Chicken Fried Steak Fingers

Coated in a crunchy batter made for dippin’, these Chicken Fried Steak Fingers are truly irresistible. Served with an easy white gravy, you’ll keep going back for more!

One of my favorite hearty breakfasts is chicken fried steak slathered in peppered white gravy, it is truly magical. So I took my staple breakfast and turned it into an easier version, Chicken Fried Steak Fingers, and now I have the excuse to eat it whenever I want!

Let’s face it, this is no healthy meal by any means, but when I want to indulge, I love making this recipe because my whole family goes crazy for it too.

I mean, what’s not to love? We start with a ribeye steak, which in my opinion, is one of the best cuts of steak there is.

I wanted to use a steak that is already tender on its own and easy to bite into. Since we are quick frying these steak fingers, that is a must. You don’t want to bite into a chewy piece of steak, ick!

We use a classic breading technique which every part of the way is highly seasoned, so these babies do NOT lack on flavor.

Finished off with a luscious pepper creamy white milk gravy that goes together in minutes… trust me on this, you HAVE to try this recipe for Chicken Fried Steak Fingers ASAP. 

Some of our other favorite savory breakfast recipes that we have on our site include: Homemade Breakfast Sausage, Breakfast Enchiladas, and Ham and Cheese Savory Bread Pudding.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

1. Minimal and easy-to-find ingredients help these come together in no time.
2. A fun alternative to a large chicken fried steak, making these totally snackable!
3. Easily make more of less to feed as many people as you need to.
4. Comes with an easy white gravy recipe too!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):

• Ribeye steak
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Buttermilk
• Egg
• Hot sauce
• Peanut oil
• Whole milk

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK FINGERS:

1. Cut the steak into ½-inch strips, and remove any excess fat you don’t want. 
2. In a medium-sized shallow bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce in another medium-sized shallow bowl.
4. Take a handful of the steak strips at a time, place them into the flour mixture, and coat them in the flour. Shake off any excess and dip them into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off. Lastly, place them back into the flour mixture and coat them well. Gently press the flour into the strips so it sticks.
5. Place the strips, not touching, on a parchment-lined sheet tray while you coat the remaining steak strips.
6. Add 1/4th inch up the side of the pan of peanut oil to a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet. Heat until the oil reaches 325°F over medium heat.
7. Carefully add the steak strips to the pan, not touching, and fry them for 5 minutes, flipping them halfway through. We are looking for them to be golden brown and crispy, do not crowd the pan.
8. Take out the steak strips with tongs and place them on a wire rack set on a sheet tray to catch any drips. Repeat with the remaining steak strips.
9. Pour out any excess oil from the pan, leaving about ¼ cup in the skillet. Add the flour and whisk it into the oil. Cook for 1 minute.
10. Slowly stream in the milk while whisking constantly. Season with the salt and pepper. Continuing to whisk, bring to a simmer and simmer until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately with the steak fingers as a dipping sauce.

ARE THESE GOOD WITH OTHER DIPPING SAUCES?

Yes, you can also serve additional dipping sauce along with the white gravy if you wish, or totally skip the gravy step and just use a dipping sauce.

Some of my favorite sauces to serve with Chicken Fried Steak Fingers include:

• Honey Mustard
• Garlic Aioli
• Ranch
• Cajun Ranch
• Hot Sauce
• BBQ Sauce, our favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s
• Spicy Mustard
• Sawmill Gravy
• Sausage Gravy
• Brown Gravy

You can tell the possibilities are endless! They are even good without a sauce, so you can customize this recipe to fit your taste.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT CUT OF MEAT?

Traditionally, chicken fried steak uses cube steak. You could also use cube steak for this recipe, but sometimes it can still be tough even though it has been tenderized.

I highly suggest splurging on ribeye if you can. But, other steaks that are naturally tender enough for these fingers would be filet (which is super expensive, but if you need to use some up, why not?!), NY strip, or skirt steak if you cut it against the grain. 

WHAT METHOD IS THE BEST WAY TO REHEAT CHICKEN FRIED STEAK FINGERS?

Generally, I do not refry foods that have already been fried because then the coating may become too dark. 

But, with these steak fingers, I think a double fry on them would work out well since it wouldn’t take long in the fryer or pot. 

You could also place them on a sheet tray topped with a wire rack and in the oven until warmed. This method elevates the fried food, allowing the heat to penetrate all sides and keep it crispy. If you placed them directly on a sheet tray, the heat on the bottom of the fingers would steam itself, resulting in a soggy coating.

I also suggest the air fryer for reheating, which would be a quick option like the deep fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Place the leftover steak fingers in the air fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip them halfway through until they are warmed.

To reheat the gravy, I suggest placing it back into a saucepot and placing it on the stove over medium-low heat. Add a couple of splashes of milk to loosen it up, then whisk it all together until smooth. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then take off the heat, and it’s ready to serve again!

HOW TO STORE:

These are truly best enjoyed right away if possible. The fresher, the better. But you can save leftovers for later.

Ensure they have come to room temperature before placing them into an airtight container. If they are still warm, steam will escape and condensate in the container, making them wet.

These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer container for up to 3 months.

To thaw, place the container back in the fridge overnight.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• This makes 4 servings, but you can easily double it to feed more.
• Other spices can be used, such as cajun seasoning or blackening seasoning, add these to both the buttermilk and flour mixture.
• These are best enjoyed fresh but can be saved for later, see my tips above on how to store.
• Other sauces can be used, see my suggestions above.
• If you don’t have ribeye steak, use filet, NY strip, or skirt steak cut against the grain.
• Leftovers can be reheated in the fryer, oven, or air fryer, see how to reheat properly in the above text.

Want to enjoy your favorite indulgent breakfast in handheld form? You have to give my Chicken Fried Steak Fingers a try ASAP!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• • • Steakhouse Beef Tips with Noodles
    • Carne Asada Steak Kabobs
    • Salisbury Steak Recipe

If you’ve tried these CHICKEN FRIED STEAK FINGERS, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!