, transfer the steaks to paper towels to drain and keep warm in a preheated oven until all the batches are done.
ONION GRAVY
- Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion is soft. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the onion has caramelized, about 15 minutes, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Whisk the flour into the onion and continue to cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and light brown in color. Slowly add the milk while still whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until free of lumps. Add the salt and Worcestershire sauce and simmer, stirring often for about 10 minutes, until the gravy has thickened. Serve the steaks with gravy and enjoy.
You May Also Like:
Homemade Bacon-Ranch Tator Tots
Beer Battered Onion Rings
Southern Shrimp And Grits
The Hungry Mum
Sunday 25th of October 2015
Have never heard of chicken fried steak but I know my whole family would be in hog heaven I served up this for dinner!
Mary
Sunday 25th of October 2015
Chicken Fried Steak is a big thing here in Texas! Thanks for the comment.