Another comfort food favorite to enjoy. It’s surprisingly easy to make this classic dish right at home. My recipe for Chicken Fried Elk Steak doesn’t require many ingredients, and most of them you probably have in your kitchen already. The best part? It tastes fantastic.
You’ve probably heard of both “chicken fried” and “country fried,” but what exactly is the difference? Honestly, it’s mostly just the gravy. Brown gravy is standard for country fried, and a white peppery gravy is traditional for chicken fried.
Something to note in this recipe is that I simply dredge my country fried steaks in flour. With chicken fried recipes, you dust the meat in a flour, coat it in an egg wash, and then add more flour for a thicker, crisper breading. This recipe still allows the meat, or elk in this case, to shine through as you continue to #CelebratetheHunt. The gravy from this recipe goes great with a side of mashed potatoes, or in breakfast burritos the following morning! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as our family does.
Cooking Time
40-50 minutesIngredients
For Chicken Fried Steak:
- 2-3 lbs elk steak (or other wild game meat)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil for cooking
- 1 tbsp butter
For Gravy:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
Preparation:
- Preheat a large cast iron, or other oven safe, skillet to medium heat and season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper.
- Combine flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper on a plate. Then, combine egg and milk, and put on another plate with a rim so it doesn’t spill when dredging the steaks.
- Tenderize the steaks either with a meat mallet or a cubing machine. Then, place one steak first in the seasoned flour, then in the egg wash, coating it entirely. Give it a second flour coat, and then place on a separate, clean plate. Repeat this process with your other steaks.
Cooking:
- Place canola oil in preheated skillet and allow it to heat up. Add one tbsp of butter to the skillet, and then add the steaks, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. If necessary, you can cook the steaks in batches.
- Cook each steak for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Once they are browned, remove and place on a cooling rack so the oil will drain.
- As steaks are being browned, preheat a 2-quart saucepan to medium heat, then add butter. As the butter heats, slowly add in the flour, whisking continuously until you reach the desired consistency.
- Slowly add in the milk, while continuing to whisk the mixture. Season with as much salt and freshly cracked pepper as you desire, again, continuing to stir until it thickens. This process may take 8-10 minutes, and if it becomes too thick, add a little more milk.
