Dinner For Two: Chicken Fried Steak
Welcome to the new Dinner For Two series here on Dessert For Two! I receive frequent emails asking for dinner recipes scaled down to serve two people, and after mulling it over, I have decided to do it. My current plans are to share dinner recipes once a month. So, those of you that just come here for the butter-flour-sugar party won’t be too disturbed.
The dinner recipes will be my favorite Southern dinners. There will be lots of buttermilk, cream and fried stuff. Loosen that top button and get ready!
I want to begin the series with my all time favorite Southern meal: Chicken fried steak with brown gravy and mashed potatoes. If you’ve never had this delicious meal, pull up a chair and let me share it with you.
For two servings of chicken fried steak, I choose two cube steaks that weigh no more than 1/2 a pound total. I sprinkle the steaks with seasoned salt (you may substitute regular salt) and pepper, then dredge them in a scaled-down batter and flour mixture, then fry.
After the steaks fry, I drain off most of the fat from the pan and make a small batch of brown gravy.
Behold: bubbling brown gravy. This is what Heaven tastes like. I just know it.
Since you’re making a pan of gravy, I highly suggest you make mashed potatoes on the side. I included a recipe for a small batch of perfect mashed potatoes for two. Just one potato, a couple of tablespoons of butter and a splash of buttermilk and you’ve got yourself the perfect vehicle for homemade gravy.
Don’t forget the iced tea!
- 1 cup oil for frying (I use canola)
- 1 large egg
- 1¾ cups buttermilk (divided use)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cube steaks (weighing about ½ pound total)
- Seasoned salt to taste (or regular salt)
- Pepper to taste
- 1 large potato (9-10 ounces)
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon salt (or, to taste)
- Pepper, to taste
- First, make the chicken fried steak. Add the canola oil to a heavy cast iron skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl, beat together the egg and ½ cup of buttermilk. In another bowl, add ½ cup of the flour. Season both sides of the cube steaks with seasoned salt (or regular salt) and pepper. Dip the steaks in the flour, shake off the excess, then dip them in the egg-buttermilk mixture. Dip them again in the flour mixture and press the flour into the steak to get a good coating. Check the temperature of the oil by sprinkling in a pinch of flour: you want it to sizzle and float. Once the oil is hot (about 325-350 degrees), gently add the steaks. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. When the steaks are golden brown and crispy, remove from oil and keep them warm in a low oven.
- Next, make your gravy: drain off all the fat from the skillet except 2 tablespoons. Return it to medium-low heat, sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk it to incorporate it into the fat and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining 1¼ cup of buttermilk while whisking. Season the gravy with salt and pepper, then let it come to simmer while whisking frequently. Once it thickens, turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, make your mashed potatoes: peel and dice your potato and boil it until tender. Drain it, then add it to a bowl with 2 tablespoons butter and ⅓ cup buttermilk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, cover the steak and a scoop of mashed potatoes in lots of gravy. Enjoy!
Chicken Fried Steak? Can we make it dinner for 3?
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Chicken fried steak is my absolute favorite! It’s usually the first thing I make when we get a beef butchered. I’ve never made buttermilk gravy, will have to try it!
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Very cool that you started this series! And what a way to kick it off!
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Love this!! CFS is one of my all time favorites..and considering that Jon David and I still usually share, this is the perfect amount for the three of us!!
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my life is changed! i always wanted to know how to make chicken fried steak and an awesome gravy to go along. I never figure out how to scale mashed potatoes down…i always end up with 10 cups made, which, to me, isn’t really a problem
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This is one of those southern meals I’ve never had but secretly desire when I see it on menus. I’m just too scared that I’m going to have a “bad” version of it since up North the only kind of places that have this are scary chain restaurants!
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Ooh, I can’t wait to see what dinner recipes you’ll share! Of course, I’ll have to double them, but whatev. I’m good with that.
And, I’ve never seen Chicken Fried Steak with brown gravy. Only white. I’m intrigued.
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Girl you KNOW I’m gonna be lovin’ this new series. HERCK YER.
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GASP! i am SO GLAD you’re doing dinners for two! and bring on the fried creamy goodness…i can take it
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This is fabulous – I love the “dinner for two” idea! Chicken fried steak is so amazing, too. Can’t wait to taste this!
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Yaaaay! I love the dinner for two idea! I cook for my boyfriend and I, so I am in full support of seeing your dinner for two recipes (as much as I love your desserts for two)! Looking good, lady!
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Awesome! I always need more inspiration for mels for 2
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I’ve never had chicken fried steak before but it looks so fantastic!
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I love the idea of doing dinner for two! It’s amazing how much of a challenge it can be when you don’t have a whole family to feed. I find that Joe and I always have a bunch of leftovers in the fridge because I make too much. He would love this recipe.
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You define a) adorableness b) heritage c) sensibel indulgence. I love it!! And I bet people in heaven enjoy lots of gravy too!
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perfect! Love this new series! Just wish my wedding diet included chicken fried steak!
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love this idea..we should team up
i love a good chicken fried steak..ugh, makes me so hungry just looking at those pics!
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Thank you for doing this series. I can’t say once a month will be enough, but I look forward to your recipes. I am so excited to try this for dinner. Love your website.
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Oh yes!!! I’m loving everything about this meal!!!!! Top button loosened and ready for some chow down!
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I’m SO excited to see you making dinners for two! I’m also happy to say that THIS will be tomorrow nights dinner! YaHoo!
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I am really excited you are doing this Dinner for Two, especially since we are empty nesters. Your CFS looks perfect–I should know, because I am an expert CFS consumer–and the gravy looks delish as well. Where I’m from (west Texas) we call your gravy “cream gravy” and the gravy that is made from roast beef drippings “brown gravy”. It’s interesting how things are differently things are called in different parts of the country.
Have a great weekend!
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I love this idea of dinner for two! Awesome
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well. i better not show this to nick before we go home or he’ll make me go by the store to get all this stuff for dinner tonight
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I don’t think I’ve ever had a chicken fried steak and, to be honest, until I read this it had never appealed but now I really want to try it!
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I have not made Chicken Fried Steak in SO LONG. Thanks for the delicious inspiration.
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Fun!!! I have never had chicken fried steak before, but it looks really good! That gravy too – mmmmmm!
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i’m gonna love this series! always cooking dinner for 2.
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Looks so good! I’ve never understood though why it’s called what it is if it’s not chicken? Don’t laugh I’m the foreigner here
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Christina Reply:
July 2nd, 2012 at 8:19 am
Hi Gerry
Good question! It’s called chicken because it’s FRIED like chicken.
It’s called chicken-fried steak, or steak that’s been fried like chicken 
Thanks for writing in
Christina
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Love your new series!!
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I adore chicken fried steak! A little comfort food is just what I need right now.
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This is the best idea ever!! I can’t wait to see what you feature next, love that you started with chicken fried steak. Perfect for date night,
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I’m always looking for new Dinner for Two recipes (to serve prior to the Desserts for Two, obvi!) so I love this idea. This recipe left me drooling.
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This looks great! Southern recipes are the best – especially when there’s plenty of gravy to go around. We’d love for you to submit a similar recipe to The Search for the Ultimate Weeknight Meal, offering a grand-prize to one lucky blogger who will tape a segment to air on national TV! If you’re interested, check out our contest page for more details.
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This recipe was so good! I made it for dinner tonight
Do you think the batter on the steak would be good using self rising flour vs all purpose flour? I’m not sure how that would work out.
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