Description
Comfort cooking meets Southern charm in chicken Fried Steak, a hearty classic that brings pure satisfaction to your dinner table. Crispy breaded beef smothered in creamy pepper gravy delivers a home-style meal guaranteed to make everyone at your table smile.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Coating Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Seasonings and Cooking Fat:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup vegetable oil or lard
Instructions
- Flatten 1 pound of chicken to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet, creating uniform cutlets that will cook evenly.
- Submerge chicken pieces completely in 1 cup buttermilk and refrigerate for 60 minutes, allowing the meat to tenderize and absorb flavor.
- Mix 1 cup flour with 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow dish, creating a seasoned coating.
- Whisk 2 large eggs into the remaining buttermilk in a separate bowl, creating a binding liquid for the breading.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Coat each piece thoroughly in seasoned flour mixture.
- Dunk floured chicken into egg-buttermilk mixture, ensuring complete coverage.
- Return chicken to flour mixture for a second coating, pressing gently to help breading adhere.
- Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a large skillet, heating to exactly 350°F using a cooking thermometer.
- Carefully lower breaded chicken into hot oil, cooking 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil and maintain crispiness.
- Create a quick gravy by whisking 2 tablespoons flour into pan drippings, then slowly adding 1 cup milk until thickened.
Notes
- Give the buttermilk marinade at least an hour to tenderize the meat and add rich flavor depth.
- Use a heavy cast-iron skillet for even heating and achieving that perfect golden-brown crust.
- Test oil temperature with a small flour pinch – it should sizzle immediately without burning.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with almond or rice flour and use cornstarch to help create a crispy coating.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Fried
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 790 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 50 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 35 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg