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A plate with a country fried cube steak topped with brown gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts, and two biscuits.
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Country Fried Steak with Brown Onion Gravy

Cube steak fried hard, smothered in a brown onion gravy strained silky enough to pour. This is the Sunday dinner people ask for seconds on before they've finished firsts.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Servings: 4 servings (1 steak plus gravy per person)
Calories: 569kcal
Author: Brittany Lauren

Ingredients

For the Steaks

  • 4 cube steaks about 1-1 1/4 lbs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • Neutral oil for pan-frying (vegetable or canola) enough for 1/4 inch depth in the skillet

For the Brown Onion Gravy

  • 1/4 cup yellow onion minced very fine
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Dredge the Steaks

  • Pat the cube steaks dry. Mix flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a shallow dish. Dredge each steak once, pressing the flour in gently, then shake off excess. Set on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
    Raw cube steak coated in flour sits on a white plate, placed on a wooden surface.

Pan-Fry

  • Preheat the oven to 180-200°F (as low as it goes). Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 325-350°F. Fry steaks in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to the wire rack, then into the oven with the door cracked to keep warm.
    A round cube steak is deep frying in a black pan with a white handle, placed on a wooden surface.

Make the Brown Onion Gravy

  • If any flour in the pan has burned, wipe the skillet clean and add 1 Tbsp fresh butter or oil first. Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter in the skillet, add the minced onion, and cook 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to form a roux; cook 1-2 minutes until light tan. Slowly whisk in the beef broth, scraping up the fond. Stir in the Worcestershire and simmer 5-7 minutes until thickened and smooth.
    A white-handled skillet filled with brown gravy sits on a wooden surface.

Strain and Season

  • Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve back into the skillet, discarding the onions (or reserving them to spoon over mashed potatoes). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
    A metal strainer with diced onions in liquid is placed on a wooden surface.

Smother and Simmer

  • Return the steaks to the skillet and spoon gravy over the top. Cover and simmer on low for 4-5 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Serve

  • Serve over mashed potatoes or biscuits with sauteed greens on the side. Garnish with cracked black pepper and minced flat-leaf parsley.
    Four cooked country fried steaks with brown gravy and chopped parsley are arranged in a black skillet.

Notes

  • If the flour in the pan burns while frying, stop and wipe the skillet clean before starting the gravy. Burnt flour makes the gravy bitter and can't be fixed.
  • This dish oversalts quickly between the dredge, the broth, and the Worcestershire. Taste after straining, before adding extra salt.
  • Store steaks and gravy separately in the fridge up to 4 days. Freeze gravy alone up to 2 months; the fried crust doesn't hold up to freezing.
  • Developed in a cast-iron skillet. A heavy-bottomed stainless skillet works too, just watch the heat closer since it holds temperature less evenly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servings | Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1487mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 6mg