Chicken Fried Steak with Black Pepper Gravy

Name: Chicken Fried Steak with Black Pepper Gravy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Cube steaks; 1.5 cups Buttermilk; 2 cups Flour; 1 tbsp Hot sauce; 2 Eggs; 2 cups Whole milk; 1 tbsp Coarse black pepper; 2 cups Neutral oil, for frying

Pounded-thin cube steak, buttermilk-dredged, fried until shattering-crisp. Blanketed in silky cracked-pepper cream gravy.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 25m
Cook: 20m
Serves: 4
Level: Medium

Ingredients

4servings

Cube steaks4
Buttermilk1 ½ cups
Flour2 cups
Hot sauce1 tbsp
Eggs2
Whole milk2 cups
Coarse black pepper1 tbsp
Neutral oil, for frying2 cups

Instructions

1
Wet dredge
Whisk buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce. Soak steaks 20 minutes.
2
Dry dredge
Season flour heavily. Coat steaks; press for craggy crust.
3
Fry
350°F oil, 3 minutes per side. Rest on rack.
4
Gravy
Whisk 3 tbsp seasoned flour into 3 tbsp drippings. Add milk, simmer to gravy. Finish with pepper.

Cook it safe

145°F / 63°C — Beef, pork, veal, and lamb steaks, chops, and roasts, then rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing.
160°F / 71°C — Eggs and egg dishes, or cook until both the white and the yolk are firm.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C before serving.
Use a calibrated instant-read thermometer rather than color or cooking time to judge doneness.

Temperatures follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature chart.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Calories: 871
Fat: 40g
Carbs: 71g
Protein: 53g

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 8 of 8 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.

Equipment

Instant-read meat thermometer

This recipe has a target internal temperature, and color is not a reliable way to read it.

Also useful here

Meat mallet / tenderizer — Pounding to an even thickness is what stops the thin end overcooking before the thick end is done.

These are category recommendations chosen on the criteria above, not tested product picks — we do not run a product testing program. Links go to Amazon search results for the category. As an Amazon Associate, The Neon Griddle earns from qualifying purchases. Nothing here is required to cook the recipe.