Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak is a delicious dish that is breaded, air fried, and then covered in a decadent white gravy. It's easy to make and perfect when you want some comfort food as part of a delicious Southern meal.

I might be a chicken fried steak expert. Possibly. I bet I've eaten chicken fried steak over 200 times in my life. Probably more.

I grew up eating it at home, family reunions, weddings, and of course restaurants. Ever been at a table where EVERYONE orders chicken fried steak? I have. Probably served along side some green beans or crispy battered french fries.

It's a Texas staple. Breaded and fried in oil. So I decided that I needed to make an Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak that reduced the amount of oil needed.

And I have to admit it's pretty delicious. A tasty alternative without the deep frying.

It's just so easy to make and pop in the air fryer basket. I rarely make chicken fried steak on the stove any more. I'm a convert to the air fryer chicken fried steak ways. Especially when paired with some delicious gravy and mashed potatoes. Yum.

Why make this recipe

• It's easy! This air fryer chicken fried steak is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.
• Family-friendly! Growing up, chicken fried steak was one of my family's favorite meals. We would all order it at restaurants. And my family still loves it.
• Less oil! The beauty of air fried chicken fried steak is that it uses so much less oil than cooking it on the stove. For me, that means healthier food.
• Easy to clean up! I hate doing dishes, and because this chicken fried steak is cooked in the air fryer, that means no messy pans of oil to have to dispose of. Also, if you use air fryer parchment paper, it makes for even easier clean up.

Ingredients

• Cube steak or round steak
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Flour
• Eggs
• Smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Cooking spray

What is chicken fried steak?

First, let's talk about what it's not. This is NOT chicken.

It's called chicken fried steak because it's steak that's breaded and fried LIKE chicken.

In some places it's also called Country Fried Steak (which probably cuts down on a bit of confusion). Whatever you call it, this Air Fryer Country Fried Steak or Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak is delicious.

What type of steak to use for chicken fried steak

Chicken fried steak is usually made with cube steak. This is steak that is already tenderized when you buy it.

If you can't find cube steak, you can use round steak instead, but tenderize it before using! That helps it be that melty, fall-apart in your mouth type of meat that is perfect in chicken fried steak.

If you need a meat tenderizer, this is the one I have and love.

Recipe notes

• Use cube steak if possible! This is pre-tenderized and the classic type used in chicken fried steak.
• Brushing the basket of your air fryer will help the chicken fried steak from sticking and also allow it to crisp up a little more. I like to use a silicone brush. Alternately, you can spray your air fryer with an air fryer-safe spray. Regular cooking sprays like PAM are not recommended for air fryers as they affect the coating.
• If you have raw flour still on your steak when you check on it at the 8 minute mark, brush or spray a little more oil on the flour areas so that they are moistened and cook through.
• Don't crowd your air fryer! Make sure the steaks are in a single layer, with airflow around them so they cook properly.
• If you want a crispy panko version, instead of dipping in flour a second time, dip in panko breadcrumbs after the egg, making sure steak is well-coated. (We made our chicken fried steak this way a lot growing up!) I also tend to make my air fryer squash this way.

Make it Cajun-inspired!

At a few Austin restaurants, I've had a Cajun-inspired chicken fried steak, which really just means it's been spiced up with come cayenne pepper.

To do this, add a bit of cayenne to your flour mixture AND to your white country gravy. But not too much! A little goes a long way when it comes to cayenne pepper.

Can you freeze leftovers?

Yes! I have some in my freezer right now.

After cooking completely, allow to cool, and then store the air fryer chicken fried steak in a freezer-safe container.

To reheat chicken fried steak, take your frozen chicken fried steak and pop back into the air fryer, watching carefully so it doesn't burn, but is cooked through. Alternately, you could bake your frozen chicken fried steak in the oven and reheat that way.

What to serve with the air fried chicken fried steak

Side dishes - air fryer corn on the cob, air fryer smashed potatoes, air fryer green beans and bacon, air fryer baby potatoes

Desserts - air fryer apples, air fryer peach cobbler, air fryer pears

How to make air fryer chicken fried steak

First, take your cube steak and season both sides with salt and pepper. Depending on the size of your cube steak and the size you want your chicken fried steak to be, you can slice the steak into as many pieces as you'd like.

Next, prepare your dipping station! Into one bowl, add two eggs. Into another bowl, add your flour and spices.

Stir your flour and spices to combine, and whisk your eggs together.

Next, it's time to dip! First, dip in flour, coating both sides, then the egg, then flour one last time.

After dipping, shake off excess flour and allow to rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes, letting the flour absorb as much of the liquid as possible. This is important so you don't have dry flour on the surface of your chicken fried steak. Then, spray both sides of your chicken fried steak with oil.

Next, brush or spray (with air-fryer safe spray-- regular cooking spray is not air-fryer safe) your air fryer basket with oil.

Place your steak in the air fryer basket. With the size of my steaks, I cooked one at a time. You want to make sure there is enough air flow around your steaks and that they are not touching.

Air fry at 390 degrees F for 8 minutes, then brush steak with oil (or spray) over any dry flour spots. Flip, brush other side as needed, and then cook chicken fried steak for 4-6 more minutes until golden brown.

How to make white gravy

Air fryer chicken fried steak and gravy go hand in hand! You can always top with brown gravy, but a delicious white gravy is classic.

First, take ¼ cup butter and melt it over medium heat. Add ¼ cup flour and whisk in, continuing to whisk and let it cook for at least 2 minutes to cook out that raw flour taste.

Next, add 1 ¼ cups whole milk a bit by bit, whisking as you add to prevent any lumps from forming. Turn down heat, add black pepper any any spices, and simmer for 3-5 minutes until gravy is thickened and delicious. If gravy gets too thick, add a bit more milk to thin out.

Top your air fryer chicken fried steaks with the gravy and enjoy! Top with more black pepper if desired.

More air fryer main courses

• Air fryer honey dijon salmon
• Air fryer bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Air fryer garlic butter salmon
• Air fryer honey garlic chicken thighs
• Air fryer boneless pork chops
• Air fryer stuffed peppers

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