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This Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak Recipe is as Southern as it gets in your home kitchen in 45 minutes! It’s easy to make this iconic Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chicken-fried steak with country gravy with simple ingredients and minimal work. You’ll love each bite of this perfectly crispy, golden steak and creamy gravy.
If you like comforting Southern recipes like this, you won’t want to miss my recipes for Crispy Chicken with Rice & Gravy and this French Onion Salisbury Steak.
Introduction
Cracker Barrel Country Store is known for its traditional southern-style recipes, and their famous Country Fried Steak recipe is consistently their top menu item of all time.
Country-fried steak, also known as chicken-fried steak here in the southern United States, is a seasoned and coated cube steak fried ’til golden brown, then topped off with a white sawmill gravy that’ll leave you smackin’ your lips for more!
I never considered posting copycat Cracker Barrel recipes until being asked for a method for country-fried steak for the hundredth time. I have been making this recipe for over 20 years, but never imagined the popularity of this iconic fried steak with readers until lately. This easy and economical dish is a taste of true Southern tradition, and is still a favorite today–for good reason!
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make your own Cracker Barrel copycat country fried steak? Grab these key ingredients, and you’ll be able to make this classic Southern recipe in a snap!
- Cube Steaks: Also called “minute steak” in other regions and countries, this cut of beef is either round or sirloin steak that’s been flattened with a meat tenderizer into a thinner layer. Although it can be a tough cut of meat, it’s easy to tenderize, and works beautifully in this recipe!
- Saltine Crackers: Not only do these simple crackers add a delightful crunch to the coating, but they also season the dish with just the right amount of salt.
- Oil: Either canola oil or vegetable oil will work beautifully for frying the steak. Just be sure it’s heated to 350-360°F so the breading doesn’t fall of the steaks!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Copycat Cracker Barrel Country-Fried Steak
- Prep Your Workstation: Preheat oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack. Grab a heavy 12-inch skillet.
- Tenderize the Beef: Soak cube steaks in whole milk for 1–3 hours, or in a baking soda solution for 15–30 minutes (then rinse and pat dry). Season steaks with salt and pepper.
- Make the Seasoned Coating: Pulse 38 Saltines in a food processor along with some flour, baking powder, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk eggs with milk. Coat steaks in cracker mixture, then egg mixture, then cracker mixture again. Let them rest on the rack for 15 minutes.
- Frying Country-Fried Steak: Heat oil to 350–360°F in skillet. Fry steaks for 10 minutes, flip carefully, and cook 4–5 more minutes. Transfer to oven to keep warm.
- Making the Sawmill Gravy: Reserve 1–2 tablespoons of drippings. Whisk flour, milk, salt, and pepper together, then pour into skillet and cook over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened (about 10–12 minutes). Season to taste.
- Plating the Country-Fried Steak and Gravy: Serve with mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, baby carrots, corn muffins, and plenty of sawmill gravy over the steak and potatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Fried steak is most often a tenderized cube steak covered with a well-seasoned coating of flour or cracker crumbs or both and is either deep-fried or pan-fried.
When deep-fried using a technique similar to frying chicken pieces, “chicken-fried” has been a long used descriptive for the dish. The pan-fried version of the classic dish is more often referred to as “country fried steak.”
The detailed beginnings of country-fried or chicken-fried steak are murky, but it’s presumed the method has its roots in schnitzel. Austrian and German immigrants to Texas hill country likely introduced their preparation methods for breaded cutlets of beef such as Wiener schnitzel, and the rest is, as they say, ‘history.’
The Virginia Housewife, published in 1838 by Mary Randolph, has a recipe for veal cutlets that is one of the earliest recipes for a food like chicken-fried steak. This time period correlates with the dish popularizing in the American south, specifically Texas and Alabama, in the couple of decades following the publication.
You may recall me referencing The Virginia Housewife within my post for Shaker Chicken Pudding. The Virginia Housewife has been used historically to date and trace the origins of so many American food dishes, its unassuming pages full with detail.
Cracker Barrel uses USDA Choice steak in their country fried steak. Use any good quality cube steak, and you’ll have a tender and delicious result!
You don’t need meat tenderizer to get fork-tender cube steak—just do a little prep! Soaking the meat in whole milk helps break down proteins and collagen, making the steak melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the milk can even be used in your gravy. Alternatively, you can tenderize with a quick baking soda solution (1 teaspoon baking soda per 12 oz meat in ½ cup water). Let the steaks soak for 15–30 minutes before rinsing and cooking. Both methods result in deliciously tender cube steak without extra additives or tools.
If you drop the steaks into oil that is not hot enough, the breading will detach in clumps. The key is to test the oil to ensure it’s hot enough. Be sure your oil is registering 350°F before you drop the breaded steaks in.
If you don’t have a thermometer, sprinkle a bit of flour onto the surface of the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the flour will immediately sizzle. I do this in a couple places in the pan because the hard sizzle will also tell me if my pan is evenly heated. If the flour turns brown quickly however, this means the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and test the oil again.
Serving Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak
Serve this copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak recipe with brown butter mashed potatoes and real butter, oven baked home fries or crispy oven fries, or other country sides like brown butter green beans or hashbrown casserole, and warm buttermilk biscuits. Pass extra white gravy at the table for those who need just that little bit of extra! I also offer hot sauce just in case somebody feels the need to get their zip on.
Expert Tips
- Alternate Method for Tenderizing Steaks: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 12 ounces of meat in ½ cup of water. Add the solution to a large plastic zippered bag and then drop the cube steaks in for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes. Remove, rinse, pat dry, and continue with directions in recipe card as directed.
- Saltines are the only cracker I recommend using in this recipe. They are perfectly salted in exactly the right measurement, so no additional salt is really necessary when using crackers as your coating. (Saltines come two ways; regular and with unsalted tops. I purposely seek out the unsalted tops for a less salty finished steak. The Saltines with unsalted tops still contain salt.)
- Why let the fried steak sit on a wire cooling rack? It allows air to circulate on all sides, drying the egg and the cracker mixture and helping it to adhere to the steak. Martha Stewart uses this same trick in many of her paillard and cutlet methods.
- I always make sure to leave the cooked bits in the pan after frying the steaks unless they are more burned than cooked.
Other Comforting Southern Recipes
Sauces, Condiments, & Dressings
Sweet and Tangy Carolina BBQ Sauce (Mustard-Based Classic)
Sandwiches
Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches
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Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak Recipe
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron or clad skillet (do not use a non-stick pan)
- sheet pan fitted with oven-safe wire rack
Ingredients
For the Country Fried Steaks
- 4 4-5 ounce cube steaks
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Breading & Frying
- 2 large eggs
- 38 saltine crackers, preferably with unsalted tops
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3-3 ½ cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
For the Sawmill Gravy
- 4 cups whole or 2% milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional for Garnish and Serving
- fresh parsley, chopped
- hot sauce
Instructions
Tenderizing the Steaks
- Place the cube steaks into a zippered plastic bag and pour in the whole milk. Seal and jiggle around so the milk is coating the meat. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours, flipping the bag over several times.
- Remove the steaks from the milk, allowing them to drip, and set on a platter. Reserve all of the milk and add to it as necessary to measure 3/4 cups.
- Mix the kosher salt and black pepper together, then lightly sprinkle it on both sides of the tenderized steaks. Set aside.
Breading & Frying the Steaks
- Whisk together the reserved 3/4 cup of milk with the eggs in a shallow bowl.
- Pulse the saltines, flour, and spices in a food processor until the crackers are in fine crumbs, about 8-10 pulses.
- Preheat oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy gauge aluminum foil and fit with a wire rack. You may spray with non-stick baking spray if you like; however, it is not necessary.
- Arrange an assembly line with a shallow bowl with the egg mixture, another shallow bowl with the Saltine mixture, and finally the prepared baking tray.
- Coat the steaks first in the cracker flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then once more in the cracker mixture. Place the coated steaks atop the prepared baking sheet with wire rack and let sit for 15 minutes while you heat the oil.
- Add the frying oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until it's between 350-360°F on a thermometer. Reduce heat slightly and fry the steaks in the hot oil for 10 minutes. (If the oil begins to smoke, reduce heat slightly until there is no smoke.) Turn the steaks carefully so as not to dislodge the breading and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Steaks will be a beautiful golden brown. Always use kitchen tongs and lay the steak away from you! This prevents the oil from splashing towards you!0
- Remove to the wire rack atop the baking sheet once again. Repeat with any remaining steaks and place into the preheated low heat oven to keep warm while you assemble the sawmill gravy.
- Dispose of all leftover oil, but reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of the drippings and any cooked bits. Use a wad of paper towels to wipe the skillet mostly clean and add the reserved drippings back to the skillet.
Making the Sawmill Gravy
- Whisk together the flour, kosher salt, black pepper, and the milk, then pour the mixture into the skillet with the reserved drippings. Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until the gravy begins to bubble, about 10-12 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to whisk until the sawmill gravy has thickened considerably. At this point, season to taste. Keep in mind that saltines coat the steaks, so treat lightly if planning to add salt.
Serving
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and offer a bottle of your favorite hot sauce at the table to pass. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Alternate Method for Tenderizing Steaks: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 12 ounces of meat in ½ cup of water. Add the solution to a large plastic zippered bag and then drop the cube steaks in for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes. Remove, rinse, pat dry, and continue with directions in recipe card as directed.
- Saltines are the only cracker I recommend using in this recipe. They are perfectly salted in exactly the right measurement, so no additional salt is necessary when using crackers as your coating. (Saltines come two ways; regular and with unsalted tops. I purposely seek out the unsalted tops for a less salty finished steak. The Saltines with unsalted tops still contain salt.)
- Why let the fried steak sit on a wire cooling rack? It allows air to circulate on all sides, drying the egg and the cracker mixture and helping it to adhere to the steak. Martha Stewart uses this same trick in many of her paillard and cutlet methods.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow! So great! We hosted my in-laws and all the little cousins and I prepared this for 15 people – NONE LEFT! Everybody ate, everybody raved, and I have already pinned this recipe for use again soon!
Veronica, isn’t this just a great recipe for batching big like you did? I batched this big for the first time several Christmas’s ago to feed 30 people. The only problem I have now is that the same group of eaters wants this every time they visit! lol – Jenny
EASY! Cheap and delicious and I barely cook! My family loved this and I definitely plan to make it again and again. Next time I will double the gravy so we can enjoy extra!
Alec, who’s da man??! Who is da MAN??! Thank you for allowing me to turn my browser on this morning to this! x – Jenny
Is there an air fryer version??
Rosemary, thanks for this great question. This method, and in particular these ingredients and their respective measures, is meant for the cast iron and not an air fryer. I have seen different recipes on the internet for air fryer country fried steak, but they are different from this one in both ingredients specified as well as the method itself. If you prefer to go air fryer, I’d start with Google and review results for ‘air fryer country fried steak’ or the same for chicken fried steak. Jenny
Holy crap, if this is southern food, then I’m moving out of Colorado and down to YOU! This was so fabulous. Thank you for teaching me this recipe.
Aha, so glad you enjoyed it, Aleta!
Well this is probably a silly question, but…the saltines I buy come in a box of single packaged crackers. I know you can buy boxes with whole crackers (4 crackers in one piece). So is your amount calling for 38 single crackers, or 38 whole crackers?
Thank you. We are anxious to try it v
Kathy, I guess my answer will be a bit silly, too then, as I have never purchased a ‘sheet’ (quad of 4 attached crackers) before in my life. I didn’t even know they sold them that way. Given my small world (!) use the sleeves of single packaged crackers. I know you’ll enjoy the recipe – just re-read my blip regarding the salty Saltines versus the less salty Saltines. I really hope you’ll let me know how you enjoyed this! x – Jenny
I am wondering if this could be baked on a rack in the over at maybe 400-425 degrees to avoid the oil; for medical reasons i have a fairly limited diet especially in the area of fats and oils. thanks for the tips of milk and baking soda to tenderize the meat
Phyllis, this is a GREAT question. Regardless of dietary restrictions, I know others will have the same question just as a matter of practicality. Here is what I recommend; preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with heavy gauge aluminum foil. I would also spray it or use a non-stick silicone mat in lieu. Follow the recipe card with regard to coating the steaks. Place each steak atop the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Use tongs to CAREFULLY flip each steak and return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes. Now, the coating may not be as golden as it would be if frying, however you will have achieved some color at 400°F. For those reading my reply to you who wish to bake these but also get them with a bit of color, you could certainly use olive oil in a Misto or other spray bottle giving the tops of each steak a thin coating of oil, just enough to attain color. Phyllis, let me know please should you make these and tell me your steps – other readers can only benefit from you! x – Jenny
Thank you both for the question and answer! Along the same lines, could you correct the nutritional info which nearly made me skip this recipe (over 2000 calories per serving)? I think the current numbers came about because all the ingredients were added in, but in reality 3+ cups of the oil is poured off after frying and those thousands of calories shouldn’t be added in.
My husband and I are looking forward to making this!
Sheila, edited and THANK YOU! I sent you a detailed email so look to read from me. Jenny
I just came across this recipe yesterday and it looks nice so I decided to try this out yesterday. It turned out perfect and my kids loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Eileen, talk about stepping outside of your box! I’m flattered a UK reader would be keen to make country fried steak! I’m soooo glad the dish worked for you and the family and am so grateful for you taking a few minutes from your day to tell me so! x – Jenny
This looks so tasty. I think I’m gonna try the recipe this weekend for our family gathering. Thank you for sharing the detailed recipe!
Emma! I hope you will make it, and I would love feedback on your eater’s reaction to it! Just read through my post and remember to mind the amount of salt you use as the Saltines offer more than enough. 🙂 Happy Easter Emma!
Definitely! Thank you! Happy Easter to you Jenny
It all looks so delicious. I love chicken friend steak. I shall be trying this out. I am happy to feature your copycat version at Love Your Creativity.
Linda, I am honored, and thank you – I absolutely look forward to your weekly party! xo – Jenny
This is a wonderful recipe idea, never had anything like it in the UK and I’m always on the lookout for new midweek dinner ideas so this is being made next week.
Well, welcome to the American South Miss Rebecca! Country fried steak is as S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N as it comes, so if you do end up cooking a lil bit of our south up, you let me know how you enjoyed it. You’d certainly be offering a unique perspective on it! xo – Jenny