These irresistible chicken fried steak fingers are super crispy tender strips of cube steak dunked in flavorful buttermilk, egg, and seasoned perfectly flour mixture and fried to golden perfection. This steak fingers recipe is a family favorite and one that is requested time and time again. Dipped into a white country gravy dipping sauce these chicken fried steak fingers are the perfect appetizer and comfort food recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Chicken fried steak fingers are a classic dish that really hits the spot. That combination of tender, juicy beef and a delicious, crispy fried chicken coating makes for a flavor everyone loves. I had chicken fried steak fingers when I lived in California, and they were pretty good. It wasn’t until I moved to Texas that I discovered what they could really be.
These steak fingers start with cube steak that I cut into 1-inch strips. I coat them in flour, an egg mixture. Then, I complete the coating with a seasoned flour mixture and fry the steak fingers until golden brown. It’s an easy recipe that creates tender, juicy steak strips that have a perfectly golden, crispy fried chicken coating that no one can stop eating. I make them for dinner and bring them to parties. There’s never a bad time to serve these! They’re just so good and so easy.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fried Steak Fingers Recipe
- These steak fingers combine the juicy tenderness of cube steak with a crispy, savory coating, and deliver a satisfying and familiar comfort food experience that everyone enjoys.
- They’re a great finger food recipe that makes them perfect for casual gatherings, parties, or even as a fun twist on dinner.
- They are versatile and customizable by adding different herbs or seasoning to the coating or using different types of dipping sauces, and they are great alongside mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and your favorite vegetables.
Ingredients
This recipe uses limited ingredients to make all its delicious flavors. You’ll only need to make one quick, in-and-out trip to the grocery store to get everything you need!
- 6 large cube steak, cut into 1 inch strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp red crushed peppers
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil
How to Make Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
Making these chicken fried steak fingers is a straightforward process. It just takes a little slicing, coating, and frying. There’s really nothing to it! You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in just a few minutes.
Step 1: Cut the Steak
Cut the steak into 1-inch strips and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess liquid. Preheat your oil to 375 degrees in an electric skillet or large, cast iron pan.
Step 2: Make the Dredge Station
Add half the flour to a large baggie. Then, whisk eggs and buttermilk together in a medium bowl and add the remaining flour and seasonings to a second medium bowl.
Step 3: Coat the Steak Strips
Pat 6 to 8 steak strips dry and add them to the baggie with the flour. Shake to coat. Then, dredge them in the egg mixture and finally the seasoned flour.
Step 4: Fry
Fry the steak fingers in small batches until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken fried steak fingers to a plate lined with paper towels and place the plate in a preheated 175-degree oven to keep them warm while the rest of the steak fingers are being fried. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To absorb as much liquid as possible from your steak strips, layer them on the plate with paper towels between each layer.
- Be sure your egg and flour bowls are large enough to accommodate the length of your steak strips for dredging.
- Begin preheating your oil before making your dredging station to ensure it’s fully heated to the correct temperature for frying.
- Fry your steak fingers in small batches to ensure the oil stays hot. If the oil temperature drops too low, the coating will get soggy and greasy instead of crispy.
Variations
- You can use chicken to make classic fried chicken strips or pork to make chicken fried pork fingers.
- Make a mild version of these steak fingers by omitting the red pepper flakes.
- Try making a wrap with these steak fingers.
What to Serve with Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
These classic chicken fried steak fingers pair well with your favorite fried food sides. Try them with:
- French fries
- Home fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Tater tots
- Potato chips
- Mac and cheese
- Coleslaw
- Baked beans
Recipe FAQ
Chicken fried steak fingers are cubed steak strips coated in classic fried chicken batter and then deep fried until golden and crispy.
Chicken fried steak gets its name because its coating is a classic fried chicken batter and it’s fried in oil just like fried chicken.
Give your steak strips a gentle tap after dredging them in the egg mixture and another tap after dredging them in the flour mixture. This ensures a coating that’s not too thick. It’s important to be sure your oil is fully heated, as well. This allows the coating to begin cooking immediately on the outside, preventing it from getting soggy and falling off the steak fingers.
Chicken fried steak is made with cube steak strips that are dredged in a classic fried chicken batter.
You sure can! Cook your steak fingers in the air fryer from 5 to 7 minutes at 325 degrees, flipping them once halfway through cooking.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
Refrigerate your steak fingers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much as removed as possible.
To reheat these chicken fried steak fingers, place them in an air fryer and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes at 325 degrees, flipping halfway through cooking.
Try These Delicious Chicken Fried Steak Fingers Today
These chicken fried steak fingers are a classic southern dish that will have everyone coming back for more. They’re so easy to make, you’ll be happy to oblige! With just a few ingredients, these simple steak fingers are ready in no time and always a hit for lunch, dinner, or parties. Give these a try, and I know you’ll make them a permanent part of your recipe rotation.
Here are a few more delicious comfort food recipes you can find on the blog: Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta, Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Onion Gravy, Chicken Fried Steak with County Gravy, Fresh Peach Cobbler, and Easy Cherry Cobbler plus many more.
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Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
Ingredients
- 6 large cube steak, cut into 1 inch strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp red crushed peppers
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Using an electric skillet, or large cast iron pan, heat oil to 375°.
- Cut cubed steaks into 1 inch strips and place on plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess liquid. As you cut steak into strips and fill the plate, add another layer of paper towels and continue stacking fingers with paper towels in between layers to absorb excess liquid and pat dry.
- While the oil is heating up, add half the flour into a large baggie then prepare 2 different bowls that are big enough for the steaks. The first bowl has eggs and buttermilk whisked together, and the second bowl has the other half of the flour mixed with all the seasonings.
- Once the oil is ready, pat dry and place about 6-8 steak fingers into the baggie with the flour, seal and shake to coat. Next add to the egg mixture, then into the flour with the seasonings, then into the skillet.
- Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Once the first batch is cooked, place on a plate lined with paper towels and place into a preheated oven at 175° to keep warm while the rest of the steak fingers are being cooked.
- Repeat the coating process for the remaining steak fingers. For best results, make sure to coat the steak fingers right before going into the skillet.
Notes
- To absorb as much liquid as possible from your steak strips, layer them on the plate with paper towels between each layer.
- Be sure your egg and flour bowls are large enough to accommodate the length of your steak strips for dredging.
- Begin preheating your oil before making your dredging station to ensure it’s fully heated to the correct temperature for frying.
- Fry your steak fingers in small batches to ensure the oil stays hot. If the oil temperature drops too low, the coating will get soggy and greasy instead of crispy.
Nutrition
My family enjoyed them, I think my husband will want me to make them more often.I didn’t even a get taste they both ate everything.I guess I will go to bed with peanut butter and jam.thank you for the recipe.
I’m so glad your family enjoyed these! That’s too bad you didn’t even get to taste them. Make sure next time you set yourself some aside. Thank you for sharing! :)
Do you figure this feeds 6 people? I know some times people will eat more or less when foods are in different forms????. These look so much like dish I used to enjoy at a local restaurant. They served theirs with a Texas pedal type sauce I am excited to try this it’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed steak fingers!.
Yes Allyson, it sure will. I hope you enjoy these. They are super yummy! :)
What is Slap Ya Mama seasoning? I am a southern girl who now lives in Alaska and haven’t heard of it before.
Hi Kim, it’s a cajun seasoning and can be purchased at Walmart or your local grocery store. :)
I want to make this but I only have round steak would that work?
Hi Pam, you will not get the same results using round steak, but give it a try, I’m sure it will be good. :)
Pound the steak a lot since round steak is tough.
Can these be air fried?
Hi Hilary, I have not tried them in an air fryer yet. If you end up trying it let me know how they turned out if you wouldn’t mind. :)