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

Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

Course: lunch
Cuisine: American Southern
Keyword: chicken fried steak recipe, DQ Dude copycat recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Buns and Gravy: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Calories: 758kcal
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.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Sturdy skillet for frying

Ingredients

For the Steaks

  • 4 3 oz cube steaks tenderized
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp adobo seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 2 tbsp black pepper divided
  • 2 tbsp 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 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp onion salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Vegetable oil for frying

For the Cream Gravy

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

For the Sandwiches

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 tsp pepper. In the third pan, mix together the remaining 1½ cups flour with 1 tbsp 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 tsp of adobo seasoning (or seasoned salt) and 1 tsp black pepper. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble the Sandwiches

  • Butter and toast the buns, if desired.
  • Smear about 1 to 2 tbsp 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