This chicken fried steak recipe beat Grady Spears—cowboy food legend, James Beard award-winner, and my great friend, at the Golden Chile Awards, to take its place as the definitive chicken fried steak recipe, and today I am sharing the whole process, including my secret ingredient, with you.
As the home of chicken fried steak, Texans have some pretty big expectations for this iconic dish– its as Texan as chili or the Alamo, so understand that everyone has a recipe, and they are comprised of similar ingredients with specific twists.
Since I’m a chef, I’ve been trying to find everyone’s best tips. This post is all about the chicken fried steak secrets that chefs and great cooks use, putting them all together to make the Ultimate Texas Chicken Fried Steak.
Let’s go over the basics for our friends all over the country and the world, because the thought of anything chicken-fried is making a lot of people confused.
How to Keep Batter from Falling Off Chicken Fried Steak: A Frying Fiasco Rescued
As a Texan who grew up eating chicken fried steak, I think a failed batter disaster is the same as culinary treason. This Southern classic deserves a crispy coat that clings fiercely to every tender morsel inside. Unfortunately, bad guys are always working to weaken our crunchy coats. When it comes to adhesion, moisture, impatience, and oil temperature all work together in secret.
However, do not worry, fellow fryers! This complete guide will teach you how to protect your chicken fried domains from invading batter. With the right precautions, no steak will give up its covering without a fight. Use these tools and tips to defeat the batter slippage scourge like a hero. The battle can be won!
Assessing the Adhesion Adversaries
To prevail against our batter nemeses, we must first know them. The primary enemies of adhesion are:
Moisture – Excess water is kryptonite for crispiness. Residual surface moisture prevents flour and batter from properly sticking. Dryness is essential.
Too hot of an oil temperature makes the coating burn before it sets. If it’s too cold, it soaks up grease, gets soggy, and slides off. Precise temperature control is paramount.
Insufficient Coating – Skimpy breading easily detaches. Generous, even coats withstand frying forces better. Attention to detail is key.
Rough Handling – Aggressive flipping and prodding can dislodge even sturdy batter. A delicate touch preserves the precious coating.
These troublemakers must be actively neutralized to protect our crunchy barricades. Forewarned is forearmed. Now let’s suit up and do battle!
Strategic Moisture Removal
Eliminating excess water is crucial before breading. Use paper towels to dry the steaks, then let them dry in the air for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a little flour on top to soak up any extra liquid. At least 20 minutes before cooking, salt the steaks to keep the moisture in. Don’t eat steaks that are ice cold right out of the fridge; let the meat warm up a bit to keep condensation from forming. Prep your batter extra cold so it thickens up. If you follow the steps for reducing moisture, your coating will stick on smoothly.
Oil Temperature OCD
Obsessively control your oil temperature for optimal adhesion. Invest in a deep fry thermometer – the $20 is worth every penny. Heat oil to 350-375°F on medium heat before carefully lowering in floured and battered steaks. Maintain this zone throughout cooking. Too low and coating absorbs oil, too high and it burns fast. Adjust heat as needed and fry in small batches. Let oil reheat fully between steaks for consistency. Precise temperatures yield sturdy, resilient crusts.
Breading Bonanzas
Maximize adhesion with these advanced breading techniques:
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Flour Dip – Lightly flour steaks before batter to rough up surface and soak up drips
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Season First – Salt and pepper steaks so flavors infuse – just a pinch in batter
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Buttermilk Dunk – Dip in buttermilk before battering to increase coating tackiness
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Rest Period – Let battered steaks sit for 5+ minutes before frying to let coating hydrate
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Press and Pack – Press thick, even layers of batter into the steaks
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Double Dredge – Do flour, batter, flour again for an extra fortified fortress
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Cornmeal Crunch – A sprinkle of cornmeal in batter adds appealing texture
With a multi-step breading blitz, your batter will cement onto those steaks like steel plating. Onward to flavor country!
Handle with Care
Even the heartiest homemade batter is still sensitive. Exercise patience and care when maneuvering those steaks:
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Use slotted spoons and spatulas for gentle flipping
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Resist poking or prodding too soon – let batter initially set up undisturbed
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Fry in roomy vessels with at least 1-inch oil so coating can float freely
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Blot freshly fried steaks on paper towels to remove excess grease
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Allow steaks to rest 5+ minutes post frying before slicing to solidify crust
A deft yet delicate hand preserves your coating integrity from fryer to plate.
Troubleshooting Tips
Should your chicken fried quest go awry, attempt these troubleshooting tips:
Soggy Coating – Oil too cold. Raise temp to 350°F+
Burned Coating – Oil too hot. Lower temp and adjust burner.
Falls Off in Chunks – Insufficient adhesion. Allow batter to hydrate before frying. Press into steaks firmly. Consider double dredging.
Won’t Stick to Steak – Meat too wet. Dry steaks thoroughly and add flour dip before batter.
The Takeaway
Besting batter slippage and retaining that craveable crunch may seem a daunting task. But armed with the right techniques and a vigilant eye on temperature, moisture, and handling, you will be victorious. With persistent practice, the incredible edible armor of chicken fried steak can be mastered by all. Soon you’ll be serving Southern pride with the batter still gloriously intact. So heat that oil, prep those steaks, and ready the flour – it’s time to fry!
What is the Difference between Chicken Fried Steak and Country-Fried Steak?
Chicken fried steak is deep-fried and country fried steak is pan-fried. Because most home cooks fry in a saute pan or cast-iron skillet rather than a deep fryer, home versions will lack some of the qualities of restaurant chicken fried steak, which is submerged in hot oil allowing the batter to run and expand, eventually getting very crispy. Most home cooks still refer to their dish as chicken fried steak and would argue that the names are interchangeable. It all comes down to using a lot of oil in the pan and giving the batter a lot of room to fry so that the outside gets crunchy.
Additionally, when you pan fry your meat in a skillet, youll have the pan drippings to create your gravy. This gravy will have a golden tint that pure white cream gravy will not have. Many cooks think this gives the gravy extra flavor.
How to Make the Best Gravy for Chicken Fried Steaks
Okay, I promised to tell you how I make the best chicken fried steak. Here it is. Its really a secret my grandmother handed down to me from using in her multiple Texas cafes. For the best gravy–award-winning, trophy gravy, always use evaporated milk.
A lot of people have looked at me like, “Why does that work? What does that matter?”
Evaporated milk creates a warmer, richer, buttery gravy that heavy cream or whole milk just cannot replicate. Evaporated milk (not to be confused with condensed milk, which is a sweet dessert-like product) is canned milk, and as such, it is heated in the canning process giving it notes of caramel and toastiness. My recipe also calls for seasoning with garlic powder and onion powder and a drop of lemon juice for brightness. Im telling yall, its the gravy to end all gravies.
Since we prepared the chicken fried steaks in our large skillet we will also be able to use those decadent pan drippings for a creamy country gravy with notes of the steak. Occasionally this gravy will look like a brown gravy but since brown gravy is a rich dark gravy, I like to describe it as golden. The pan drippings give it this beautiful color and flavor.
To finish the chicken fried steaks you can plate up with mashed potatoes or green beans and coat the chicken fried steak with plenty of gravy!
Now lets look at some common problems:
How to Make the Best Chicken Fried Steak | Allrecipes
FAQ
Why does my batter fall off my chicken fried steak?
To keep the batter from falling off chicken-fried steak, ensure that the steak is properly prepared before battering. Start by patting the steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which can prevent the batter from adhering. Additional, press the coating into the steak to adhere.
How to keep the breading on chicken fried steak?
To keep the breading on the chicken fried steak, do a double dredge (flour, egg wash, and then flour again). Then, let the breaded steak rest for at least 15 minutes so the breading can soak up the water and get sticky.