Country Fried vs. Chicken Fried, The Battle Explained

In the south, we like our chicken, and everything else, fried! From grandma’s classic to fried chicken and fried vegetables to a fried Oreo or apple pie, we are firm believers that if it’s good, frying it will only make it better. Meat is no exception to this, just take the chicken fried and country fried steaks for example.

Chicken fried vs. country fried, for some Southerners the dishes are one in the same, for others the difference is in the taste. While the cooking methods vary slightly, we can all agree these are both classic Southern comfort foods.

Both recipes utilize cube steak, or relatively inexpensive cuts, dipped in an egg mixture and fried to golden brown and covered in gravy, but that’s where the real difference comes in. Country fried steak is finished with brown gravy whereas chicken fried steak is topped with a sawmill or white pepper gravy. The batter for the meat can often vary slightly from one recipe to the next. Since eggs were not always readily accessible in the 1800s, country fried steak was often simply coated in flour and fried. The more modern of the dishes, chicken fried steak is prepared in a fashion like fried chicken. The meat is first dipped into an egg batter, coated in seasoned flour, and fried to crispy perfection.

We have German immigrants to thank for the chicken fried and country fried steak’s introduction to menus and dining room tables across the South. Born out of necessity, the dish combined the recipe for Wienerschnitzel from home with the tougher, readily available cuts of meat in Texas and other parts of the South. The dish soon became a favorite for chuck wagon cooks on cattle drives.

While we may not be heading out on the frontier anymore, the dish has remained a southern classic on both dinner tables and restaurant menus alike. At FEED, we combine the best of both worlds for a crispy fried creation. We take our Mountain Breeze Farms Wagyu patty and dip it in buttermilk and coat it in flour mixture then deep fry it to golden perfection. We serve up that fried goodness topped with sawmill gravy with buttermilk whipped potatoes and garlic green beans.

Country fried steak, chicken fried steak… no matter what you want to call it, we sure appreciate that crispy crunch and gravy coating. Join us for dinner tonight and you’ll understand why it’s a FEED favorite!