The Secret To Crispy Chicken Fried Steak Is Right In Front Of You

If you haven't been able to perfect your homemade chicken fried steak — which, for anyone unfamiliar, is a cube steak that is breaded and fried similarly to fried chicken (hence the name) — then look no further. As it turns out, the secret to the best crispy chicken fried steak is right in front of you: your air fryer. To find out why the air fryer is a fantastic method for making chicken fried steak, Daily Meal spoke to an expert: Celebrity chef Art Smith, executive chef and co-owner of two non-profits and six restaurants, including Reunion in Chicago.

Smith says, "Chicken Fried Steak is traditionally a Southern, Texas-style comfort food that's deep-fried, but the air fryer gives you that same golden, crunchy outside with far less oil — and less mess." Smith also notes that it's much faster and a better option for anyone with a busy schedule.

Smith generally thinks people avoid air fryers because they don't have the proper information. "Air fryers are often slept on because people assume you need a pan full of oil to make something crispy, but that's not the case." In fact, there are quite a few foods you never thought to put in your air fryer but should — and steak is one of them.

The prep work — namely, the dredging — is key when it comes to making the best air fryer chicken fried steak. Art Smith says, "Since you're not submerging the steak in oil, the dredge needs to work a little harder to crisp up in dry heat." Here's what Smith suggests: Start by dipping the steak in a mix of flour and cornstarch (the latter of which provides "extra crunch"), then buttermilk and egg wash, and, finally, dip it back into the flour-cornstarch dredge mix. "The coating should be applied evenly but not too thick," Smith said, adding, "Too much [coating] and it'll fall off or stay gummy in the air fryer."

Another tip for getting the steaks as crispy as you want? Spray both sides of the steaks before placing them in the air fryer, then again at the halfway point. Once it's in the air fryer, the chicken fried steaks should be done after about 15 minutes in the air fryer, set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As for how to know that the steak is done, you can check to make sure that the internal temperature is around 135 to 140 degrees, depending on your preference.

With traditional chicken fried steaks, the oil it's cooked in plays a part in the overall flavor of the dish. Specifically, according to Art Smith, it provides an essential "richness" to the flavor. Since, with the air fryer method, you won't be submerging the steaks in a pot of oil, a marinade is necessary to take the flavor of the chicken fried steak to the next level.

Smith says, "For flavor, marinate your steak — I use bottled Italian dressing with a touch of hot sauce. It adds flavor and tenderizes the meat."

This step will come before the dredging steps. As for how long you should marinate your steaks, the ideal amount of time is about two hours for a thin steak. Speaking of a steak being thin, another crucial step to preparing chicken fried steak is to pound out the steak "to even thickness."

A few mistakes may come up when cooking air fryer chicken fried steak that you want to be sure to avoid to end up with the best dish possible. Art Smith says, "The biggest mistake? Not preheating your air fryer — just like a traditional oven, the hot air needs to be ready to go or your coating will turn soggy." Additionally, Smith instructs you not to forget (or skip) the step of adding more oil spray to the steaks at the halfway mark of the cooking time. The chef says it's "essential for getting the dredge to crisp up and mimic that fried finish."

Finally, the last mistake you want to avoid is crowding the air fryer basket. Make sure that there's some room between each steak so that there's room for the air to properly circulate around the basket. Smith adds, "Otherwise, you'll steam the steak instead of crisping it."