Cracker Barrel country fried steak is pure comfort food on a plate. It’s a tenderized cube steak that’s breaded in a seasoned flour mixture, pan-fried until golden and crispy, then smothered in a rich, creamy white sawmill gravy. It’s the kind of stick-to-your-ribs Southern classic you’d find on a Sunday family table.
Jump to:
Fried Steak
What I love about making this copycat Cracker Barrel recipe at home is that you get the same great flavor and southern comfort food vibes without having to leave your kitchen.
Plus, we do love Cracker Barrel recipes at this house and I get really excited every time I make a Cracker Barrel recipe, like this Cracker Barrel Sweet Potato.
Pro Tip
Don’t skip the rinse and pat-dry after the baking soda step. That’s what makes the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender. Baking soda breaks down the fibers, but if you leave it on, it’ll taste metallic.
Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak
Ingredients
- 4 cube steak 4-5 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 50 Saltine crackers crushed about 1 ¼ cups crushed
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- 1 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- A pinch of black pepper
- Oil for frying
Gravy:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups half and half or milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on it. Spray the rack with nonstick spray and set aside
- Place cube steaks in a bowl and sprinkle with baking soda, then toss to coat.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Take the beef out and rinse with cold water. Place on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towel.
- In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon salt with ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and black pepper mixture.
- Place saltine crackers in your food processor and pulse to fine crumbs.
- Mix flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in one shallow dish, place crushed crackers in another dish, and beat eggs with milk and a pinch of black pepper in a third one.
- Dip on piece of steak in flour, shake off excess flour then dip into egg mixture.
- Take the steak out of the egg and press into the crackers to coat completely.
- Place on the wire rack on the baking sheet.
- Continue with all the pieces then refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat about two cups of frying oil in a frying pan and fry steak until golden brown on both sides.
- Place fried steak on the wire rack again.
- Turn oven heat off and place the baking sheet in with the fried steaks.
Make the Sawmill gravy:
- Wait for 5-10 minutes until the frying pan cools down, then place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
- Carefully pour the contents of the frying pan through the sieve.
- You’ll end up with cooked bits in the sieve and the frying oil in the bowl.
- Reserve Two tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the cooked bits.
- Wipe the frying pan with a paper towel.
- Place pan again over medium heat and melt butter with the reserved oil add in the reserved cooked bits and flour.
- Whisk until flour disappears then slowly whisk in half and half or milk.
- Cook until sauce thickens then taste to adjust salt, black pepper and hot sauce.
- Take the steak out of the oven and serve with a generous amount of gravy.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
Nutrition
How to Make Country Fried Steak
Are you ready to make this southern recipe? Gather your ingredients, a small baking dish, set up a dredging station, and preheat your pot. Now you are ready to dive into this simple comfort food recipe.
You can use buttermilk instead of milk for more tang.
Sprinkle cube steaks with baking soda, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Rinse steaks with cold water. Pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Set up 3 bowls: one with flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne; one with cracker crumbs; one with beaten egg, milk, pinch of pepper.
Dredge each steak in flour, then egg, then press into cracker crumbs. Place on a wire rack. Add a dash of garlic powder to the flour mix if you’re into that for more flavor.
Heat about 2 cups of oil in a skillet, make sure the oil is hot enough. If you are using a thermometer, the oil should be around 350°F. Fry steaks till golden on both sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying.
Let frying pan cool a bit. Pour contents through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl.
Make the gravy in the same pot, and cook until thickened. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste before serving. Is the Gravy too thick? Splash in more milk.
FAQs
Sure! Round steak or any thin cut works, but cube steak is classic.
Sawmill gravy is more peppery than spicy. However, you can adjust the heat level by using more or less hot sauce.
While these dishes are very similar, the difference is in the breading. Chicken-fried steak has a slightly less crunchy breading that is more along the lines of a breading on chicken tenders. At the same time, country-fried steak has a nice, crunchy breading.
How to Store and Reheat
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Wrap cooked steaks in foil and freeze in a zip-top bag. They are good for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Reheat them in a 350°F oven on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. You can also air fry them at 360 degrees F for 5-7 minutes or until warm all the way through.
Serving suggestions
Serve this hearty meal alongside simple side dishes such as these garlic mashed potatoes, fried apples, and copycat Cracker Barrel biscuits. It makes a great family meal when you need something comforting.
You'll also like
Want more Cracker Barrel recipes to make at home? Next time, try this meatloaf recipe, grilled chicken tenders, or these homemade pancakes.
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Leave a Reply