This Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak delivers all the crispy, comforting goodness of the classic Southern dish with a modern, healthier twist. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the perfect solution for busy weeknight dinners when you’re yearning for restaurant-quality comfort food.
The air fryer creates that irresistible golden-brown crust while keeping the inside tender and juicy – all with less oil than traditional deep frying. At only 399 calories per serving, you can indulge in this hearty favorite guilt-free.
Main Ingredients
- Cube Steak: 1 pound, divided into 4 equal portions for even cooking
- All-purpose flour: ½ cup, creates the crispy golden coating
- Seasonings: Perfect blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
- Buttermilk: ½ cup, helps tenderize the meat and creates adhesion
- Egg: 1 large, works with buttermilk for perfect coating
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preparation: Heat air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes to ensure proper temperature
- Season Mix: Combine flour and seasonings in one shallow bowl
- Wet Mix: Whisk buttermilk and egg in a separate bowl until well combined
- First Coating: Dip each steak piece in the seasoned flour mixture
- Wet Bath: Dredge through buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off
- Final Coating: Press back into flour mixture for complete coverage
- Air Frying: Place in air fryer, spray with cooking spray, cook 8-10 minutes
- Finishing: Flip, spray again, and cook additional 8-10 minutes until golden
Coating Tips for Perfect Breading
Getting that golden, crispy coating is super easy! For the best results, use one hand for dry ingredients and the other for wet – this keeps your fingers from getting too messy and helps the coating stick better. Press the flour mixture firmly onto the meat to help it stay put. If your coating starts looking gummy, just mix up a little extra flour mixture.
Easy Substitutions
No buttermilk? Mix regular milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. For gluten-free needs, any 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works great in place of all-purpose flour. Don’t have cube steak? Round steak pounded thin will work just as well!
Serving Ideas
This air fryer chicken fried steak is amazing with creamy country gravy! Serve it with mashed potatoes and your favorite green veggies for a classic comfort meal. Want something lighter? It’s great sliced over a fresh garden salad too. Don’t forget some hot biscuits on the side to soak up every bit of gravy!
Storage & Reheating
Keep any leftover chicken fried steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop it back in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes – this brings back that wonderful crispy coating. The microwave works too, but the breading won’t be as crunchy.
Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
For Chicken Fried Steak
- 1 lb Cube Steak Cut into 4 portions
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour gluten free if needed
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 1 egg large
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a second shallow bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.
- Dip each piece of steak into the flour mixture
- Then dredge through the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off.
- Press it back into the flour mixture, ensuring it is fully coated.
- Place the steaks in a single layer in the air fryer, spraying lightly with cooking spray. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, then flip.
- Spray the other side with cooking spray, then cook for another 8-10 minutes, until fully cooked.
