Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

Name: Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 1 pound cube steak, or round steaks ((4 steaks)); salt and pepper, for seasoning; 2 large eggs, (beaten); ½ cup whole milk; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoon salt, for breading; 2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil or any other oil for frying; 3 tablespoon butter; 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 cup whole milk; ⅔ cup heavy cream; salt and pepper, to taste

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Air fryer chicken fried steak is made with a thin, tender, seasoned cut of beef that’s been dredged in a flour coating and then fried until golden, crispy, and delicious. It’s then served with a thick, velvety gravy over top mashed potatoes and any of your other favorite sides. It’s an easy, tasty, comfort dinner ready in 16 minutes.

Yes, you heard that right, a delicious steak dinner ready in 16 minutes. Which makes it great for an anytime dinner. It’s one my kid loves because of how thin the beef gets. She’s not a fan of biting into thick pieces of steak, but she loves this recipe.

two plates of chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans.

What is Chicken Fried Steak?

Chicken fried steak, sometimes referred to as country steak (although they are slightly different), is when you take a piece of steak and pound it down to a thin piece of steak. Then, it’s coated and traditionally deep-fried so that it gets a delicious, salty, crispy exterior, and then it’s served smothered in gravy.

Our version uses no deep-frying, but the results are just as crispy, golden, and melt-in-your-mouth amazing! Did you know that you can make this in the oven too? Check out this Oven Baked Chicken Fried Steak to see how.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s traditional Southern comfort food that’s super simple to make on any weeknight for dinner!
Thin pieces of steak are sometimes much easier for kids to eat, so they love it.
Making it in the air fryer means avoiding a ton of grease, splatter, and mess.
You still get that crispy coating without the need for heavy oils.
Thin cuts of meat cook way faster, which means dinner is ready and on the table quickly and easily.

Ingredients Needed

For the steak

Steak – I prefer to use any cube steaks that have already been tenderized, or round steaks because of their relatively low cost to other cuts. You could also use a lovely strip steak if preferred.
Salt & pepper – A simple seasoning of salt and pepper is perfect for steak. You’ll also need a little extra salt to season the flour mixture.
Eggs – Used as step one in the dredging process. Eggs help to coat the meat, sealing in moisture but also help the flour to adhere.
Milk – Adds moisture to the eggs, as well as it helps to thin it out a bit so that it easily coats larger pieces of steak.
All-purpose flour – Will give the steak that lovely crispy crunchy exterior that we love!
Seasoning for breading – Salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika give the flour coating an element of taste that just take sit over the top.
Oil – Any traditional frying oil will work. Olive oil, avocado oil, and peanut oil are great choices.

For the gravy

All purpose flour & butter – Used to make a roux which is a thickening agent used in rich creamy gravies.
Seasoning – Salt, pepper, garlic powder are used to season the gravy.
Whole milk & heavy cream – Both are used as the liquid component to the gravy, giving it a rich, creamy texture, perfect for pouring all over everything!

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card to see the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

How to Make Chicken Fried Steak in Air Fryer

pounding the steak thin and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Step 1: Tenderize the steaks if yours don’t come pre-tenderized. Do this by placing the steaks between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound using a rolling pin, meat or rubber mallet, or the bottom of a wine bottle. Turn the steak frequently to ensure the steak is getting thinned out evenly to about 1/4 of an inch.

Step 2: Season the steaks with salt and pepper and preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.

dredging the steak in flour and eggs for chicken fried steak in the air fryer.

Step 3: Set up the dredge station with two shallow wide bowls. One with the milk and egg mixture and the other with the seasoned flour mixture. Dip each piece of steak into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then back into the flour mixture, allowing any excess to drip or fall off in between each coat. Finally, press the flour down on both sides of the steak.

Spraying oil on chicken fried steak before air frying.

Step 4: Once all steaks are coated, place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer, evenly spread out. You may find you need to work in batches if they don’t all fit evenly. Generously coat each steak with oil and then air fry for 5 minutes before carefully flipping the steaks and air frying for another 3-4 minutes. Coat the second side with oil as well.

Making the Gravy

melting butter and whisking in flour on a stove to make gravy.

Step 5: While the steaks are in the air fryer, grab a small saucepan and melt butter over low heat. Whisk in the seasonings, and continue whisking the roux until golden brown. It takes about 2-3 minutes for that nutty aroma and golden appearance to show up.

process of making gravy: adding milk and whisking.

Step 6: Add in the milk and cream and bring to a simmer. Continue to whisk until combined, smooth, and velvety. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve steak over mashed potatoes and your favorite veggies, and smother it all with the gravy. Enjoy!

Tips

The beauty of chicken fried steak (other than the crispy-fried goodness) is the tenderized meat that’s easy to chew and basically falls apart in your mouth. To achieve this, I suggest tenderizing even the cube steaks to avoid chewy bites.
This recipe requires preheating the air fryer.
When dredging the steak with the flour, be sure to press the flour into the steak to help it stick.
Do not use PAM cooking spray for this recipe (or any other aerosol sprays) in your air fryer. It can create a gummy and sticky surface and ruin the non-stick properties of the air fryer.
Lightly spray the steak with oil. Too much oil will cause it to be soggy.
If you find your gravy a bit too thick for your liking, add a bit more milk. If it’s too thin, do not add more flour, just allow it to simmer for a little longer. It will eventually thicken up even more.

FAQs

What cut of steak should I use?

When steak is on sale, I stock up, freeze it so I have it on hand whenever I need it. So, there’s no one right answer here. Strip steak is good, as is cube steak that’s already tenderized a bit, or round steaks. You can essentially use whatever boneless steak you prefer but because it’s being coated and fried anyway, you might not want to opt for the more expensive cuts.

What can I use to pound the steaks?

Anything heavy and sturdy enough that won’t break! A rubber or meat mallet is ideal, as that’s exactly what it was made for. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get creative. The bottom of a wine bottle, a rolling pin, or even a full can of veggies or sauce. I know some people have even used small hand weights!

What kind of oil should I use?

Although we’re not deep-frying anything, you still want to use an oil with a high smoke point because of the temperature of the air fryer. You also want to use an oil that has a neutral flavor that won’t overpower the taste of everything else. Olive oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil are great, healthy oils. You could also use canola oil if that’s what you prefer.

air fried chicken fried steak on black plates.

Ways to Serve Chicken Fried Steak

I love having my chicken fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes and crispy air fryer broccolini or air fryer asparagus. Pouring the gravy over everything is the best!

When serving a crowd, I’ll include some other sides like air fryer potato skins or Instant Pot mac and cheese.

For a starter, I’ll do Instant Pot broccoli and cheddar soup and I’ll usually have some fresh homemade garlic bread on the table!