Crispy Herb Chicken Fried Steak

Why This Crispy Herb Chicken Fried Steak Works

During the double coating, the cube steak picks up a thick layer of seasoned flour that sticks to the egg and milk. That soft layer of flour and egg clings to the meat and forms a kind of shell. As the steaks hit the hot oil and butter, the outside browns fast and turns crisp, while the meat inside stays moist and tender instead of drying out.

Once the steaks come out of the pan, all the browned bits and leftover fat stay behind. When the extra seasoned flour goes into the skillet, it soaks up that fat and turns into a paste. As the chicken broth and cream are whisked in, that paste swells and thickens the liquid into a smooth gravy. The herbs that were in the flour spread through the gravy, so the same flavors that are on the crust also run through the sauce, tying the whole dish together.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pan get too hot before frying makes the coating brown very fast while the cube steak inside stays chewy and undercooked. The crust can look done in a minute or two, but the meat hasn’t had time to soften, so the steak ends up tough with a slightly burnt outside.

Skipping the second dip in the flour after the egg wash leaves a thin, patchy crust. During frying, the coating slides off in spots, the meat touches the pan, and those areas turn hard and dry instead of staying covered and crisp.

Using all of the seasoned flour in the breading step leaves nothing to build the gravy. Then the gravy has to be made with plain flour, which thickens but doesn’t pick up the browned bits as well, so it turns out more pasty and flat instead of smooth and rich.

Pouring the chicken broth and cream into the pan too fast makes the leftover flour clump. The gravy forms lumps that don’t break down easily, so it stays grainy and uneven instead of silky.