The Pioneer Woman Chicken Fried Steak Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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

To keep the breading from falling off chicken fried steak, follow these tips: 1. Pat dry the steak: Before breading, pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps the breading adhere better to the surface of the meat.

Don't let steaks touch when frying two at a time; steam develops making the crust soggy. Monitor oil temperature. The secret is cooking quickly. When steaks are added, oil temperature drops.

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.

Chicken fried steak is made most often with cube steak, or steak that has already been tenderized, or a cheap cut like round steak. It was originally created to make a cheap cut of meat taste better. No matter which cut you use, you have to pound it thin with a meat mallet.

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. This creates a final result that is crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, and altogether irresistible.

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.

Use oil that is hot—oil that is not hot enough will decrease your chances of a crispy coating. The breading may absorb the oil and become soggy and greasy. For these recipes, the steak may still be a little pink inside because it's beef, but to get a golden crust, the steak will cook to at least medium well.

To make bread crumbs adhere to meat, first dip it into a wash. I dip pieces first into milk, then flour the pieces, and then put them into an egg wash, which is a raw scrambled egg that may have a tablespoon of milk in it, and then coat with the bread crumbs.

Pounding helps tenderize the meat by breaking down its tough fibers. It also thins it out for more even cooking. Do this before frying, grilling, or roasting for better retention of moisture content. To tenderize chicken breast, place the meat on a durable, flat surface.

The main difference between country-fried steak and chicken-fried steak is the gravy. Country-fried steak is slathered in brown gravy, whereas chicken-fried steak uses a white, peppery gravy. However, this distinction is not entirely set in stone as different restaurants will serve both with the same gravy.

How much oil do you need to fry a steak? ›

A scorching skillet delivers the best sear when cooking steak in a cast iron skillet. Add 1–2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter to the pan (enough to coat the bottom) and immediately place your steak in the hot skillet.

Chicken fried steak is essentially steak fried in batter, while schnitzel is a category of German food in which any meat is tenderized, pounded thin, coated in breading, and fried. Schnitzel evolved as a way to transform tough cuts of meat.

Chicken-fried steak, also known as country-fried steak, is an American breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of beefsteak (most often tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and either deep-fried or pan-fried. It is sometimes associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States.

The concept isn't complicated: coat a beef steak in batter, fry it in a pan, smother it in gravy, and add mashed potatoes on the side. Since its inception, chicken-fried steak has become a staple in households and restaurants across Texas.

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.

First, the oil might not have been hot enough. If the oil isn't at the correct temperature, your fish will absorb the oil while it's frying, causing some of the batter to drop off. To prevent this, your oil should be around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.