So delicious. So comforting. So perfect. All the time, but especially for this time. Everyone needs a good comfort food meal. What’s your go-to?

This is an absolute favorite of my husbands, and I dig it too. Pretty hard. At first I didn’t think I would, but then I became a convert. I also like that you can easily make a great, hearty comforting meal while making the Chicken Fried Steak by throwing some peas into some boiling water for a hot minute and whipping up a quick batch of mashed potatoes! Doesn’t get more classic that that.

Don’t take my word for it. Here! Watch for yourself:

Or here:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_F3Q4uDAjh/?igshid=1uxvc8cj3b2am

There’s a big margin for error in this recipe and it’s easy to adapt to you (or your family’s) personality and nuances. It might say that you need 2C flour and 3 eggs, but lets be honest. It’s for dredging. You can eyeball that. And if you don’t have that third egg or don’t quiiiite have that much flour on hand. Who cares. You can still make it!

Additionally, and I know this might be blasphemy, but I don’t tenderize my beef. I just use cubed steak and it comes out delicious. It’s a great way to stretch an inexpensive piece of meat!

I also have this irrational fear of frying things. I don’t even like cooking bacon. I feel like I’m going to spill or splatter the grease, start a grease fire and then the whole house will burn down, you know? But I’m extra that way…

But I digress again. Once more. Chicken Fried Steak is great for breaking your frying fears because it has very little breading, doesn’t splatter that much when cooking and only cooks a short while in a shallow pan (3-4 minutes per side). So it’s not like you’re there slaving over the stove cooking batch after batch of fried chicken, sweating over a huge vat of oil. See? I’m extra with irrational fears.

But anyhow, I digress. You can do this! And you’ll be happy you did in the end. I used a combination of Alton Brown and Red Drummonds recipes. Both of which you can find here and here!

Here’s what you’ll need and what you do. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds cubed steak (approximately 2-4 slices)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 whole eggs, beaten mixed with a little water for an egg wash
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. 
3. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
4. Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet or pan and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. 
5. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
6. Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. 
7. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.