How Chicken-Fried Steak Became A Texas Icon

If you're ever lucky enough to stop at a roadside diner in Texas, chances are you'll spy the words "chicken-fried steak" on the menu. Even if you've never tried it, you've likely heard of this iconic dish and its place in the Lone Star State's culinary scene. Believe it or not, chicken-fried steak is not steak that has been fried by chicken chefs. In fact, chicken isn't involved in any way. Instead, it's made from beef — usually a tenderized cut of cube steak — that's breaded and fried in a manner similar to fried chicken. As you probably already know, you can still make a delicious dish with cheap steak, which is what this dish is all about. Chicken-fried steak is served hot and crispy with a generous ladle of creamy gravy on top, along with sides like mashed potatoes, green beans, or coleslaw.

Chicken-fried steak is not to be confused with country-fried steak, just as gelato should not be confused for ice cream. The main differences are that chicken-fried steak is served with white gravy, not brown, and is usually much crispier. However, both dishes can trace their origins back to the 19th century, when an influx of German and Austrian settlers moved to Texas.

There's a story that this dish was created when a Texan chef misread the request for "chicken and fried steak," but that's far from the truth. When European immigrants settled in Texas in the 1800s, they brought with them the tradition of cooking Wiener schnitzel, a breaded and fried veal cutlet popular in their homeland. It was pretty difficult for the average person to get their hands on a cut of veal during this time, but luckily Texas had a very accessible alternative: beef.

Due to it's cheapness, chicken-fried steak was typically eaten by working class people. History professor James McWilliams explains in Texas Monthly that, in order to save money, folks would take a "specimen of the lowliest and stringiest cuts of meat from the most bedraggled backyard cow," then thoroughly tenderize it before dipping it in flour and pan-frying in grease. According to McWilliams, these early chicken-fried steaks were "scrappy, low-rent fare that reflected the struggle of settlers living on the edge of starvation and penury." As dreary as that sounds, these steaks were still cheap, filling meals, which made them popular with folks across the Southwest. 

Even though chicken-fried steak is quintessentially Texan, its name first graced a Colorado cafeteria menu in 1914. Chicken-fried steak wouldn't appear on a Texan menu until 1932, though it can be assumed that locals were eating this rustic meal long before it started being officially served at restaurants. At this point, chicken-fried steak wasn't so much a Texan dish as it was a Western one. Still, it was a hit with diners, so much so that the National Restaurant Association named it America's third favorite restaurant dish in 1942.

Chicken-fried steak wouldn't become strongly associated with Texas until the 1970s. After a decade or so of idolizing European cuisine, people in the culinary sphere were ready for food that was more authentic and grounded. Texas basically adopted chicken-fried steak as the state dish, and the rest of the country was convinced. Reviewers for publications like the New York Times lauded the recipe for its down-to-earth charm, and writers like Dan Jenkins used their work to cement the relationship between chicken-fried steak and Texas. 

These days, chicken-fried steak is still popular across Texas, and is available at a wide selection of casual-dining restaurants, though some would argue that these factory-made steaks go against the original spirit of the dish. For many Texans, chicken-fried steak is associated fondly with home cooked meals and spending time with the family. As author Lisa Fain explains in her book, "The Homesick Texan," via Serious Eats, "chicken-fried steak is a dish that's about taking something that's less than palatable, in this case a tough piece of beef, and with a little ingenuity turning it into something delectable." According to Fain, that's what Texas is all about, which is why the connection between the state and the dish is so strong. 

They serve chicken-fried steaks everywhere from Texas to New York City, but if you want an authentic dining experience, it's surprisingly easy to make at home. Tenderize and flatten a few cube steaks, then dredge them in flour, buttermilk batter, then flour again. Fry the steaks in oil that's 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about four minutes per side before transferring to a paper towel. Then, use the leftover oil, flour, and some milk to make the gravy, using this tip to make sure it's not too thin.