Crispy Country Fried Steaks are covered with a creamy and delicious homemade Mushroom Gravy is pure comfort food on your plate! This is a great Sunday dinner recipe for your family in the fall. When the cool weather hits the air and you want to warm your soul and satisfy your tummy!
The great thing about this Country Fried Steak recipe is you can have a delicious steak and gravy dinner for only 226 calories! It tastes rich in flavor but low in calories, making it a meal you can easily add a serving of homemade Mashed Potatoes to without feeling guilty!
A long-time family favorite recipe
Grumpy has several meals that are comfort food meals that he loves to eat. Most of them involve beef or venison and always incorporates some sort of pasta or potato. He has always been a meat and potatoes man. If he could have his way, he would the meat and potatoes every single night of the week.
Country Fried Steak was not something I personally remember my mom making when I was a child. I remember her frying steaks in the skillet but never had it breaded and fried that I can remember. So, for me, this was a newer concept, but one I was definitely willing to try!
Converting Country Fried Steak to a lower calorie recipe
Because he loves his steak and potatoes with gravy, I decided it was time to find a way to make this Country Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy calorie friendly. That way, we could enjoy this meal more often without feeling so much guilt.
The beef itself was a lean cut of Certified Angus Beef cube steak. I reduced the fat even more by using egg whites and skim milk for the egg wash. Then, I used a non-stick skillet with minimal oil. The end result was a crispy fried country steak with incredible flavor!
Mushroom Gravy for the win!
From everything I've read, Country Fried Steak is very similar to Chicken Fried Steak. The only real difference is the gravy. Country Fried Steak is served with a brown, or beef flavored gravy. And, Chicken Fried Steak is served with a white gravy that is made with milk-based gravy.
For this recipe, I decided to add mushrooms to the gravy to give it a little substance and extra flavor. The mushrooms were chopped, then cooked in the same skillet the steaks were cooked in. Once the mushrooms were cooked down and golden brown, I added the broth mixture to make the gravy. It was super flavorful and SO delicious!
Tips for making Country Fried Steak
Follow the tips below for a successful country fried steak recipe.
- After you dip the steak in the egg wash, hold it up and let the excess liquid runoff. This will prevent the flour coating from getting too "wet" and not allowing it to crisp up.
- Cook the steaks on medium-high heat. Anything lower will cause the meat to "sweat" and cause the coating to come off.
- Make sure the steaks are nicely browned and crispy before flipping them over. You may wantm to turn the steaks over in the pan only one time.
Tips for making Mushroom Gravy
- Make sure the mushrooms are roughly chopped and don't use more than two cups. If you do use more than two cups, you will have mushrooms with a light coating of gravy.
- Resist the urge to add more oil or butter to the pan before you cook the mushrooms. Once they start to release water, you will be able to scrape the browned bits from frying the steak easily.
- Cook the mushrooms until all water has released and they have turned a golden brown.
- Whisk the flour mixture constantly when adding to the mushrooms in the skillet. This will ensure a smooth gravy for your country fried steak.
What to serve with Country Fried Steak
Mashed potatoes are a go-to for steak with gravy. But, if your looking for a lower-carb option, then this Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with Browned Butter Sauce is amazing!
Skip the potatoes altogether and serve Grumpy's recipe for Bachelor's Pasta on the side! Or, Cheesy Orzo with Basil is another pasta dish you may enjoy.
If you're a fan of rice, this Saffron Almond Rice Pilaf is one of my personal favorites.
Save room for dessert!
It is likely your making this as a special family dinner. If so, then you must have dessert! Some of our favorite desserts are Banana Cake with Browned Butter Maple Frosting, Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Spiced Cream, or Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake!
*If you made this recipe, please give it a star rating*
Country Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
- 2 large egg whites
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 4-ounce sirloin cubed steaks
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
for the gravy:
- 1-⅓ cups fat-free milk
- 2 cups mushrooms quartered
- 2-½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 14 ounces can fat-free, low salt beef broth
Instructions
- Combine 3 tablespoons milk and egg whites in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.
- Combine ⅓ cup flour and next 4 ingredients (⅓ cup flour through pepper) in a shallow dish.
- Working with 1 steak at a time, dip in egg mixture; dredge in flour mixture.
- Repeat procedure with remaining steaks, egg mixture, and flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm.
- Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Combine 2 ½ tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and broth, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add milk to the pan.
- Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon over steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes.
- Serving size: 1 steak, about ⅓ cup gravy
Elizabeth
There is also a meat cuber named "Fast Cutlet Maker" that smash the meat lobes and form clear squared pattern on it. Its popular in Poland.
Shelby
Hi Elizabeth, that's pretty cool, I'll have to see if I can find one!
Sandra
I made this recipe last night. However, I feel that something was left out of the instructions. In the ingredients for the gravy it calls for 1-1/3 cup fat free milk. But, in the directions, it does not say to add milk to the gravy. I put the milk in with everything thing else but it turned out very thin. I added more flour, which helped, but not a whole lot. Can you tell me if there is anything else I can do to thicken the gravy up?
Shelby
Hi Sandra, The milk goes in after you add the flour and broth. I had inadvertently typed broth instead of milk and have updated the recipe to reflect this. My apologies! As for the gravy not thickening up, adding more flour should help. I like to mix flour with some water (whisked until no lumps) then whisk it into the gravy. I'd start with about a tablespoon of flour to about 2 tablespoons water. That should help. Another alternative is to use cornstarch instead of flour.
Anonymous
Just one question when do you add the 11/3 cups of milk for the gravy instructions?
Jackson
I'm looking at this just before bedtime and suddenly I am starving. I need a big ol plate of this immediately!
Deeba PAB
Nom Nom...looks finger licking good. I like Grumpy. He's got good taste!
marla
I can see why he would love this one!! Looks awesome with that mushroom sauce 🙂
Cookin' Canuck
This is comfort! I could happily eat that mushroom gravy with a spoon.
Maria
Extra mushrooms for me:)
Cajun Chef Ryan
Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy and mashed potatoes was always a popular menu item on our rotation specials menu. Sold out every time too!
This Cooking Light version looks like a very good way to enjoy the same with a healthier bent!
Bon appetit!
CCR
=:~)