To cook chicken fried steak, you cook the chicken fried steak by shallow frying the chicken fried steak for 4 to 10 minutes, or roughly 2 to 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat of 350 F to 375 F until it's golden brown.
A cast iron skillet is best for cooking chicken fried steak, although any skillet will work.
The coating should also be a deep golden brown and the meat should also reach an internal temperature of at least 145 F.
Avoid overcrowding the skillet and fry only 1 to 2 chicken fried steaks at a time and allow the breaded chicken fried steaks to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you fry them to help the breading stick and drain on a wire rack if possible, instead of paper towels to keep the bottom crispy.
You can also air fry the chicken fried steaks at 370 F for 6 to 8 minutes or bake the chicken fried steaks at 400 F for 10 to 12 minutes.
To make homemade chicken fried steak you use tenderized cube steak, and then bread the tenderized cube steak and pan fry it until it's golden and serve it with a rich, creamy white gravy.
The key steps in making homemade chicken fried steak are pounding the meat, using a seasoned flour-egg-flour dredging process and then shallow fry it in a skillet.
The ingredients for the steak and breading for the chicken fried steak includes.
4-6 (4 oz) cube steaks, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder (optional, for lift) ,1 tsp baking soda (optional), 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 large eggs1 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp hot sauce (optional) Vegetable oil or lard for frying.
The ingredients for the cream gravy for chicken fried steak includes.
Reserved pan drippings, ¼ cup flour, 2–3 cups milk or heavy cream, Salt and black pepper to taste.
Prepare the Steaks by pounding the cube steaks with a meat tenderizer to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Set Up Dredging Station and bowl by mixing flour, baking powder, baking soda, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Bowl 2: Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce.
Bread the Steaks: Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then dip into the buttermilk mixture, and coat again in flour, pressing hard to make the breading adhere.
Let the breaded steaks rest for 10–15 minutes to prevent the coating from falling off.
Heat 1/4-inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350°F (175°C).
Fry steaks (do not overcrowd) for 3–5 minutes per side until golden brown.
Drain by removing to a paper towel-lined plate.
To make the gravy pour off excess oil, leaving about 1/4 cup fat and browned bits in the skillet.
Whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk, cooking over medium heat until thick, about 6–7 minutes.
Season with plenty of black pepper.
Serve immediately, topped with gravy.
The reason why it's called chicken fried steak is because of the way it's prepared, which uses the standard breading procedure of dredging the chicken in flour, dipped in egg and buttermilk and then dredged again, which is similar to how fried chicken is prepared.
Chicken fried steak is made with beef and not chicken, even though it has chicken in it's name.
The chicken fried part in chicken fried steak, essentially just means the way it's prepared, which is tenderized cubed steak that is breaded and then fried exactly like you would Southern fried chicken.
The meat in chicken fried steak is almost always made of tenderized cube steak or even round steak.
The beef for chicken fried steak is breaded in flour and seasonings and then dipped in egg/buttermilk, and fried until it's crispy.
Chicken fried steak is also traditionally served with a creamy white pepper gravy.
And while the chicken fried steak is deep fried, there's also a similar dish called "country fried steak", which is often pan fried and served with brown gravy.
If the dish is made using chicken, it's called chicken fried chicken and not chicken fried steak.
The steak for chicken fried steak is prepared using the "standard breading procedure" (dredged in flour, dipped in egg/buttermilk, and dredged again) similar to how fried chicken is prepared.
The frying method for chicken fried steak also creates a crunchy exterior and a tender interior, mimicking the texture of fried chicken.
And although the names and terms are often used interchangeably, "chicken-fried" steak is typically battered and deep-fried, while "country-fried" steak is often lightly dredged in flour and pan-fried with brown gravy.
Also it is widely believed that German and Austrian immigrants brought their, traditional recipes for Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal cutlets) to Texas in the 19th century.
Due to the availability of beef in Texas, they had adapted the dish to use steak instead of veal.
And the first known use of the term "chicken fried steak" in print appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette in 1914.
While chicken fried steak is popular across the South, it is a staple of Texas cuisine, with Lamesa, Texas, claiming to be its birthplace.