Southern · main

Chicken Fried Steak with Peppered Cream Gravy

Chicken Fried Steak with Peppered Cream Gravy reads richness 7.4, umami 7.4 and salinity 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 36 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.4 · Umami 7.4 · Salinity 4.0 · Allium 3.5 · Heat 3.3 · Sourness 3.2 · Smoke 2.7 · Earthy 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.5 · Funk & Ferment 2.0 · Bitterness 1.4 · Sweetness 1.4 · Nutty 0.9 · Herbaceous 0.9 · Fruity 0.8

What's in it (12)

• stew cubes beef — 680 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 5 g
• buttermilk — 237 g
• egg — 100 g
• all-purpose flour — 181 g
• garlic — 5 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• cayenne pepper — 3 g
• vegetable oil — 218 g
• regular milk — 710 g
• black pepper — 7 g

Time & effort: about 36 min (26 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 225.4 kcal, 16.7 g protein, 4.3 g fat, 29.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the cube steaks dry, then season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper; if the steaks aren't already pounded thin, pound them between sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/4 inch.
2. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a shallow dish; in a second shallow dish, whisk 1 1/4 cups of the flour with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Dredge each steak in the seasoned flour, dip in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge again in the flour, pressing to help the crust adhere; set the breaded steaks on a wire rack and let rest 10 minutes so the coating sets.
4. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Fry the steaks two at a time, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
5. Transfer the fried steaks to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in a 200°F oven while you make the gravy.
6. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet, keeping the browned bits in the pan; whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden and no longer smells raw, 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Gradually whisk in the whole milk, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer, whisking often, until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes.
8. Stir in the coarsely ground pepper and season with salt to taste, thinning with a splash more milk if the gravy is too thick.
9. Plate the chicken fried steaks and ladle the peppered gravy generously over top; serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Texas-Style No-Bean Beef Chili — American
• Tinga Poblana de Puerco y Chorizo — Mexican · Puebla
• Smoky Dr Pepper Pulled Pork — American · Barbecue
• Barbacoa de Res — Mexican
• Machanka (Pork Rib and Sausage Dipping Gravy) — Belarusian

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.