Vegan Chicken Fried Steak

I can’t think of anything more comforting than a fried burger topped with country gravy, can you? Well, it’s Vegan Chicken Fried Steak, baby, and it’s the BEST.

Yes, I finally Deep Fried a Burger! Then I topped it with some Country Gravy!

If you’re not familiar with Chicken Fried Steak, it’s essentially a steak that’s been deep fried in the same way people deep fry those poor chickens. Hence the name Country Fried Steak! It’s super indulgent and 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 as expected. I know I’ve said this before, but one thing that I love about eating the plant-based version of these kinds of dishes is I can indulge in something like this and not feel like total crap for the next 4 hours. In fact, I feel great!

Whenever I make country gravy, I like to make leftovers so I can use it again the next day (or later that same day if I’m on a bender). This is also a great dish to make if you have leftover mashed potatoes and gravy as well!

here’s a HANDY DANDY video too!

And obviously you don’t have to put it on two buns like I did, you can serve it up traditional style with some mashed potatoes and green beans! Do whatever you like!

TIPS FOR VEGAN FRIED CHICK’N

• Use a heavy bottomed pot (Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Carbon Steel etc)
• I highly recommend a Deep Fry Thermometer to monitor the oil temp.
• Use a neutral tasting, high smoke point oil (Canola, Vegetable, Peanut etc.)
• Make sure to use UNSWEETENED plant milk. I like RIPPLE the best.
• Add flour as needed to thicken the vegan buttermilk mixture.
• Shake off the excess flour and batter when you dredge.
• Fry a test nugget to test the seasoning and adjust as needed.
• Let the chick’n rest on a Wire Rack after frying to prevent soggy chick’n.

SAFETY TIPS FOR DEEP FRYING

• Don’t leave the pot unattended.
• Keep children away from the pot.
• Don’t fill the pot more than halfway with oil. Don’t overcrowd it as well.
• Turn the handles of the pot away from you to avoid accidental spills.
• Keep a lid nearby so you can cover the pot if it catches fire.
• Never use water to put out an oil fire.
• Get a Fire Extinguisher just to be extra safe. This isn’t just good for deep frying, but for having in the house in general!

DEEP FRY ALTERNATIVES

If you want to see about alternatives to deep frying, check out my BEST WAYS TO FRY VEGAN CHICKEN post!

If you are interested in recommendations for Kitchen Gear, Spices & Pantry Items, or what I use for my Photos and Videos, please click HERE!

Continue to Content

Yield: Makes 4-6 Chick'n Fried Steaks

Vegan Chicken Fried Steak

Print

Ingredients

• Burger Buns
• Dill Pickles

Country Fried Steak

• 1 pound plant-based meat
• 5 - 7 ounces of jackfruit
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Few shakes of black pepper

Dry Batter

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 - 2 tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste

Wet Batter

• 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup flour (more as needed)

Country Gravy

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups unsweetened plant milk
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To make the steaks, steam the jackfruit for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, chop or shred the jackfruit. Discard seeds if desired.
2. In a bowl, combine jackfruit, plant-based meat, and spices.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form your steak patties. I was able to get two medium sized and two large sized steaks. Once your patties are formed, add the baking sheet to a freezer for one hour.
4. To make your dredging station, simply combine the dry batter ingredients in one bowl, and your wet batter ingredients in another. For the wet, you want it to be a thin pancake batter consistency, so add flour or liquid as needed.
5. Bring a pot of neutral oil such as vegetable, peanut, or canola up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Once oil is up to temperature, dredge your steak patties in the dry batter, making sure to coat thoroughly and shaking off the excess, and then into the wet batter, also coating well and shaking off the excess, and then back into the dry batter one last time. Carefully add to the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
7. Let cool on a wire rack. You can also keep them warm on a wire rack lined baking sheet in the oven set to 250 degrees Fahrenheit while you make the gravy.
8. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, add 1 Tbsp of flour at a time and whisk in between each tablespoon. Once all flour has been whisked in, cook for 1 minute to get the raw flour taste out, and then slowly add the unsweetened plant milk, whisking the entire time to avoid lumps.
9. After the milk has been whisked in, reduce to desired consistency. I simmered mine for about 6 minutes or so. Then season with black pepper and salt to taste!
10. For a sandwich, toast some burger buns, add some dill pickles (yes, it’s so good!) then add your chicken fried steak and ladle on a healthy portion of that gravy, top with some chopped chives, the top bun and dig in!