My Venison Chicken Fried Steak and White Gravy Recipe is a quintessential Southern meal. The hard part is deciding whether you want to make it for breakfast or dinner.
It’s hard to imagine a more Southern meal than Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs. Fried to golden perfection and topped with creamy white gravy, this wild game version using deer steak is a favorite breakfast for my wife and our 10-year-old daughter.
I love using antelope steak, deer steak, and elk steak for my venison recipes. But I most often use deer steak because I hunt a lot of white-tailed deer and mule deer here in North Dakota.
Country Fried Steak vs. Chicken Fried Steak
What’s the difference between Country Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Steak? Some food historians believe that "country fried" and "chicken fried" are just regional names for the same thing: an inexpensive cut of beef, usually top round or bottom round, that is seasoned, breaded, and pan-fried, traditionally in a cast-iron skillet. A delicious gravy is made using the pan drippings, and both steak and gravy are served on mashed potatoes or biscuits.
Chicken-fried steak has a crispy coating and is appropriately named because it’s prepared the same way as fried chicken. The steak is dipped in an egg batter, dredged in seasoned flour, and then fried. It’s often served with a peppery white gravy, either on the side or spooned over the steak right before serving to keep the crust crisp.
Country-fried steak, sometimes called smothered steak, is dredged in flour and fried on both sides. Many cooks remove the steaks after frying, prepare a brown gravy from the drippings, then return the steaks to the pan to simmer. This method infuses the steaks with rich gravy flavor.
I’m a purist who insists on white gravy for chicken-fried steak and brown gravy for country-fried steak. But I won’t argue with anyone who loves white gravy with both. Either way, they’re indulgent and delicious!
Cooking Tips for Perfect Venison Chicken Fried Steak
Before you dredge your venison steak, keep these tips in mind:
- Dry the Meat: Pat the steaks dry before dredging. This helps the breading stick better.
- Rest Between Steps: Shake off excess liquid or flour and let the steak rest briefly before frying.
- Use Hot Oil: Ensure the oil is hot enough before adding the meat. This prevents the breading from absorbing oil and becoming soggy.
If you’ve seen me give a cooking demonstration, you know I always recommend cooking venison steaks medium rare for the best experience. However, this recipe is an exception. To achieve the golden crust that defines chicken fried steak, the meat will likely cook to medium or medium well.
White Gravy: A Southern Classic
A spoonful of creamy, savory white gravy can elevate any dish. Sometimes called country gravy, this four-ingredient recipe is simple yet versatile. Made with butter or grease, flour, milk, salt, and pepper, it pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes, biscuits, or steak and eggs.
Instructions
Chicken Fried Venison Steak
- Place the steaks on a cutting board and tenderize with a Jaccard meat tenderizer.
- Set up an assembly line with three dishes: one with milk and eggs whisked together, one with flour seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and onion powder, and one clean plate for the breaded meat.
- Sprinkle the steaks with remaining salt and pepper. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then dip it in the milk and egg mixture, and finally coat it again in the flour. Place the breaded steaks on the clean plate.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Test the heat by sprinkling a bit of flour into the oil—it should sizzle.
- Fry the steaks two at a time until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining steaks.
- After frying, pour off the grease into a bowl. Return ¼ cup of grease to the skillet over medium-low heat.
White Gravy
- Sprinkle the flour over the hot grease and whisk to create a golden-brown roux.
- Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Add more milk if needed to reach the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the chicken fried steaks smothered in gravy alongside fried eggs, biscuits, or hash browns. I've served them to my wife and 10-year-old daughter for breakfast, but I've also made it for myself for supper. Then I can really go to town enjoying all that white gravy myself.
More Wild Game Breakfast Recipes
If you like chicken fried steak and white gravy, then you'll love my other family-friendly breakfast recipes. You'll look forward to getting out of bed in the morning with some Homemade Breakfast Deer Sausage, our weekend favorite Breakfast Strata, my Venison Steak and Eggs or Country Fried Steak. Then be sure and try the extremely popular Deer Bacon!
Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
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Venison Chicken Fried Steak and White Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Fried Venison Steak
- 1 cup whole milk or half & half
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ pounds venison steak, cut into 4-ounces each
- ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
White Gravy
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk or half & half
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Chicken Fried Venison Steak
- Begin by placing the steaks on a cutting board and tenderize them with a Jaccard meat tenderizer.
- Set up an assembly line of dishes. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour seasoned with the 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and the onion powder in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
- Work with one piece of meat at a time. Sprinkle both sides with remaining salt and black pepper, then place it in the flour mixture. Turn to coat.
- Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place it back in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. Cook the meat, 2 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
- After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup of the grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.
Gravy
- When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden brown color.
- Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes too thick. Be sure to taste it to make sure gravy is seasoned correctly.
- Serve the venison steaks smothered in gravy with a fried egg or two and enjoy!
Chris says
Simple easy recipe variation on how to cook venison.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Chris! So glad you liked it.
Staci says
I was hesitant to cook the venison a friend had given me because I hadn't eaten game meat in years and was worried about the taste. Then I found this easy recipe, made it, and it was delicious. I would definitely make it again. Thanks!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Staci! So glad you have a friend who gives you venison! And happy to hear you had a great experience with this recipe so allow you to enjoy it. Hopefully, your friend will give you more meat so you can try some others here on the website.
Maria says
I made this with some cubed steak we got back from butcher and everyone loved it
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Maria! Glad you enjoyed it.
Jerry says
My side of the family loved this recipe and asked me to make it for my wife's mom's birthday
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Jerry. Glad you enjoyed it and are making it for your wife's special day.