The Best Chicken-Fried Steak Calls for Cubed Steak

Pantry staples make this country-fried favorite a convenient weeknight dish: Pre-tenderized cubed steak needs hardly any pounding to prep; crushed cornflakes form the crunchy crust; and buttermilk, cream, and flour come together in a flash to make a roux-based gravy flavored with the pan drippings. Warmth from a touch of cayenne in the cornflake crust gives each bite of the crunchy crust a lightly spicy edge. Green beans served alongside give this meal balance and are a deliciously natural pairing — especially when dipped in the gravy.

Frequently asked questions

What is chicken-fried steak?

Chicken-fried steak is beef that’s breaded in the same style as fried chicken and schnitzel. Chicken-fried steak is easy to make with budget-friendly cubed steak, a pre-tenderized beef cut available at most grocery stores.

What is cubed steak?

Cubed or cube steak (also known as minute steak or Swiss steak) is a thin cut from top round or top sirloin steak. Quick-cooking and flavorful, cubed steak is a mechanically tenderized cut that’s easily recognizable by its wafflelike pattern that results from the tenderizing process. You can find cubed steak in the meat section of most grocery stores.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

While you might be tempted to skip pounding the pre-tenderized cubed steaks, a little extra pounding helps make sure they are uniformly 1/4 inch thick, which will cook quickly and evenly, and helps get them to an impressive size. To pound the cubed steak, work with one steak at a time, and place the steak between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper, or slip the meat into a gallon-size heavy-duty ziplock plastic bag. Pound steak to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet, the bottom of a heavy skillet, or a rolling pin. 

The technique for breading these chicken-fried steaks, known as Standard Breading Procedure, calls for dredging the cubed steaks in flour, followed by dunking in a blend of buttermilk and egg (which adheres to the flour), and finally coating with cornflakes (which cling to the egg and buttermilk mixture). These steps will ensure the crust clings nicely to the meat after frying. 

Make ahead

You can pound the cubed steak in advance and store the pounded steaks between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper in the fridge for up to two days. Chicken-fried steak can be made ahead and reheated at 350°F in an oven on a wire rack, or in an air fryer, until warmed through, three to four minutes.

Suggested pairing

Enjoy this cornflake-crusted steak with a Beaujolais with cherry-berry notes, such as Paul Durdilly Les Grandes Coasses.