Chicken-Fried Steak With White Gravy

By
Andrea Lynn
Andrea Lynn
Food writer, recipe developer, and personal chef who has authored four cookbooks. She focuses on Southern cuisine, soul food, and spices.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/17/21
Chicken-Fried Steak With White Gravy

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1056 Calories
60g Fat
63g Carbs
64g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1056
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 60g 76%
Saturated Fat 19g 94%
Cholesterol 280mg 93%
Sodium 657mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 64g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 339mg 26%
Iron 7mg 37%
Potassium 1014mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you are from Texas, the birthplace of this dish, you may think the name of this recipe is redundant since chicken-fried steak always comes with a creamy, peppery white gravy. This traditional Southern dish distinguishes itself from another classic recipe, country-fried steak, by the color of the gravy—country-fried is topped with brown gravy, while chicken-fried is often served with the white gravy on the side to preserve the crispy texture of the meat. And don't be fooled by the name; there is no chicken in this recipe. It is so called because the cube steak is cooked in the same style as crispy, breaded chicken. 

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Click Play to See This Classic Chicken Fried Steak With White Gravy Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

For the Chicken-Fried Steak:

  • 1 1/2 pounds cube steak pieces

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • Canola oil, for frying

For the White Gravy:

  • 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat, or canola oil

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Steps to Make It

While there are multiple steps to this recipe, this chicken-fried steak dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and frying.

Make the Chicken-Fried Steak

  1. Gather the chicken-fried steak ingredients.

    Chicken-Fried Steak With White Gravy ingredients

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  2. Preheat oven to 275 F. Meanwhile, enclose cube steak pieces in sheets of waxed or parchment paper. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, gently pound the meat to tenderize it.

    Using a meat tenderizer, gently pound the meat on a cutting board

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  3. Season cube steak with salt and pepper.

    seasoned steaks

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  4. Set up a breading station. Place the flour in large bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs with the milk, and whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper.

    seasoned flour in a bowl, egg and milk mixture in a bowl

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  5. Fill canola oil in a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, until 1/2-inch deep. Warm over medium-high heat.

    oil in a pan

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  6. Dredge cube steak pieces into the flour while the oil is heating, then the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour again.

    steak dipped into flour and into egg mixture

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  7. Add the breaded meat into the warmed oil in batches; do not overcrowd the pan.

    steak frying in a pot

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  8. Cook cube steak until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

    steak frying in a pot of oil

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  9. Remove to a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Continue with remaining steak.

    fried steak on a platter

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Make the White Gravy

  1. Gather the gravy ingredients.

    gravy ingredients

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  2. Warm bacon fat or canola oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine to create a roux.

    Making roux in a saucepan

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  3. Add the milk, whisking to incorporate it with roux until gravy comes to a boil.

    milk added to the roux mixture in the saucepan

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  4. Reduce heat to low, letting gravy cook and thicken to desired consistency, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

    seasoned gravy in the saucepan

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  5. Remove chicken-fried steak from oven, spoon gravy over, or on the side.

    Chicken-Fried Steak With White Gravy

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

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