Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy
This Texas classic delivers crispy breaded cube steak smothered in creamy, peppery gravy. Comfort food at its best — hearty, nostalgic, and made with pantry staples.
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan
- Two shallow bowls or pie plates
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Paper towels for draining
Ingredients
- 4 cube steaks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 cup milk (for egg wash)
- oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons flour (for gravy)
- 2 cups milk (for gravy)
- salt and pepper to taste (for gravy)
Instructions
- In one dish, mix flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. In another, whisk eggs and milk together to form an egg wash.
- Dip each cube steak into the flour mixture, then the egg wash, then back into the flour. Press firmly to adhere the coating.
- Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high. Fry steaks 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk over medium heat until lightly browned (1 minute).
- Slowly whisk in milk. Stir constantly until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve steaks hot with gravy poured on top. Pair with mashed potatoes or biscuits if desired.
Notes
Double-dipping the steak ensures a crispy crust. Don’t crowd the pan while frying to keep the coating crunchy. The gravy thickens quickly — keep whisking and season well with salt and pepper. Use gluten-free flour if needed.