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American

Texas Chicken-Fried Steak

Texas chicken-fried steak fries breaded tenderized beef until craggy and crisp, then serves it with creamy black-pepper gravy.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 14 August 2026Updated

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Texas Chicken-Fried Steak

50 mintotal

45 min hands-on5 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes a short 5-minute rest after frying while the gravy is finished.

Method

  1. Season the cube steaks with a little salt and black pepper.

  2. Mix most of the flour with paprika, salt, and black pepper in a shallow plate.

  3. Whisk the egg and buttermilk in another bowl, then dip each steak in flour, egg mixture, and flour again.

  4. Shallow-fry the steaks in hot oil until crisp, golden, and cooked through, then rest briefly.

  5. Pour off most of the oil, cook the remaining flour in the pan, then whisk in milk until a peppery cream gravy forms.

  6. Serve the fried steaks hot with the cream gravy spooned over the top.

How to tell it's done

The steak should be crisp outside and tender inside, with a smooth spoon-coating gravy.

Getting it right

Tip

Press the flour coating onto the steak firmly so it fries into a craggy, crisp crust.

What to serve it with

Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans, or buttermilk biscuits.

Common mistakes

The crust slides off in the pan.
Press the flour on firmly at each stage and let the breaded steaks sit five minutes before frying. The coating needs a moment to hydrate and grip; breaded straight into hot oil, it lifts away in sheets.
The gravy is pasty or lumpy.
Cook the flour in the pan drippings for a minute before the milk, and add the milk gradually while whisking. Raw flour tastes of paste, and milk poured in all at once will seize.

Substitutions

  • Cube Steak — Thin beef steak can be tenderized well and used, but cube steak gives the classic texture.
  • Buttermilk — Use Milk with a small splash of Vinegar if buttermilk is unavailable.

Storing and reheating

Best straight from the pan. The steak keeps two days in the fridge and comes back reasonably in a hot oven, never a microwave. Gravy keeps three days and thickens hard; loosen with milk over low heat.