Country Vs Chicken Fried Steak: Is There A Difference?

Characterized by its hearty, rich flavors, Southern comfort food is a mouthwatering cuisine that includes a vast array of dishes. Some of the most common that come to mind include chicken and dumplings, buttermilk biscuits, and shrimp and grits. Country and chicken fried steak are on many restaurant menus, too, and while these terms are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably, they are two different dishes.

When you consider the origins and similar recipes for country and chicken fried steak, you can see how people often think they are the same. Austrian and German immigrants brought Wiener schnitzel, pan-fried veal or pork, to the States in the 1800s. Although the dish's ingredients are actually defined by law, it's probable that these Southern staples were adapted from that recipe using beef instead because it was cheaper and more readily available.

At first glance, both recipes also look similar because they call for seasoned and breaded beef — usually cube, round, or some other pre-tenderized cut of steak — that's traditionally fried in a cast iron skillet. Then, gravy is made with the drippings and poured on top. The differences are in the details, though, and two key aspects that distinguish country and chicken fried steak from each other are the breading preparation and the type of gravy poured on top.

As part of a classic Southern breakfast everyone should enjoy once in their lives (with eggs and hash browns, of course), country fried steak requires fewer ingredients and steps to prepare than its counterpart. Each side of the tenderized beef — usually cube steak — is coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried on medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet. A blend of spices or seasoned salt is often mixed into the flour for even coating. The most notable thing, though, is the lack of eggs to create a batter, which likely was because this ingredient wasn't always available in the 1800s. The result is a thinly breaded, slightly crispy fried steak.

After removing the steaks from the pan, the same skillet and drippings are used to make a brown gravy, which is the most obvious difference between country and chicken-fried steak. Since the drippings are already full of flavor from cooking the steak, it only takes flour or another thickening agent, some water, and a few minutes on the stovetop for the gravy to develop. Typically, the country-fried steak is added to the gravy in the pan to simmer so that the breading can soak up some of that rich flavor.

When it comes to the breading, the biggest difference in a chicken fried steak recipe is the extra steps to create more of a batter around the meat before pan-frying it using the dry-wet-dry method. After dredging every side of the steak through seasoned flour (or breadcrumbs), it is dipped in an egg and buttermilk mixture before being coated with the seasoned flour again. Each side is fried in a large skillet with oil and butter until the outer layer is golden. The breading comes out crispier and thicker with this method, similar to Southern fried chicken, hence the name "chicken fried."

Although the secret to crispy chicken fried steak is cooking it in the air fryer because it's less messy without the oil, that method doesn't provide the drippings needed for the next step: making Southern white gravy rather than country fried steak's brown gravy. Only some flour and milk are added to develop the gravy on medium-low heat. Then, salt and pepper are sprinkled in for a boost of flavor. Some restaurants serve chicken fried steak with the white gravy on top, while others serve it on the side so that the outer breading stays nice and crispy when you eat it.