Country fried steak with gravy is down home cooking just like Grandma’s at its absolute finest. This Southern classic features seasoned, breaded cube steak fried and topped with creamy white gravy. It’s a hearty meal any time of the day!

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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.

Normally country fried steak is served slathered with creamy white gravy.

It’s super popular in Southern cooking as both a breakfast and dinner favorite.

Ingredients

Let’s break this down into two lists of ingredients- one for the country fried steak itself and a second for the gravy.

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. If you go with unsalted because that’s what you have in your fridge, make sure to add a pinch or two of salt.
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

Let’s break this down into two parts:

making the country fried steak
making the gravy

Making the Country Fried Steak

Making the country fried steak itself is easy, especially if you are familiar with making other breaded fried foods.

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

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

Working with one cube steak at a time, dip each steak into the egg mixture and completely coat the steak in the mixture by pushing it down with a pair of tongs.

Use the tongs to pick up the steak and let the excess egg mixture drip off.

Once the excess egg mixture has dripped off, dredge the steak through the flour mixture, turning it to make sure it is evenly coated.

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.

Let the oil heat to 375°F.

When the oil comes to temperature, carefully drop two steaks into the oil.

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.

Repeat until all the steak has been fried.

How to Make the Gravy

To make the gravy heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the butter is melted, whisk the flour into the melted butter, letting it cook for about 60 seconds, whisking constantly.

Once the butter and flour is the consistency of paste, slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of milk.

When you have finished whisking in the first half cup of milk and the milk is incorporated into the roux, whisk the remaining milk in.

Turn the the heat down to medium low and let the gravy simmer until it has thickened to your liking.

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

Serve and enjoy!

Storing

Country fried steak tastes best freshly cooked.

However if you have leftovers, you can store the steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Store the gravy in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gravy will thicken in the fridge.

To reheat the steak, I recommend warming it in a lightly oiled skillet on the stove or popping it into a hot oven until warmed through.

Reheat the gravy in a small saucepan on the stove, whisking in more milk until it thins back out into the desired consistency.

Serving Suggestions

Country fried steak pairs really well with your favorite biscuits like these Butter Swim Biscuits at breakfast time.

For dinner, add mashed potatoes along with the biscuits and you’ll have a Southern feast.

Tips and Tricks

To get the steak breading thick enough, make sure you are double breading it. Only dredging it through the egg and flour once won’t give you that nice, thick, crunchy coating.
Use a cooking thermometer to make sure the oil is the right temperature.
Only fry two steaks at a time. If you fry more than this, you might overcrowd the oil and lower its temperature. This can cause uneven cooking.
Patting the excess oil off the cooked country fried steaks helps the breading stay crunchy.

Other Classic Southern Recipes

Country fried steak is a classic Southern dish just like Grandma used to make.

Fry this up today and enjoy!

Looking for other classic Southern recipes?

Try these:

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