You can easily make Chicken Fried Steak into yummy strips which are easy to eat! Now a little tip…
I do almost all of the cooking around here…not because Matt can’t or won’t cook. I just really, really love to cook and have more time to be in our kitchen.
However, ever since Matt started working at a restaurant, he’s been quite a bit more interested in learning about food preparation – and guess what? My husband has a really great cooking tip for you today.
Yes indeed, this nugget of Chicken Fried Steak Strip wisdom is brought to you by the Heavenly Homemaker’s Husband! (Maybe you knew this tip already, but I didn’t.)
Here’s what he shared with me the last time I made these Chicken Fried Steak Strips:
If you keep dipping the meat in the flour and then in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the…
It will make an extra yummy, extra crispy coating on the outside of the strip.
My strips were good, but I had just been single dipping. Following Matt’s advice, I am now double and even triple dipping. Now, they are Oh My Goodness Amazing. All thanks to my husband. I love that man. You will too after you try his double/triple dipping advice. But you can’t have him. He’s mine.
Chicken Fried Steak Strips
- 1 pound beef cube steak
- 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ t. garlic powder
- ¾ cup milk
- oil for frying (I usually use Palm Shortening)
- Cut cube steak into 1 inch strips.
- In a bowl, stir together flour and garlic powder.
- Pour milk into a separate bowl.
- Heat oil in a skillet (350° for electric skillet or medium heat on the stove top).
- Dip beef strip in milk, then in flour mixture.
- Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. (More or less is fine.)
- Place strip in oil.
- Cook for about 7 minutes on each side. (Salt to taste.)
So let’s review: The more you dip, the better the strip. You’ve gotta try it!
Read a great tip about Preparing Ahead and Flash Freezing your Chicken Fried Steak Strips here!
Dipping is good. I think I’m in trouble. LOL
We do this and call them ‘steak fingers’.
There is only one thing wrong with your picture, Laura. Where’s the gravy????? ;-)
1. I was too lazy to make gravy that day.
2. My boys asked the same question.
My husband LOVES chicken fried steak. I’m a double dipper. I mix egg in with the milk and add a little cayenne, paprika, seasoning salt, and pepper to the flour. It is so yummy.
Although I have a problem with my oil, I can never get the temp right. I always seem to burn at least one. I think I need to buy a thermometer or an electric skillet. How much oil do you use?
Marla
When I have it on hand, I use buttermilk instead of milk/egg mixture. The buttermilk sticks to the strip easier, and it gives the batter a twangy taste. And double dipping is definitely recommended!
You are so right! When I worked at a restaurant we always used buttermilk for both chikcen and onion rings. It works great!
I probably use about 2-3 Tablespoons of oil?
We don’t normally eat red meat, but this looks very yummy and I am making it today! Thank you! I wish I knew the triple dipping trick before, would’ve been useful last time I made onion rings!
I dip mine in cornstarch before anything then the milk, the the flour mixture. Yummy! I don’t know why i use corn starch something my mother used to do I believe. Who knows but it works for me :D
Cornstarch makes them more crunchy. You can also just put the cornstarch in the flour.
How do you keep these warm and crunchy while you prepare the rest of the batch? I am going to be making Chicken Fried Steaks for over 100 men for a Men’s Retreat in April and am looking for ways to keep them crunchy without having one side get soggy. Any ideas? Thanks
Ooo that looks yummy :D
i was gonna ask the same thing. i’m not allowed to make gravy in my house b/c i’m the only one that eats it. :-( but i’d love a good chicken fried steak w/ gravy.
Wondering if I could use water instead of the milk in this recipe. Two of my kids are currently on a dairy-free diet. Any thoughts about substitutions?
I think if you put them in a foil covered pan in a 250 degree oven while you cook the rest of the batch, that should do the trick.
Water might work…wouldn’t hurt to try. If they don’t have trouble with eggs, you could beat a couple of eggs and dip in that.
I have a question: why is it called chicken fried strips when there’s no chicken involved?
Yeah, isn’t that weird?! I think it’s because you fry your steak like you fry chicken…thus making it “chicken fried” steak. Clear as mud?
I made these last night and they were great! I had no idea what a difference double and triple dipping would make!!!! I am really enjoying your make ahead meal recipes and tips. I’m following!
I’m going to make a ton of these. We just this morning picked up half a beef. Total price $1.42/lb for all cuts after processing because my Pappaw is a cattle buyer and got a bargain. I’m so proud of this deal! There were a bunch of packages of cube steak, too! Mmmm, can’t wait to try this recipe!
Beef steak has always been my all time favorite dish and i am always looking for some new recipes that has steak as the main ingredient.*:.
I’ve always known it as Country Fried Steak. This makes more sense.
Does anyone know what cut of beef cube steak is tenderized from?
My hubby was a butcher for many years, and he says it comes mostly from
the round, but can come from other parts as well.
Loved these Laura. I always enjoy your menu plan. My husband said they were a keeper too. We dipped ’em in BBQ sauce.
True story, at a Denny’s where I was a waitress, we introduced CFS to a new employee, she ate it and really liked it. Her comment about it was: “It was good, but didn’t taste anything like chicken!” LOL!
Question: I have a few roasts in the freezer, do you think I could cut them up, tenderize them, and use them this way? Sounds weird to sacrifice a roast, but it is pastured beef and tends to toughen up when roasted.
Hmm, I don’t know enough about doing this but I sure think it would work.
I made these tonight with venison cube steaks that we had tenderized. They were incredible! My husband said I could make these anytime!
For gravy, I just mixed my left-over milk and flour and then mixed that into the greasy leavings in the botton of my skillet. I added a little broth to thin it out and it was awesome!
What is the difference between palm shortening and palm oil? I noticed on Tropical Traditions website there are two different products and am curious.
I don’t know the big differences, but what I do know is that I like the shortening better…and it is less expensive!
Laura, those potatoes look simple and delicious, what did you do to them? Bake them, fry them?
Yes, I just brushed them with olive oil, sprinkled on some sea salt and baked them for about 25 minutes!
DO you happen to have the recipe for gravy?? I can’t make white gravy to save my life!
I don’t necessarily have a recipe for gravy, but I make it all the time. This is on my list of items to take pictures of and post about sometime on my site!
How would you freeze these? Make them all the way through and then freeze so you just heat them up, or would you freeze before frying (after dipping)?
You can read how I do that here: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/flash-freezing-chicken-fried-steak-strips
I make these today; they were a hit. I love the strips because they were easy to fry and fun for the kids.
I have been want Chicken fried steak for a while so tonight I made it. Normally, I do whole steaks for each of us (there is four of us) however, we had extra teenage kids in the house unexpectedly. So I did cut them into strips, I was surprised how much more it makes this way. Way more for you money especially since is over $4.00 lb for cubed steak.
Keeps the ideas going, I love this website. Still scared to make bread, have everything from hard white wheat to grinder.. any suggestions.
I’ve always known it as country fried steak too.
I haven’t made this with beef before, or for that matter, with chicken. LOL Byut I have made it with deer (venison) tenderloin, and it is soooooo good! We use buttermilk with a dash of hot sauce, but otherwise it’s made the same way. Oh, I pound the meat first. :-)
Would Canola oil work instead of palm oil?
I’m sure it would work, but I’m not a fan of canola oil. If you don’t have palm oil, I’d say use olive oil if you have it!
Hi Laura. I’ve been making these for over a year now but we can’t do dairy right now. I read the poster asking about making them with water. Have you tried that or any other “milks”? Thanks! These are one of my husbands favorite meals
I think for this I’d do a couple beaten eggs instead of the milk and see how that works!
Laura,
I probably sound really weird, but I bought a package of cube steaks last week, and then came home and didn’t like the recipe I was going to use them for (because it called for THREE different varieties of gravy mix and I didn’t want that). So I was wondering what I was going to use them for, and then this week you have chicken fried steaks on your menu plan! I am so excited to try this! :) Thanks, for the great menu plans. Does it ever bother you to realize that some of us are “plagiarizing” you, by copying some of your menu plans? ;)
Naw, I love it! :)
We are dairy free and we just use rice milk. Almond milk or any dairy free milk should work just fine.
Hi!!
I am going to make this for supper tonight with chicken, and was thinking about using coconut oil, what do you think….
Coconut oil would work – but if you’re using virgin coconut oil, the steak strips will taste a little coconutty. If you use expeller pressed coconut oil, which is flavorless, that would be perfect!
The trick I found to smooth gravy is using the “wondra” flour. It
comes in a blue can and is ground finer. I am making for a large
family. I use one stick of butter…..get it bubbly over med. heat
and add flour a few shakes at a time until it looks nice an think..
I add about 3 T of cream and then milk….stirring constantly. I
can’t tell you how much milk, but I get a pretty full regular
family size skillet…..then I let it come to a boil (stirring) and
it thickens as I go. This flour is fine enough that I can add it to
the gravy at the end if it won’t thicken enough…..and it doesn’t
lump!
Salt, pepper, tri-color pepper corns, garlic (whatever I want for
flavor). If I am making it for chicken, I might had chicken
“granules” to the butter early on as well. If I have chicken
drippings or turkey drippings, I just add the butter to that.
Hi Laura.. just got our 1/4 cow yesterday and I was wondering what to do with the cube steaks!!! Thanks so much. I think my boys will LOVE!
I usually make chicken fried steak strips with them: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipes-chicken-fried-steak-strips
These were excellent! Thanks Laura and Matt :D I just have a question! Do you dip and repeat with your fingers, or do you use a fork? B/c I had to keep making more flour mix b/c I was making it wet and doughy? Does that make sense? Also does anyone else have a problem with their strips falling apart when they are raw, and you are cutting them up? Thanks a bunch for any tips!
I love this recipe. Recently I’ve been trying to cut the family back to a healthier menu and your recipes are great for that :) Have you ever thought about the foods the Bible tells us to eat? I am trying to decide if we want to go to that level. Would you ever go that route?
Are you talking about the law of Moses? Like in the old testament?
We no longer have to live by the laws b/c the law is dead! Only faith
through Jesus Christ will save us! Of course we are suppose to not sin,
and not party, lie, fornicate things like that, but no one could
live up to the law. And if you break one law then you’ve broken them
all! If you’d like for me to go further and provide scripture please
feel free to write me at [email protected]
Using either your fingers or a fork should work. Laura usually uses a fork. She doesn’t usually have any trouble with them falling apart…
Oh, so that’s what chicken fried steak is :-) gotta try that!
I’m so excited to try these! The problem I always have with cube steak is that its so tough and when I make chicken fried steak its hard to cut and chew. Anyone have any suggestions on how to tenderize it without a meat mallet?
What I do is actually cut the patty into thinner strips. It is a
little difficult to cut through the “strings”, but after you do that
and fry them up they are so much more tender! Just watch your cooking
time because it won’t take as long to cook! Also if your strips fall
apart while cutting them you can smoosh them back together like you
would a hamburger patty! I hope this helps you :)
God Bless!
Do you think these could be baked instead of fried?
Sure! I would bake them at 350 but I am not sure for how long…
Maybe just keep an eye on them!
Just curious Ashley, where is Laura?? Hope all are well!
I believe she lives out west somewhere, but I can’t remember the state
If you get/have a cookie cooling rack you can put it on a big rectangle pan and put the oven on low. When you are done cooking the CFS’s you can take them out of the pan and put them on the cooling rack. That way they can drip off any excess oil and they are not sitting in it while you cook the rest. It helps keep them nice and crunchy, and warm at the same time. :)
Gals I am 70 years old and am still learning new tricks and tips for the kitchen. Where were all these ideas when I was a young homemaker? Oh yes, we didn’t have access to all this information.
Thanks young gals!
To make buttermilk in a pince, or if you just really want it for something, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk, wait 5 minutes, tada…in a pince buttermilk!!
Pinch* my mistakes…i cut my finger yesterday with my mandolin…typing is funky today=)
okay, girls….i’m an ol hippie person who grew up on cow and potatoes….chicken fried steak (or fingers): let meat rest in some milk/water (dash sea salt) in fridge for the afternoon. Smash saltine crackers, add flour,w/ a dash of baking powder, S&P…in another pie pan, beat eggs w/ dash water. NOW, you double/triple dip. let dry on rack before you cook them.
done deal…don’t forget the cream gravy
shelli
All of my triple dipped yummy breading fell off…HELP!!
Hahaha this sounds sooooo much like me.
Hi! Love your freezing dinners that you make ahead of time. I do not cook seperate meals for that, I just make more than we can eat for the night and freeze the left overs in a homemade TV dinner, but it is just the 2 of us. I am disabled and some times cooking is really hard for me, so do it this way if there is a night that I am not able to cook…….just take out a TV dinner and we have supper.
My cubed steak always break apart when raw and even while cooking. How can I keep them whole. I use prepackaged cube steak from my grocer.
I’ve never had that problem. Hopefully the batter will help keep it together?
When I make “chicken fried steak” or fried chicken I salt and pepper then dredge in flour, then buttermilk, then press into Panko bread crumbs. Makes crispy, tangy coating and the crispy bits are great in the gravy as well! Handle them gently with forks to try to keep the coating on.
I made this gluten free tonight. I started out with rice flour and double dipping. It was not working out too well. Too sticky and thick. I added corn starch to the rice flour and only did a single dip. PERFECT!
I am new to grinding wheat. I have soft white wheat and hard white wheat. Can either of these be used for this dish? Thanks!
Either one will work!
My husband says thank you!! He loves this recipe! It’s so yummy but gravy is a must!