Country-Fried Round Steak

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 07/10/21
Country-fried steak with mashed potatoes and biscuits.

wsmahar/Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This basic country-fried round steak recipe comes together with a crust made with bread crumbs and cracker crumbs. The creamy gravy and egg coating in this recipe make it more like a chicken-fried steak than country-fried. Whatever you call it, it's a classic Southern dish. The steaks are usually made with thinned and tenderized round steak or cube steak.

The steaks are finished with a simple pan gravy, but feel free to use a packaged country gravy if you'd like.

Not only do these steaks make a delicious dinner main dish, but they are also a fabulous breakfast dish. Serve them with mashed potatoes or eggs and hash browns.

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless round steak

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon

  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup cracker crumbs

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the Gravy:

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Trim excess fat from steak; pound to 1/4-inch thickness.

  2. Cut steak into serving size pieces.

  3. Whisk eggs with lemon zest, and juice, salt, and pepper.

  4. Combine bread crumbs and cracker crumbs.

  5. Dip steak into egg mixture; dredge in crumb mixture.

  6. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. It should be about 350 F.

  7. Cook steaks in the hot oil until browned and cooked through, turning once.

  8. Remove the steaks and keep warm. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil and place the skillet on medium-low heat.

  9. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the oil and cook, stirring, until the flour has lightly browned.

  10. Gradually add 1 cup of milk to the roux and continue cooking for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasonings.

  11. Serve the steaks with the gravy.

Tip

  • You can use one medium lemon for both the zest and juice. Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
710 Calories
47g Fat
14g Carbs
59g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 710
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g 60%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 249mg 83%
Sodium 379mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 59g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 123mg 9%
Iron 5mg 30%
Potassium 593mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)