Semi-Carnivore Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy
This recipe is part of my semi-carnivore series of recipes. Click here to learn more.
Sometimes referred to as country fried steak, this very low carb version is coated with egg and crushed pork rinds, then pan fried in ghee. The gravy is prepared using the leftover pan drippings, heavy cream, cream cheese, butter and some light seasonings.
With the exception of a few light spices this dish is almost completely carnivore, hence the name ‘semi-carnivore’. As explained in my limited series about achieving weight maintenance using a semi-carnivore style diet. This is not a strict carnivore recipe and may not be suitable for anyone who is using carnivore eating as a means to manage disease, inflammation, or anyone who is adhering to a strict carnivore diet.
There are however very simple modifications or rather omissions that can be made to this recipe that may make it more suitable for a stricter carnivore diet, including a version without gravy detailed below.
For more information about what types of foods are included in my semi-carnivore style diet, see my limited series called “A Semi-Carnviore Kinda Life”
What Is In Semi-Carnivore Chicken Fried Steak With Gravy?
To make this low carb recipe, you’ll need:
- 6 beef steaks (approx. 4 oz)
- 2-3 cups of pork rinds
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup ghee/oil for frying
- ¼ cup of butter
- 4 tablespoons of cream cheese
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
- Salt and pepper
What Type Of Steak Is Best For Chicken Fried Steak?
Like the name implies, this is a steak, “breaded” and fried like chicken. Before that however, the beef is tenderized, and pounded very thin with a mallet style meat tenderizer, so even tougher cheaper cuts of beef should still turn out nice and tender.
Look for the large butcher packs of beef steaks in the meat section of your regular grocer.
A Very Low Carb Semi-Carnivore Chicken Fried Steak
Traditionally this recipe uses flour, sometimes breadcrumbs, and milk for the coating and the gravy. This can make the carb count add up quickly.
In this recipe those ingredients have been replaced or eliminated which brings the total carbs per fried steak to just 1.9g! 1.3g of those carbs in the gravy alone as is the dairy and other ingredients that some may choose not to enjoy on a carnivore diet. No problem! There are other ways to enjoy a chicken fried steak!
Other Ways To Enjoy Chicken Fried Steak
Without the peppery, creamy, pan gravy, this crispy coated country fried steak with still a satisfying meal in itself!
But if you are looking to take it up a notch without the gravy, I highly recommend some poached eggs, and a simple hollandaise on top.
When in doubt, add an egg!
How To Make Chicken Fried Steak
- Begin by preparing the steaks and the dredging stations. Cut larger steaks into 4-6 oz portions before tenderizing as they will spread out and become quite large. Using the raised pointy side of a mallet meat tenderizer, pound both sides of each steak very thin until the steaks are noticeably broken down and tenderized.
- For the dredging station, add the whole pork rinds to a large freezer bag, and partially seal the bag, leaving a gap for some air to escape. Much like in my pork rind crusted chicken tenders, crush them very fine using a rolling pin. Empty the crushed pork rinds onto and plate, add paprika, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese, combine well. In a large shallow bowl, beat 2 large eggs until well combined.
- Start the coating process by dipping the tenderized steaks in the beaten eggs making sure both sides are well coated. Allow excess egg to drip off before pressing both sides of the egg covered steak into the crushed pork rind mixture ensuring they are evenly coated. Shake off any excess coating and set aside for frying.
- Cover the bottom of a large fry pan in a portion of the ghee or oil and bring to a medium-high temperature. Don’t add the steak to cold oil as it will turn out very greasy. Once the oil is hot, fry each side of the coated steak for approximately 1 minute, until the coating is golden brown and crispy. Add more ghee/oil to the pan between steaks as needed, letting it heat back up before moving on to the next steak. Set aside cooked steaks while making the pan gravy. To keep them warm you can place them in a 200°F [90°C] oven.
How to Make A Low Carb White Gravy
- The base of this gravy is the leftover fat, oil, and drippings in the pan used to fry the steaks. If there is a huge amount of oil leftover, drain off a portion leaving just enough to coat the pan. Bring the pan to medium-low temperature and the butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic salt, black pepper, and salt to the pan
- Continue stirring the gravy and monitoring the temperature until a smooth thick gravy has formed. Letting the pan get too hot could cause the gravy to break.
- After cooking, add the lemon juice to brighten up the gravy and pour over the cooked steaks before serving.
Leftovers And Reheating
Store leftovers sealed in the fridge until ready. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F [175°C] oven until the inside is warm and the coating is just starting to crisp. Cooking it too long can overcook the steak.
Storing leftovers in oven safe glass containers with lids is a convenient and resourceful way to simplify the process.
Other Recipes you may Enjoy
Enjoy!
Semi-Carnivore Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Meat Tenderizer
- Large Freezer Bag
- Rolling Pin
- Large Fry Pan
Ingredients
Country Fried Steak
- 6 beef steaks (4 oz each) see notes
- 2 large eggs
- 3 oz crushed pork rinds
- ½ teaspoon paprika optional
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese optional
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup ghee/oil for frying
Country Gravy
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
- pan drippings
Instructions
Pork Rind Crusted Country Fried Steak
- Cut larger steaks into 4-6 oz portions before tenderizing as they will spread out and become quite large. Using the raised pointy side of a mallet meat tenderizer, pound both sides of each steak very thin until the steaks are noticeably broken down and tenderized. Lightly salt the steaks to season.6 beef steaks (4 oz each)
- Add whole pork rinds to a large freezer bag and partially seal leaving a small gap for air to escape. Gently begin to crush the pork rind with a rolling pin until they are crushed very fine. Empty crushed pork rinds onto a plate and add the grated parmesan cheese, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Combine well.3 oz crushed pork rinds, ½ teaspoon paprika, 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
- Crack eggs into a shallow bowl or plate, large enough to fit the steaks and beat with a fork until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.2 large eggs, salt and pepper
- Dredge the tenderized steaks by coating them first in the beaten egg mixture and then lightly pressing each side of the steak into the crushed pork rind mixture until evenly coated. Gently shake off any excess. Set aside for frying.
- Heat a few tablespoons of the ghee/oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Once the ghee has come to temperature, fry each side of the coated steaks for approximately 1 minute until lightly golden brown. Add more ghee/oil as needed and allow the pan to come back to temperature between steaks.½ cup ghee/oil
- Set aside until the gravy is ready.
Low Carb Country Gravy
- The base of the country gravy is the drippings left in the pan after frying the steaks. If there is too much oil in the pan drain a portion off to avoid an overly greasy gravy. Turn the temperature to medium-low and add the butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, garlic salt, salt and black pepper to the pan.salt and pepper, ¼ cup butter, 4 tablespoons cream cheese, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, pan drippings, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- The pan should be very gently simmering, stir the mixture continuously and don't let the pan get to hot or the gravy could break.
- Stir until a smooth milky gravy has formed. Season to taste, and add some lemon juice for a bright flavoured finish.1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pour over the country fried steaks and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
It’s not a chicken fried steak if there’s no chicken! It looks like a great recipe but why can’t you use chicken?
There is no chicken in a chicken fried steak, thats just what this recipe is called because of the way the steak is coated before frying, just like fried chicken would be. Its sometimes called country fried steak and its a classic American recipe popular in the South!
I do have a pork rind coated oven fried chicken recipe if thats what you are looking for https://yummyforadam.ca/low-carb-oven-fried-chicken/
The difference between chicken friend and country fried is the gravy, not the meat. Country is the white gravy, while chicken is the beige gravy.
Thank you for the clarification, I appreciate it!
Excellent recipe, thank you!! Saved our dinner tonight!! 🍽
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!