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Home » Recipe Index » Comfort Food

Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

Published: Oct 24, 2021 · Modified: Mar 4, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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A chicken fried steak sandwich with cream gravy oozing from the bottom bun sitting on a cutting board.

If you love a yummy chicken fried steak dinner, just wait until you have it in a sandwich.

We’re taking this Southern classic fried steak and turning it into an unbelievable sandwich with homemade buns, savory cream gravy, and a chicken fried steak like none other.


If you liked this video, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And remember to click the ‘Bell’ icon so you’ll never miss a new video!

How To Make a Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

This may seem like a daunting sandwich to take on.

But you’ll be surprised at how easy it actually is to make from scratch.

And the results will speak for themselves.

A chicken fried steak sandwich topped with sliced tomato and lettuce sitting on a wooden cutting board.

If you liked this video, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And remember to click the ‘Bell’ icon so you’ll never miss a new video!

How To Make It Extra Crispy

We have a few tricks up our sleeve for making the cutlet extra crunchy.

First, we dredge tenderized cube steaks in corn starch.

EXPERT TIP: Corn starch helps to create a crispy breading and is often used in Asian fried food.

Dredge the cube steak in corn starch.

Next, we’re going to make a thick wet mixture consisting of the following ingredients:

  • Flour
  • Beer
  • Milk
  • Egg
  • Chili powder
  • Smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper

Mix until fully incorporated. The mixture will be thick. Plunge the steak into it and let the excess drip off.

Dip the steak into a wet batter flour, beef broth, milk and seasonings.

Now, dredge through flour seasoned with adobo seasoning and pepper.

EXPERT TIP: Now, to make it super crispy, plunge it once again in the wet mixture and then in the seasoned flour.

A final dredge through seasoned flour for crunch chicken fried steak.

The Best Method for Frying

We recommend frying the breaded steaks in a sturdy skillet with an inch or two of hot vegetable oil.

The weight of the steak will ensure that the breading adheres to the meat as is fries.

EXPERT TIP: Make sure your oil is at 350°F. These steaks only take a few minutes per side. Because they are so thin, they cook quickly.

Fill a large skillet with just enough oil to partially submerge the steak as it fries.

A Dairy Queen Classic Sandwich

Dairy Queen is an iconic fast food restaurant that has been popular in the Southern U.S. since the 1940s.

Their DQ Dude is what we are modeling our chicken fried steak sandwich after.

To make it even better, we’re making our buns from scratch. They are so much easier to make than you might think!

A chicken fried steak cutlet sitting on a baking rack next to homemade hamburger buns.

Dairy Queen adds salad dressing to the bun for their sandwich.

No disrespect, but we just can’t do that.

This sandwich is begging for homemade cream gravy.

A person spooning cream gravy onto a bottom hamburger bun.

When To Serve

This sandwich is just so much fun to serve.  It’s great for a festive lunch or feeding a crowd to watch the big game. 

We love to invite guests over and let them create their own monster sandwiches.

EXPERT TIP: The fried cutlets can be made a couple of hours in advance and then kept in a low-temp oven. The gravy can easily be reheated on the stove. If necessary, add a little more cream to the gravy.

A chicken fried steak sandwich with cream gravy oozing from the bottom bun sitting on a cutting board.

We are big fans of Dairy Queen, and would never disparage this trail-blazing institution.

Seriously, we wouldn’t.

But, if you want the best chicken fried steak sandwich in the world, you can now do it in your very own kitchen!

Ready to make an epic sandwich that folks will be talking about for weeks? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

A chicken fried steak sandwich topped with sliced tomato and lettuce sitting on a wooden cutting board.

Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

Our Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich is our version of Dairy Queen's DQ Dude. We show you how to make buns from scratch, as well as a delicious savory cream gravy. And, of course, the crunchiest fried steak cutlet of all time. Classic and unforgettable.
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: lunch
Cuisine: American Southern
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Buns and Gravy: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 758kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Equipment

  • Sturdy skillet for frying

Ingredients

For the Steaks

  • 4 3 oz cube steaks tenderized
  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoon adobo seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 2 tablespoon black pepper divided
  • 2 tablespoon hot sauce such as Tobasco
  • 1 cup corn starch
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour divided
  • ½ cup beer or beef stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Vegetable oil for frying

For the Cream Gravy

  • 2 tablespoon bacon grease or butter
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sandwiches

  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2 tomatoes sliced
  • green leaf lettuce cut into pieces

Instructions

Do Ahead

  • Make the homemade hamburger buns

Make the Chicken Fried Steak Cutlets

  • Pour enough oil into a large skillet so it reaches about 1 inch up the side. Heat the oil to 350°F, or until a pinch of bread tossed in turns golden brown after about 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Season one side of the steaks with Worcestershire sauce, adobo seasoning, and pepper. Turn the steaks over and season with hot sauce, adobo seasoning, and pepper.
  • Set up a dredging station with three pans or bowls. In the first pan, add the corn starch. In the next pan mix together 1½ cups flour, beer, milk, egg, chili powder, onion salt, paprika, and ½ teaspoon pepper. In the third pan, mix together the remaining 1½ cups flour with 1 tablespoon of adobo seasoning.
  • Dredge each steak through the corn starch, shaking off excess. Then plunge into the wet mixture, holding the steak upright to allow excess batter to drip off. Dredge through the seasoned flour. For extra crispy cutlets, dredge through the wet and the flour mixture a second time.
  • Working in batches, carefully add the cutlets to the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until turning golden brown. Use a pair of tongs to gently flip the steaks over and cook for another few minutes, until completely golden brown and crispy all over. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Keep warm in a low-temp oven if not serving immediately.

Make the Cream Gravy

  • In a separate large skillet, heat the bacon grease (or butter) over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Add more flour if necessary. Cook, stirring often, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Carefully whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Continue whisking to remove lumps. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of adobo seasoning (or seasoned salt) and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble the Sandwiches

  • Butter and toast the buns, if desired.
  • Smear about 1 to 2 tablespoon of the gravy on the bottom bun. Place 1 fried cutlet over the gravy. Top with sliced tomato and green leaf lettuce. Cover with the top bun and serve at once, passing more gravy on the side for dunking.

Notes

See the video near the top of the post for a visual guide.  If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
The buns and the gravy can be made 24 hours in advance.  Simply reheat the gravy on the stove over medium heat until bubbly.  Add a little more milk if too thick. 
3 oz. may seem like small steaks, but after being breaded and fried, they get much larger. 
If you can't find tenderized cube steaks, go with any inexpensive cut of meat, and pound with a meat tenderizer until thin. 

Nutrition

Calories: 758kcal | Carbohydrates: 310g | Protein: 102g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 615mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 2124mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 10508IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 1548mg | Iron: 33mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

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Comments

  1. Michelle says

    March 09, 2025 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    Oh, this was so good! I did cheat and I didn’t make the buns. But The Griffen decided this didn’t even need a bun, it was so good. I was a little nervous frying in the oil, as I’d never done that before, but I just watched the video and it turned out perfect. I double dredged those steaks, and they were so crispy! 100% Griffen Approved. Thank you guys, your recipes and YouTube video tutorials have not steered me wrong yet.

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      March 15, 2025 at 1:42 pm

      Michelle! We LOVE everything about you and the Griffen! You know how to have fun in the kitchen and that makes us so happy! And we are thrilled that you are having fun with our recipes! We have to say the CFS sandwich is one of our favorites!!! Sounds like you made it perfectly (and don’t worry, the homemade hamburger buns are completely for fun, and not required at all!). Thank you (as always) for sharing and for being so awesome! Can hardly wait to hear about the next dish you make!!!! xox

      Reply
  2. John Rhoe says

    February 22, 2024 at 11:45 pm

    4 stars
    I haven’t made this yet, but I will . What an amazing recipe!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      February 28, 2024 at 1:43 pm

      Awesome! We can assure you this chicken fried steak is the BOMB!! Let us know if you make it and what you think! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  3. Ed says

    June 16, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    Too much breading

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      June 17, 2023 at 11:03 am

      Not in our books, but thanks so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  4. Jess says

    November 07, 2021 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    I exploded my kitchen making this, and it was worth it. 100% Jess approved!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      November 12, 2021 at 11:55 am

      Hi Jess!! You just made our day!!!! We are so so happy you made our CFS sammy and loved it so much (sorry about the exploding kitchen, though!!!). Thanks so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us!

      Reply
  5. Stephen McAnally says

    October 24, 2021 at 8:38 pm

    4 stars
    Unless you have a better one I like this recipe for just a regular chicken fried steak dinner with bigger steaks. I particularly like the use of the adobo and the beer.

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      October 30, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Thanks, Stephen!! This is our go-to recipe for CFS. Of course, with larger steaks. Hope you enjoy the recipe, it’s one of our all-time favorites!

      Reply
4.50 from 4 votes

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