Grandma’s country fried steak with gravy is down home cooking at its absolute finest. They are super fast and easy to make as a filling breakfast or a delicious weeknight dinner.

Country fried steak is a personal and family favorite meal.

The crispy breading coupled with the creamy gravy is a combo made in heaven.

It’s warm and filling, making it a perfect comfort food or cold weather meal.

This recipe is very easy and comes together quickly on the stove top.

If you want a comforting meal, then this is for you!

What is country fried steak? Is it different than chicken fried steak?

Country fried steak and chicken fried steak are one and the same.

It is breaded piece of beef coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried.

This is super popular in Southern cuisine.

Ingredients

For the steak you’ll need:

Cube steaks – Cube steaks are the best for country fried steak, but you could do it with other cuts if you prefer.
Flour – Regular all purpose flour works great for these.
Seasonings – You’ll need seasoning salt, dried thyme leaves, dried oregano, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash hot sauce.
Baking powder – Don’t use baking soda, it won’t have the right effect!
Milk – Milk gives the breading a bit of creamier texture.
Large eggs – You can use brown or white, it doesn’t matter.
Canola oil – The oil is used for frying the steaks, so you could use other oils good for frying like vegetable or peanut oil if you have those on hand.

For a delicious pepper gravy, you’ll also need:

Salted butter – You could use unsalted, but the salt adds a bit of flavor to the gravy.
Flour – You can use all purpose flour.
Milk – Milk is the base of the gravy.
Freshly ground black pepper – You can use non-fresh black pepper, but the freshly ground tastes best!

How to make

To start, add the flour, seasonings, and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the milk, eggs, Worcestershire and hot sauce.

Whisk them together until evenly combined.

Working with one cube steak at a time, dip each steak into the egg mixture.

Make sure you completely coat the steak with egg by gently pushing it down or moving the steak with tongs.

Pick up the steak and allow excess egg mixture to drip off before transferring the the steak to the flour mixture.

Use your tongs to turn the steak to evenly coat.

Repeat the steps to give the same steak a second, complete coating.

Set the prepared steak on a waiting plate.

Now you can repeat the double coating process until all the steaks have been prepared. Set them aside.

Next, add the canola oil to a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven until it is about 3 to 4″ deep.

Heat the oil to 375°F.

Once the oil’s hot enough, cook the steaks in batches of two.

This will help prevent over crowding and help with evenly cooking the steaks.

Fry the steaks for about 3 to 4 minutes or until they’re golden brown on the outside and cooked through.

Carefully use a pair of sturdy tongs to remove the fried steaks to a waiting layer of paper towels to drain off excess grease.

If needed, pat dry to remove any remaining oil patches.

For the gravy, heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.

Next, sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk to combine.

Allow it to cook for about 60 seconds, whisking constantly. This will help remove any flour taste.

As you whisk, slowly add the milk a 1/2 cup at a time.

Wait to add the next 1/2 cup until fully incorporated.

Once all the milk has been added and a roux formed, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer.

Simmer until the gravy has thickened to your liking.

Finally, stir in the pepper to taste and pour the gravy over plated steaks to serve.

Serve hot and smothered in gravy.

Tips and tricks

Use an instant read thermometer to get the oil to the right temperature. If it is too hot, the steak’s coating will burn and if it is too cool, the breading won’t get crispy.
Cook the steaks in batches of 1 or 2 to prevent over crowding and promote even cooking.
Be sure to double coat the steaks to help get a nice breading on the steaks.

Serving and storing

Country fried steak goes great with or over biscuits.

It is a perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner when you want a warm, comforting meal that is easy to make and delicious.

I recommend eating these freshly cooked, but if you need to store them, you can.

I recommend storing any extra steak separately from any gravy.

You can place both in different airtight containers and place them in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days.

You can reheat on the stove top over low heat or in the microwave.

Other southern style comfort meals you might like

My family loves when we make country fried steaks at home.

They have a perfect blend of crispy breading and creamy gravy that your family is sure to love.

Try out these other southern style comfort foods the next time you need a pick me up or just want a filling meal.

Need some other Southern favorites to round out your meal?

Serve this with a batch of our Instant Pot sweet iced tea, Grandma’s canned green beans on the side, and our cherry cobbler for dessert.

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