Serve up classic Southern flavor in a fun, bite-sized package with these country fried steak bites. Tender cube steak bites are coated in a seasoned breading and then pan-fried to golden, crispy perfection. They’re the perfect family dinner or addition to any potluck, and they’re so easy to make!
We and our mom all live in Texas, and we have for several years now. One thing we’ve come to love since moving down here is country fried steak. You won’t exactly find that on the menu at most places in California, but here in Texas, where Southern food is as abundant as Tex-Mes flavors, it’s kind of a big deal.
Since moving to Texas, we’ve falling in love with this classic breaded and fried cube steak recipe, and we’ve gotten very good at making it ourselves. One of our favorite ways to make this classic is to turn it into a bite-sized, dippable appetizer. It’s a fun new way to serve this southern staple, and the flavor is exactly the same.
Why You’ll Love These Southern Fried Steak Bites
- Simple Ingredients: Everything used in this recipe is a kitchen staple – like any good Southern recipe!
- Easy to Make: It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps to make these delicious bites.
- Classic Flavor: The tender cube steak and fried, seasoned coating are full of classic Southern flavor.
- Versatile: These steak bites make a fun dinner with your favorite sides or a party appetizer with dipping sauces.
Ingredients
- Cube Steak: Cube steak is the classic cut for country fried steak. It’s pounded thin, so it cooks perfectly and has tons of juicy, beefy flavor.
- Buttermilk and Eggs: These create the liquid dredge needed for the flour coating to stick to the steak bites.
- Flour: Seasoned flour makes the classic breading for these bites.
- Seasonings: A mix of Slap Ya Mama, onion powder, garlic salt, and a few other spices give these bites a particularly bold flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Cube Steak: Pound out pork chops to make a pork version of these bites.
- Mild: Omit the hot sauce for a mild version of this recipe.
- Coating: Use a mix of flour and panko for a crispier coating.
How to Make Country Fried Steak Bites
1: Preheat your oil to 375 degrees in a large, cast iron skillet or electric skillet.
2: Cut your cube steaks into 1 ½-inch squares and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. When the plate is full, add a layer of paper towels over the top of the steak, and continue to add the rest of your cubes in another layer.
3: Add half the flour to a large baggie. Then, add the other half of the flour and the seasonings to another large baggie. Seal and shake to mix. Then, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a shallow dish.
4: Pat the steak cubes dry and place about 10 of them in the baggie with the plain flour and shake to coat. Then, coat them in the egg mixture. Finally, add them to the seasoned flour baggie and shake to coat.
5: Fry the bites in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Place the plate in the oven at 175 degrees to keep the bites warm.
6: Repeat the process, coating and frying about 10 cubes at a time, until all the bites are finished. Enjoy!
Hint
Wait until just before frying to coat your steak cubes. This ensures a crispy coating rather than a soggy one.
Storage
Refrigerate these country fried steak bites in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
To reheat the bites, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, air fry them at 375 for a couple of minutes until heated through and crispy, or microwave them at 30-second intervals until heated through. Be aware that the coating won’t get crispy if you microwave the bites.
What to Serve with This Easy Country Fried Steak
Serve this classic fried Southern dish with equally classic sides like mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, or cheesy broccoli casserole.
These also make a great appetizer when served with gravy or your favorite sauces for dipping.
Tips
- Using baggies is absolutely the easiest way to coat your steak cubes.
- Be sure to wait until you’re ready to fry your steak before coating it. If you leave the coated steaks to sit, the outside gets gummy.
- Don’t crowd your skillet. Fry just a few steak bites at a time to ensure the oil stays nice and hot. Hot oil is key to a crispy breading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Country fried steak is a classic Southern dish made with cubed steak coated in a three-part flour, liquid, and seasoned flour breading. It’s then pan-fried until golden.
Country fried steak is often served as a breakfast with biscuits and gravy or dinner with sides like mashed potatoes, biscuits, and vegetables.
Hot oil is the key to making fried food crispy. The oil should be hot enough to immediately begin cooking the outside of the coating, creating a barrier against oil penetration. This keeps the outside of the food crispy while the rest of it continues cooking. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the outside of the food will cook too slowly, allowing oil to penetrate the breading and make it greasy and soggy.
You can use a thermometer to ensure the oil is at 375 degrees. However, the simpler method is simply to look at it. If the oil shimmers, it’s sufficiently hot for frying.
Try These Country Fried Steak Bites Today
These delicious country fried steak bites use basic ingredients, are simple to make, and can double as a main course or appetizer. With so many ways to enjoy them and such an easy recipe, you owe it to yourself to give them a try. Whether you smother them with gravy and serve them with mashed potatoes or pair them with dipping sauces, these bites are always a winner!
More Delicious Cube Steak Recipes You’ll Enjoy
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and comment! You can also pin it to save it for later. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Country Fried Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 6 medium cube steaks, cut into 1 ½ inch squares
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 3 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Using an electric skillet, or large cast iron pan, heat oil to 375°.
- Cut cubed steaks into 1 ½ inch squares and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess liquid. As you cut steak into squares and fill the plate, add another layer of paper towels and continue stacking steak bites with paper towels in between layers to absorb excess liquid and pat dry.
- While the oil is heating up, add 1 ½ cup of flour into a large baggie. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of flour in another large baggie plus add all the seasonings, seal and shake to mix. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, hot sauce and buttermilk together.
- Once the oil is ready, pat dry bites again and place about 10 steak bites into the baggie with the plain flour, seal and shake to coat. Next add the bites to the egg mixture, next into the baggie with the flour and seasonings, then into the skillet.
- Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Once the first batch is cooked, place on a plate lined with paper towels and place into a preheated oven at 175° to keep warm while the rest of the steak bites are being cooked.
- Repeat the coating process for the remaining steak bites. For best results, make sure to coat the steak bites right before going into the skillet.
- Serve with your favorite gravy.
Notes
- Using baggies is absolutely the easiest way to coat your steak cubes.
- Be sure to wait until you’re ready to fry your steak before coating it. If you leave the coated steaks to sit, the outside gets gummy.
- Don’t crowd your skillet. Fry just a few steak bites at a time to ensure the oil stays nice and hot. Hot oil is key to a crispy breading.
