Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak (With Gravy!)
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak (with gravy!) is a comfort-food classic you can easily make at home – no deep-frying required! Using tenderized cube steak and a seasoned, simple breading, this gluten-free and dairy-free version cooks to golden perfection in a short time with minimal mess. Try this all-in-one recipe, served with creamy white gravy, for an easy weeknight dinner.
Recipe Snapshot
PREP + COOK TIME: 35 minutes
METHOD: Air fryer
OTHER TOOLS: shallow bowls and whisk
TOTAL INGREDIENTS: 10
What’s To Love About This Recipe
- Chicken-fried steak is a classic Southern comfort food that you might reserve for ordering at a homestyle restaurant or a special occasion at home. This favorite recipe is now easily accessible to make in your air fryer – and it’s gluten and dairy-free!
- This quick and easy chicken-fried steak recipe is so simple to make. It includes tenderized cube steak and a simple dry breading to get the best crisp in the air fryer.
- You won’t need to search elsewhere for the essential white gravy to top off the steaks! It’s easy to mix up this quick gravy recipe on the stove with just a few ingredients.
- Air fryer chicken-fried steak is a budget-friendly option with a short ingredient list. You can easily make this for a weeknight dinner without the mess and cost of deep-frying. Avocado oil spray and the air fryer deliver the most crispy, golden breading you won’t be able to resist!
What is chicken-fried steak?
Chicken-fried steak is made from beef cube steak (a tenderized cut of top or bottom round steak) prepared with a fried-chicken-style breading. Cube steak is a great option for this dish because it is already tenderized to a consistent thickness and thin enough to pan-fry or air-fry easily. The crispy steak is typically served with a thick white pepper gravy and sides such as mashed potatoes or green beans.
Country-fried steak is similar to chicken-fried steak in that it uses cube steaks, but the breading is usually lighter, and it is fried in a pan on the stove. It is also usually served with brown gravy.
Ingredients Needed
For Steak:
- Cube steaks – Cube steaks are precut, mechanically or manually tenderized cuts of beef that cook quickly in the air fryer. The perforations help the meat stay juicy on the inside while the breaded outside gets crispy and delicious.
- Eggs – Beaten eggs help the flour mixture adhere to the steak in the air fryer.
- Almond flour – Almond flour forms the base of the breaded coating. The fine consistency allows the breading to crisp nicely and prevents the coating from becoming too thick or heavy.
- Tapioca flour – Tapioca flour blends with the almond flour to create a light breading that adheres well to the steaks and turns crispy and golden in the air fryer.
- Herb and garlic seasoning – Use a simple, all-purpose herb-and-garlic blend to add herbal flavor to the breading. If your blend does not contain salt, you may wish to add some to the breading mixture.
- Avocado oil spray – Instead of traditional deep frying, an oil spray does the trick here in the air fryer! Avocado oil is best for high-heat cooking and helps the chicken-fried steaks turn out crisp and deliciously browned.
For Gravy:
- Dairy-free butter – Butter creates a roux with flour when melted in a skillet. This forms the base of the thickened white gravy. Choose a dairy-free option as needed!
- Gluten-free flour – Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour to form the roux and thicken the gravy base. If you don’t need a gluten-free version, simply replace it with regular all-purpose flour.
- Chicken broth – Chicken broth creates the savory gravy base. Feel free to use regular or reduced-sodium broth and adjust seasoning to taste after cooking.
- Almond cooking milk – Almond cooking milk is an unflavored, neutral option for dairy-free cooking. Whisk the almond milk into the chicken broth and roux mixture for the final step in classic white gravy.
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak
For the Steak:
- Beat together two eggs in a shallow bowl.
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, and seasoning.
- Dip each cube steak in beaten egg and coat well.
- Transfer the cube steaks to the flour mixture and use your hands to coat them well, pressing the mixture into the meat.
- Generously spray the coated steaks with avocado oil and place them in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400℉ for 12-15 minutes until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (spray 1-2 additional times with oil if needed).
For the Gravy:
- Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Very slowly, stir in the chicken broth while continuing to whisk.
- Next, whisk in the almond cooking milk slowly.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk for 3-5 more minutes.
- If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth.
- Generously spoon the finished gravy over the cube steaks right before serving.
Pro Tips
- Typically, air fryer recipes call for flipping the contents halfway through cooking, but I find it’s better not to flip the steaks to avoid losing any breading. Since the cube steaks are already thin-cut, they will cook fairly evenly in the air fryer.
- To prevent loose breading from falling off, press the flour mixture firmly into the steaks.
- Be sure to generously spray the breaded steaks (uncooked) with avocado oil so they crisp and brown during cooking.
- If time allows, let the breaded steaks rest briefly before cooking to help the coating set.
- For the best overall texture (a juicy interior and a crispy exterior), cook the steaks at 400℉. This temperature will promote even browning without overcooking the steaks.
- Steaks should reach an internal temperature of 160-165℉.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket and cook in batches as needed. Overcrowding will prevent proper airflow and reduce the crispness.
- Be careful not to overcook the steaks – cooking longer makes cube steaks tougher, rather than more tender.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Use the same method for “chicken fried chicken!” Instead of cube steak, opt for a pounded chicken breast, and use thin-sliced ones if possible for the best texture in the air fryer.
- If you want to add a little spicy kick to the steaks, mix in some red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, or just extra ground black pepper to the flour mixture. Smoked paprika adds a bit of earthy depth to the mixture as well.
- If you do not need the fried steak to be gluten-free, you can add a crunchy option such as crushed cornflake cereal or panko breadcrumbs to the flour mixture.
- If you do not need the recipe to stay dairy-free, feel free to swap the almond cooking milk with regular whole milk or buttermilk for a richer flavor.
How To Serve Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak
With this Southern comfort food, you’ve got to include some classic sides! Chicken-fried steak pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes, which soak up the thick, creamy gravy, spooned over the top. Add a veggie or two, such as Skillet Green Beans or Sauteed Carrots, for a well-rounded plate of home-cooked goodness!
If you’re aiming to keep things on the simpler side, add a fresh Wedge Salad with Herbed Buttermilk Dressing or Instant Pot Baked Potatoes to keep your hands free to prepare the chicken-fried steak.
Storing and Reheating
How To Best Store Leftovers
Fridge
Store leftover steaks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and store leftover gravy separately for the same timeframe. (Freezing is not recommended since the breading will become soggy when defrosted.)
How To Best Reheat Leftovers
The air fryer is the best option for reheating the steaks, as it helps restore their crisp texture much better than the microwave. Add the steaks back to the air fryer basket and reheat at 350℉ for a few minutes, or until crispy and warmed through again. Reheat leftover gravy briefly in the microwave or in a skillet.
Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak (With Gravy!)
Equipment
- Shallow bowls
- whisk
Ingredients
For Steak:
- 4 cube steaks
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons herb and garlic seasoning
- Avocado oil spray
For Gravy:
- 2 tablespoon dairy free butter
- 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 11 oz almond cooking milk
Instructions
For the Steak:
- Beat together two eggs in shallow bowl
- In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, and seasoning
- Dip each cube steak in beaten egg and coat well
- Transfer cube steaks to flour mixture and use your hands to coat the steaks well, pressing the mixture into the meat
- Generously spray the coated steaks with avocado oil and place them in air fryer basket
- Cook at 400℉ for 12-15 minutes until steak reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (spray 1-2 additional times with oil if needed)
For the Gravy:
- Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat
- Whisk in flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes
- Very slowly, stir in chicken broth while continuing to whisk
- Next, whisk in almond cooking milk slowly
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk for 3-5 more minutes
- If mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth
- Spoon gravy generously over cube steaks right before serving
Notes
- Store leftover steaks and gravy in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350℉ for a few minutes until warmed through and crispy again.
- Press the flour mixture firmly into the steaks, and let them rest briefly before cooking to help the breading stick.
- Generously spray the uncooked, coated steaks with avocado oil for a crispy texture.
- Cook at 400°℉ for the best texture.
- Steaks should reach an internal temperature of 160-165℉.
- Avoid overcrowding the basket and cook in batches as needed.
- Avoid flipping the steaks during reheating or cooking to prevent the breading from falling off.
What is almond cooking milk? Is it different than regular almond milk?
I think it’s just that it’s shelf stable in smaller cartons to be able to keep on hand. I haven’t tested it but I think it would work with regular almond milk as well.