Fried Cubed Steak
Crispy, golden, and full of Southern charm, fried cube steak proves you don’t need an expensive cut of beef to create a meal packed with flavor. This dish delivers a big taste on a small budget, thanks to a tender and affordable cut that’s easy to work with and love.
I ask my family what they want for their birthday meal every year. My son and daughter usually switch it up with different requests, but my husband is the one constant—he always wants the same: cubed steak, creamed potatoes, English peas, biscuits, and gravy. Every year! I don’t even have to ask at this point—our whole family already knows his birthday dinner. I’ve been using this fried cube steak recipe for years, and it never lets me down. The steak always turns out tender and juicy, with a crispy, well-seasoned coating.
A few more comfort food dishes that are tried and true favorites and still show up on our monthly rotation are my easy mini beef pot pies recipe, easy chicken and dumplings made with biscuits, and the best peach cobbler recipe. You can’t go wrong serving these dishes to your family.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Southern Fried Cube Steak is a no-fuss, flavor-packed recipe that only takes a few minutes to prepare. It’s budget-friendly and guaranteed to satisfy. Go ahead—make extra because it’s the meal that brings everyone to the table.
- Affordable: Fried Cubed Steak is a budget-friendly way to feed the whole family, just like my cheesy hamburger casserole with noodles. Both are family-approved dishes.
- Classic Comfort Food: The breaded cube steak has a crispy coating and is tender, making it a classic dish.
- Quick and Easy: This is a straightforward and very easy pan fried cube steak that requires minimal prep and cooks up in under 10 minutes.
- Weeknights or Sunday Dinner: A true Southern classic that fits any occasion—perfect for weeknights or fancy enough for Sunday dinner, just like my oatmeal meatloaf recipe.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
With every bite, simple, pantry-friendly ingredients combine to create a crispy, flavorful coating and a tender, juicy steak.
- Cubed Steak: Easy to find and usually next to the steaks in the meat department. These tenderized cuts are the foundation of this dish—ready to soak up all that buttermilk and crisp up beautifully in the skillet.
- Buttermilk: This helps tenderize the meat even more and helps the flour stick to it.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a savory flavor and goes well with steak.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but self-rising will work for the breading. It creates the perfect crispy crust for frying.
- Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic Powder: These are the seasonings I use to bring out the flavor of the steak. Use your favorites.
- Cayenne Pepper: This is optional but delicious and gives the pan fried cube steak a touch of heat.
📖 Recipe Substitutions
- Use Venison: Swap the beef for cubed venison steak. This is perfect for hunters and anyone who loves rich, lean meat with a Southern flair. I can’t tell the difference between deer steak and beef cube steak. I followed the same steps when making the deer cubed steak recipe.
- Buttermilk Substitution: If you’re out of buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of whole milk—let it sit for 5–10 minutes, and you’ve got an easy homemade substitute. You can also use whole milk instead of buttermilk. It’s not as thick, but it will work.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Soy sauce or steak marinade sauce can work in a pinch—adjust for saltiness.
🔪 How to Make Fried Cube Steak
Step 1: Start with the Marinade. Grab a medium-sized bowl and toss in your cube steak. Pour in the buttermilk and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a good stir to make sure every piece is covered, then set aside. You can refrigerate it until you’re ready to fry—it just gets better the longer it soaks!
Step 2: Heat Your Oil. Pour about ½ inch of oil into a heavy cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. You want it nice and hot but not smoking.
Step 3: Mix up the Dredge. In a big bowl or pie plate, stir your flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne. This is your crunchy coating.
Step 4: How to Bread Cube Steak. If you’re wondering how to bread cube steak for the perfect crispy crust, remove one piece from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drip off. Press it firmly into the seasoned flour mixture to coat both sides well. This helps create a flavorful, golden crust that sticks during frying.
Step 5: How to Fry Cube Steak. Carefully lay the steak in the hot oil. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6: Drain and keep warm. Once it’s crispy and browned, drain the steaks on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep them warm in a low oven if you’re making a big batch.
💭 Pro Tips
These simple tips will help you get the best fried cube steak recipe with a golden crust and tender steak every time.
- Use a Heavy Skillet: A heavy-bottom skillet will work if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet.
- Don’t Skip the Soak: Letting the cube steak marinate in buttermilk helps tenderize the meat and adds excellent flavor. Even if you only have 10 minutes, this helps tremendously.
- Check Your Oil Temperature: Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying—heat it over medium-high until a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped into the oil. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the coating will absorb too much grease and turn out soggy instead of crispy.
- Fry in Batches: Fry in batches so the steaks cook evenly and stay crispy.
🍽 How to Serve
Fried cube steak pairs perfectly with many sides for a comforting meal.
- With Mashed Potatoes and Gravy: A creamy combo that never goes out of style. Country fried steak and skillet brown gravy served over the creamy mashed potatoes with cream cheese is fabulous.
- Over Rice: Serve over rice with peppered gravy or my homemade brown gravy recipe.
- Homemade Biscuits: Biscuits are served with many Southern meals and are ideal for soaking up that last bit of gravy. My biscuit recipe using shortening is easy and perfect for this dish.
- Repurpose: Don’t let those delicious leftovers go to waste- turn them into another easy and flavorful meal.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Cube steak is an affordable cut that has been tenderized and flattened by a meat mallet, cooks quickly, and absorbs flavor beautifully, making it ideal for pan-frying and smothering in gravies or sauces.
Yes! You can marinate the steak in buttermilk up to 24 hours in advance.
To store:
Let the steaks cool completely, place them in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat:
Reheat in the oven at 350°F on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through and crispy again. Avoid microwaving—it can make the breading soggy.
Basically, yes! All three are soaked in milk, battered, and fried.
More Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Fried Cubed Steak
Ingredients
- 1 family pack cubed steak 6-8 pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2½ cups flour all purpose
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional
Instructions
- Add the cubed steak to a medium bowl. Pour the buttermilk and Worcestershire sauce over the top. Give it a stir, making sure the steak is completely submerged in the buttermilk. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to fry.
- Heat about ½ inch of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy cast iron skillet.
- In a bowl or large pie plate, mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne. You may also need more flour, so adjust as needed.
- Remove one piece of steak at a time, shake off excess buttermilk, and dredge in the flour mixture, coating both sides.
- Carefully place the prepared steak in the hot oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on one side. Flip to the second side and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until browned.
- Remove steaks to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm until serving.
Notes
- Use a Heavy Skillet: A heavy-bottom skillet will work if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet.
- Don’t Skip the Soak: Letting the cube steak marinate in buttermilk helps tenderize the meat and adds excellent flavor. Even if you only have 10 minutes, this helps tremendously.
- Check Your Oil Temperature: Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying—heat it over medium-high until a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped into the oil. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the coating will absorb too much grease and turn out soggy instead of crispy.
- Fry in Batches: Fry in batches so the steaks cook evenly and stay crispy.
My family loves this cubed steak! This is my husbands favorite meal.
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Hugs and Kisses!