Pat steaks dry with paper towels, to absorb excess moisture. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat two eggs with a whisk and pour in buttermilk. Stir to combine.
In another medium bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Working with one steak at a time, season each steak on both sides with kosher salt, pepper, and cayenne to your tastes. Dredge the steak in the seasoned flour mixture, using a pair of tongs or by gently shaking the bowl.
Then submerge the steak in the egg and buttermilk mixture, and once again coat the steak a second time in the seasoned flour blend.
Transfer your steak to a plate, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes while the coating adheres to your steak.
Repeat the flour-and-egg-wash process for each steak. Meanwhile, heat the peanut or vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F using an instant-read thermometer.
When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, using tongs carefully, place two steaks into the oil. Cook about three minutes per side. Gently transfer your chicken fried steaks to a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet to cool and drain.
Repeat for the remaining two steaks. You may start preparing the gravy for the chicken fried steaks while the second round of steaks are frying.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Add the flour, and whisk continually. When it becomes light brown, slowly pour the milk, continuing to whisk to keep the gravy smooth, free of lumps. Season the gravy with salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
If you're sensitive to the spicy ingredients such as cayenne pepper, simply omit it. You can substitute paprika for a similar effect without the heat.
Chicken fried steak is a traditional southern meal that's both comforting and delicious. You can customize your chicken fried steak to change up the flavor or meet certain dietary restrictions.
The most traditional recipes for chicken fried steak include only salt and pepper. However, feel free to live life to your tastes and add some of your own flair to the seasoning blend. Here are a few options for added seasoning:
You can also add some extra crunch using saltine crackers or cornmeal. If you're looking for a way to make it a bit more spicy, drizzle some sriracha sauce over the steak when plating.
Ingredients in chicken fried steak such as steak, eggs, milk, butter, and buttermilk are not friendly for all diets.
Anyone following a vegan diet can replace the milk and buttermilk with almond milk. Butter can be replaced with vegan butter. Portabello mushrooms make an excellent replacement for the steak in this recipe, while VeganEgg can be used in place of chicken eggs.
Those with gluten intolerance can replace the flour with all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Chicken fried steak is a southern specialty. As such, popular sides include:
Chicken fried steak can be a real treat. It's the perfect combination of spice, flavor, and crunch. If you haven't cooked this southern classic yet, be sure to give it a try.