Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak Recipe With The Best Country Gravy

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak has become one of my favorite air fryer recipes. Not only is it super easy to make, but it also tastes identical to when it is cooked in a deep fryer.

However, you never have to worry about the guilt of eating deep fried food because it is not cooked in hot oil.

If you have never had or heard of this popular recipe the name alone might lead you to believe that you were eating an air fryer chicken recipe. Although, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It is actually made from cubed steak that you purchase at the grocery store or from your local butcher shop. The thin cut of meat is taken from the bottom or top round, and before packaged it goes through a meat tenderizer process.

Then the entire steak is transitioned into a breaded cutlet and served with a country-style gravy on top. And if my childhood food memories are still accurate, a serving of mashed potatoes and green beans would often be served with it, making it a comforting meal for all!

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

Ingredients

• Cube steak
• All-purpose flour
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Paprika
• Salt and Pepper
• Egg
• Water

*Gravy Ingredients

• Butter
• Flour
• Milk
• Heavy whipping cream
• Salt and Pepper

* The normal way to serve chicken fried steak is to pour the gravy over top. Although you may attempt to skip this process to save on the extra calories, I promise you, the white gravy is what makes this recipe so delicious!

Instructions

Set air fryer to 370°F and allow it to preheat for at least 5 minutes.

Although your brand of air fryer may not require you to preheat before adding food, it is a good idea to do this whenever you are cooking something that has a fresh breading on the exterior surface. This makes the breading cook faster and not fall off.

While the air fryer is heating, remove the cube steaks from the package. Then pat them dry with a paper towel, and place them on a cutting board. If they are thicker on one side, use a meat mallet to pound them until uniform in size.

Now cut the steaks into smaller portions. As a general rule of thumb cut a pound of cube steak into at least 4 portions for even cooking.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, make an egg mixture with egg and water. Then whisk until well combined.

How To Bread Cubed Steaks

To prepare your chicken fried steak for the air fryer make an assembly line with the cubed steaks, flour, and egg mixture.

Working with one steak a time dip it into the flour mixture and then let the excess flour fall off. Then dip it in the egg mixture. Finally dip it one more time into the flour mixture making sure that the dry ingredients coat the entire surface.

Place the breaded steaks on a plate and repeat with the other pieces. When you are ready to cook, place each piece of chicken fried steak in the air fryer in a single layer.

If you want an extra crispy exterior, be sure to spray oil on the top of each steak.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through the cooking process. Be sure to spray oil on top after flipping.

Gravy Instructions

While the chicken fried steaks are in the air fryer, prepare the gravy. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and slowly whisking in the flour, milk, whipping cream, salt, and pepper.

Cook until the gravy is thick and then remove from heat. You can add more milk if the mixture becomes too thick.

If you like things a little spicy, feel free to add in a little hot sauce to the gravy as well.

Using a spatula, remove the chicken fried steak from the air fryer and pour the gravy over top before serving. Enjoy!

Air Fryer Basket vs. Air Fryer Oven

This recipe has been tested in both my Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker/Air Crisper and in my Power 360 Air Fryer Oven.

Although the end results is the same, I find that food cooked in my basket style air fryer cooks faster and more crisp than in my air fryer oven. Therefore, begin to check for doneness earlier when using a smaller air fryer.

How To Reheat Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak

Air Fryer Country Fried Steaks can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If refrigerated, reheat at 350°F for 3-5 minutes until heated through.

However, if they are frozen, increase the air fryer temperature to 380°F and cook for 6-7 minutes.

Although you may think of using the microwave for reheating, I would try to avoid it if possible. Most often when heated in the microwave the breading will become soggy and they won’t be as good as if heated them in an air fryer or oven.

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