www.thecountrycook.net
Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
These perfectly seasoned and marinated Chicken Fried Steak Fingers are so tender from the buttermilk soak and have the perfect crispy, golden brown breading!
EASY TENDER JUICY STEAK FINGERS RECIPE
I love these Chicken Fried Steak Fingers! I fell in love with them when we lived in Texas. I had always LOVED Chicken Fried Chicken, but I didn’t actually eat reallllly good Chicken Fried Steak until we moved to Texas and ever since then, I’ve been head over heels for these things. I love that I can still enjoy these no matter where we live.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How thick do I want the cubed steaks? You want to make sure that your cubed steaks are less than ½ inch thick. If they are thicker than that, it will result in a tougher steak. When looking in the grocery store, look for the thinnest ones you can find, oftentimes they’ll still need to be pounded down to get thin enough. Just use a meat mallet to get them to the appropriate size. Can I make Chicken Fried Steak Fingers ahead of time and freeze them? If you would like to make this ahead of time, I would recommend following all instructions and cooking the chicken fried steak fingers and then freezing, rather than freezing the uncooked breaded meat. Gravy does not freeze well, so I would recommend making that fresh when ready to serve. What size pan should I use? I used my 12-inch cast iron pan. It is large enough to fit several pieces of meat and is tall enough to deep fry food in. If you don’t have one that size, you may need to cook them in more batches. Why should I soak in buttermilk? Soaking in buttermilk is highly recommended so you can get the meat nice and tender. While it’s not absolutely a MUST do if you’re out of it or don’t want to, it is something that I highly recommend so you can get the most tender, best quality Chicken Fried Steak Fingers. Do I have to make the gravy from scratch? No way. If you don’t want to go through the work of the homemade gravy, that’s no problem. Just use a packet of white pepper gravy instead. What to serve with Chicken Fried Steak Fingers? I enjoyed these Steak Fingers with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans. But they’re good with any of your favorite side dishes. I like them some comfort food sides like Macaroni Salad, Corn on the Cob, Cafeteria Noodles, Southern Fried Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Crock Pot Baked Beans, and more. I’d never turn down some Homemade Dinner Rolls with them either. How do I store leftovers? Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
cubed steak– I used about 6 pieces. When buying your steak, try to look for the thinnest sliced cubed steak you can find.
large eggs
milk
whole buttermilk– whole buttermilk works best for how we’re using it in this recipe. The thickness of it helps the breading stick to the meat. But feel free to use what you have.
saltine crackers– this makes for the best crunchy breading – trust me on this. If you are watching your sodium you can use unsalted crackers.
all-purpose flour
seasoned salt
garlic powder
paprika
oil for frying- I would suggest using canola, peanut oil, vegetable oil or lard for frying the meat in
pan drippings– I use this in the gravy, but you could use butter if you don’t want to use the drippings.
half and half – half and half makes an extra creamy gravy. If you don’t have half and half, you could use regular milk or heavy cream (you may need to adjust the amounts).
salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK FINGERS
Using a meat mallet, pound your steaks until they’re at least less than ½ inch thick (if they are not already thinner than that). Then, you will cut cubed steaks into strips that are about 1 ½-inches wide. Place the cubed steak strips into a bowl and pour 2 cups of buttermilk over top of the meat. Gently stir to and make sure each strip is covered. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, drain cubed steak strips in a strainer over a large bowl. Let this sit and drain while you prepare the breading mixture.
In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup flour, the crushed crackers, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a second bowl, add the remaining ½ cup of flour and season with salt and pepper. In the third bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
Take one strip of cubed steak and coat with the flour mixture. Next, dip it in the egg mixture and then coat it evenly with the cracker mixture. Lay on a baking sheet to rest while you continue the process for the remaining strips. *tip* refrigerate breaded steak finger for 30 minutes before frying. This will help the breading stick better.
In a large frying pan (cast iron works best), heat 2-3 inches of oil to 325 degrees. Once your oil is up to temperature, arrange 4-5 strips in pan and cook for 4 minutes on one side and flip. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until golden brown. The internal temperature should read 145 degrees. Remove steak fingers to a wire rack to drain the oil. Continue cooking the remaining meat in batches.
Heat the reserved 5 tablespoons of oil or butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in flour and whisk vigorously until all clumps are gone. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Slowly add in the half and half and continue whisking to mix everything together well. Add in salt and pepper. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes so it can thicken.
Serve the gravy with the steak fingers and enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Chicken Fried Steak
Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak
Pan Seared Steak
Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Chicken and Waffles
Print
Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
These perfectly seasoned and marinated Chicken Fried Steak Fingers are so tender from the buttermilk soak and have the perfect crispy, golden brown breading!
Course Main CourseCuisine American
Prep Time 3 hours hoursCook Time 30 minutes minutesTotal Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 724kcal
Author Brandie @ The Country Cook
IngredientsFor the Chicken Fried Steak Fingers:2 pounds cubed steak (about 6 steaks)2 large eggs⅓ cup milk2 cups whole buttermilk25 saltine crackers, crushed1 cup all-purpose flour, divided use1 teaspoon seasoned salt1 teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon paprikapeanut oil or lard, for frying (I prefer lard)For the Cream Gravy:5 Tablespoons pan drippings4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour2 ½ cups half and half¾ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon black pepper
InstructionsChicken Fried Steak Fingers:You want to make sure that your cubed steaks are ess than ½ inch thick. If they are thicker than that, it will result in a tougher steak. If necessary, you will need to make the steaks thinner by pounding them with a meat mallet. Then, you will cut cubed steaks into strips that are about 1 ½ inches wide. Place the cubed steak strips into a bowl and pour 2 cups of buttermilk over top of the meat. Gently stir to and make sure each strip is covered. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (this will further tenderize the steak). After 3 hours, drain cubed steak strips in a strainer over a large bowl. Let this sit and drain while you prepare the breading mixture. In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup flour, the crushed crackers, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a second bowl, add the remaining ½ cup of flour and season with salt and pepper. In the third bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Take one strip of cubed steak and coat with the flour mixture. Next, dip it in the egg mixture and then coat it evenly with the cracker mixture. Lay on a baking sheet to rest while you continue the process for the remaining strips. TIP: If you have time, refrigerate breaded steak finger for 30 minutes before frying. This will help the breading stick better. In a large frying pan (cast iron works best), heat 2-3 inches of oil or lard to 325F degrees. Once the oil is up to temperature, arrange 4-5 strips in pan and cook for 4 minutes on one side and flip. Do not overcrowd the pan or the meat will just steam and not get crispy. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until golden brown. The internal temperature should read 145 degrees. Remove steak fingers to a wire rack to drain the oil. Continue cooking the remaining meat in batches. Cream Gravy Directions:Drain all but about 5 Tablespoons of the pan drippings into a heat safe bowl.Add in flour and whisk vigorously until all clumps are gone. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Slowly add in the half and half and continue whisking to mix everything together well. Add in salt and pepper.Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes so it can thicken. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. I tend to add more salt but that is all personal prefernce. Serve gravy with steak fingers and enjoy!
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
NutritionCalories: 724kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 43g | Sodium: 1.135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g