Chicken fried steak is a delicious southern classic – a beef steak that’s battered and fried like fried chicken When done right, it has a crispy, crunchy coating enveloping a tender and juicy piece of beef But getting that coating just right can be tricky. If your chicken fried steak batter seems to fall off or get soggy, don’t worry – there are some simple tricks to help keep that coating crisp and attached.
Start with the Right Cut of Meat
The first step to crispy chicken fried steak is choosing the right cut of beef. You want something that’s affordable yet still fairly tender. Many recipes call for cube steak, which is beef round that’s been run through a mechanical tenderizer. But in testing, I’ve found cube steak makes for a pretty mediocre chicken fried steak. It lacks flavor and tenderness compared to other cuts.
After testing various inexpensive steak options, I found sirloin tip to be the clear winner. It’s affordable but also much more tender and beefy tasting than cube steak. Take the time to pound sirloin tip steaks thin, about 1/4 inch thick. This makes them tender and helps the coating adhere.
Set the Coating with Cornstarch
Before breading, I coat the steaks in cornstarch. This helps create a thin, delicate crust that doesn’t overpower the beef. It also aids in crisping by absorbing moisture released from the meat during frying. The cornstarch dries into a thin, shatteringly crisp shell around the meat.
Use Buttermilk in the Batter
For the batter use a wet dredging technique similar to fried chicken. First coat in flour, then buttermilk, then back to seasoned flour. The buttermilk helps the flour coating stick tightly to the meat so it doesn’t slough off in the fryer.
Make sure to really work the buttermilk into the seasoned flour with your fingertips until it forms very coarse, wet sand. This helps develop gluten in the flour which results in a lighter, craggier crust. The craggy texture does a better job of clinging tightly to the meat.
Add Baking Powder for Extra Crispness
I also add a teaspoon of baking powder to my seasoned flour dredge. This further lightens the batter and helps it puff up and get super crispy in the hot oil. The bubbles introduced by the baking powder also aid in crust adhesion.
Let it Rest Before Frying
After breading the steaks, place them on a wire rack to rest for about 10 minutes before frying. This allows the coating to hydrate a bit and further set so it doesn’t slip and slide off the meat.
Deep Fry for Best Results
For evenly cooked chicken fried steak with an intact crispy coating, deep frying is a must. Pan frying in a skillet does not cook as evenly and it’s hard to get the same light, craggy crispness on the coating.
Use a Dutch oven or other heavy pot filled with 2-3 inches peanut or canola oil heated to 350-375F. Carefully add the steaks and fry until golden brown, flipping once, 2-3 minutes per side. The bubbling hot oil cooks the crust perfectly from all sides.
Drain and Season Right After Frying
As soon as the steaks come out of the fryer, let them drain briefly on a paper towel lined plate. Immediately season with salt to lock in maximum crispness. The short drain prevents sogginess while the quick seasoning adds flavor and helps dehydrate the crust.
Keep it Crispy with Gravy on the Side
Traditional chicken fried steak is smothered in creamy pepper gravy. But dumping gravy directly on top of the steak will cause that crispy coating to deflate. Instead, serve the gravy in a bowl on the side for dipping. This keeps the steak nice and crisp until you’re ready to sop up some of that tasty gravy.
With these tips, you’ll be able to achieve diner-quality chicken fried steak with a shatteringly crisp crust that stays put from fryer to table. Crispy, crunchy coating and tender beef – chicken fried steak perfection!
CFS (Certified Fixed Steak)
To fix the breading, I made the first coating with cornstarch instead of flour, which helped create a thinner inner layer, and therefore a thinner overall crust. I also added baking powder to the outer coating of damp flour for extra lightness.
Given my disappointment with pan frying, I switched over to full-fledged deep frying, using my seven-quart Dutch oven to accommodate the large size of my pounded steaks. This made a huge difference, producing steaks that were evenly golden, with every nook and cranny of their textured crust intact.
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Tender and Beefy Chicken-Fried Steak Recipe
For the Steaks:
- 4 long, thin sirloin tip steaks (about 2 pounds)
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 quarts peanut or canola oil
For the Gravy:
- 1/4 cup vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- For the Steaks: Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Place one steak in a resealable plastic bag. Using a meat pounder, rolling pin, or small skillet, pound steak out to an even 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining 3 steaks. Season steaks with salt.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey - Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Whisk together egg and 2/3 cup buttermilk in a separate shallow dish. Whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a third shallow dish. Drizzle remaining 1/3 cup of buttermilk into seasoned flour and rub with fingertips until mixture is coarse like wet sand.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey - Working one steak at a time, coat well in cornstarch. Lift steak, shake off excess cornstarch, then transfer to egg mixture. Coat steak well in egg mixture, lift steak, letting excess egg drain off, then transfer to seasoned buttermilk-flour mixture. Coat steak well, pressing seasoned flour all over to help it adhere to the meat. Lift steak, shake off excess flour, and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining steaks. Let steaks stand for 10 minutes.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey - Place oil in a large Dutch oven or wok and heat to 375°F (190°C) over high heat. Carefully lift 1 steak and gently slide into oil. Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer steak to a paper towel-lined tray and season with salt to taste. Repeat with remaining 3 steaks.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey - For the Gravy: Transfer 1/4 cup of hot frying oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Stir in pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and additional pepper to taste.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey - Transfer steaks to plates, top with gravy, and serve immediately.
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Serious Eats / Jen Causey
How to Make the Best Chicken Fried Steak | Allrecipes
FAQ
How to make chicken-fried steak breading stay on?
I allow my steaks to “rest” on a wire rack after the final coating of flour – which seems to help the coating adhere – also make sure to pat your steaks dry …
Why does my coating fall off my chicken-fried steak?
Breading falls off because of two reasons. Not allowing the batter to sit on the steak and adhere (transforming into an almost dough) before frying, and the frying oil not being hot enough. You should always use a thermometer to manage the heat of the oil in your skillet.
How do you get breading to stick to fried steak?
The main culprit for breading that won’t adhere is meat that is too wet. Try patting the steaks dry with paper towels before dipping them into the egg mixture. Adding a little Parmesan cheese to the mix can help the breading stick together while also keeping it from falling off the steaks.May 29, 2024