Oven Chicken Fried Steak Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep batter from falling off chicken fried steak? ›

Pat the Steak Dry: Before coating the steak with flour or batter, pat it dry with paper towels. Excess moisture on the surface of the meat can prevent the breading from sticking. Season and Flour the Steak Properly: Season the steak with salt and pepper before dredging it in flour.

You want to cook your steaks in oil that is precisely 375°F (191°C), and though it's ok if your steak gets pretty close to well done, you should look for an internal steak temperature of 145°F (63°C)—the border line between medium and medium well. Enter the Thermapen IR.

Gently place steaks in oil to avoid splashing the top. Oil splashes cause patches of soft crust. Fry steaks one at a time for best results. Don't let steaks touch when frying two at a time; steam develops making the crust soggy.

There are a few secrets to making chicken fried steak well, first is tenderizing the meat. If you're using round steak, you'll want to hammer it out with a meat tenderizer, which can be a little messy, but makes the steak very tender. Otherwise, you can skip this step if you buy pre-tenderized cube steaks.

The first time you dredge the steaks into the flour, use the heel of your hand to really press it in. That way, the coating will adhere better. Spoon hot oil over the steaks in the pan. You don't need to deep fry the chicken-fried steaks.

It sits in the breading too long before frying

Coat each generously in flour right before you fry. If you let them sit too long, the marinade can seep through the flour and cause it to get moist, which creates a soggy breading that can fall off.

Make sure the oil is hot or else the meat will stick to bottom of pan. Turn meat once, the more you play with it the more likely the coating will come off. Don't overload the pan, which cools the fat and you get poor quality. Once cooked, hold on wire rack in oven to keep crisp and hot.

Not when cooking in a pan (unless your pan is HUGE). The steak tends to steam, you want the moisture to escape. If you do want to cover it, at least wait until it's mostly done cooking and remove any juices from the bottom of the pan. The lid can help trap heat and bring the inside to a higher doneness.

Season steak with pepper on both sides. When oil is just about to smoke, add steak. Cook 7 minutes, then flip and add butter. Baste with butter and cook another 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°, for medium.

Cooking Tips

To make sure the breading doesn't fall off the chicken-fried steak, pat the meat dry before dredging. Shake off any excess liquid or flour, and let the steak rest for a few minutes before frying. Use oil that is hot—oil that is not hot enough will decrease your chances of a crispy coating.

How to make juicy crispy steak? ›

Take the steak out of the refrigerator, and let it come to room temperature (about an hour) while sandwiched between thick paper towels. The paper towels will absorb any moisture from the steak. The key to a crisp exterior is to have the steak as dry as possible at room temperature, before it hits the hot pan.

“Add quite a lot of salt. When the salt crystals and oil hits the steak, that caramelisation of the meat and salt together is where the crust is built.” Once your pan is as hot as you can get it, sear the steak.

Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make ahead: The steaks can be made ahead and kept warm in a 200-degree oven one hour in advance (cover tightly with foil to prevent them from drying out). Spicy: If you love heat, serve your Chicken Fried Steak with plenty of hot sauce or Tabasco.

The best side dishes to serve with chicken fried steak are green beans, french fries, mashed sweet potato, zucchini noodles, southern-style biscuits, coleslaw, creamed corn, collard greens, mac and cheese, and sautéed mushrooms.

Meat is not properly dry

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.

Seal the plate gently with a length or two of plastic cling wrap. Don't pull it too tight, but make sure that all of the edges are sealed. Place the plate into the refrigerator and let the food sit for at least 60 minutes. This helps the coating to harden a bit, which will keep it on the food.

You Don't Start Dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial; make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy and thus will not adhere properly to the chicken.

When it comes to breading meat, most breading procedures are basically the same. But taking the extra time to soak your meat in buttermilk and let the flour set will ensure that your breading is fully adhered for the perfect breaded pork chops or breaded chicken.