By Sabine Venier
Published Mar 31, 2025
I love chicken fried steak, so making it into a sandwich seemed like a no-brainer. This chicken fried steak sandwich swaps out the typical creamy gravy for a spicy mayo sauce for a fresh kick on a classic. Nestled into a soft hamburger bun, I can honestly say there’s nothing better!
Classic chicken fried steak gets an upgrade with homemade spicy mayo! Topped with some lettuce on a hamburger bun, this my platonic ideal comfort food sandwich.
Tips for Beginners
- I always make sure the oil is up to temperature before cooking the coated steaks. It needs to be between 350°F-400°F for the crust to get crispy. If the oil isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with oily, soggy steak.
- Cube steak is an inexpensive cut of beef that is pre-tenderized so it’s super flavorful. It looks a bit like ground beef in the store, but it’s definitely not. If you can’t find cube steak, you can use flank or skirt and use a meat mallet to pound it down.
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the Spicy Mayo
- ▢ ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ▢ 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- ▢ 1½ tablespoons sriracha or hot sauce
- ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Chicken Fried Steak
- ▢ 4 pre-tenderized cube steaks (about 1 pound)
- ▢ Kosher salt for seasoning
- ▢ 2 large eggs beaten
- ▢ 1 cup milk
- ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ▢ 1 cup canola oil for frying
- ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
Additional Ingredients
- ▢ 4 hamburger buns
- ▢ 4 leaves lettuce
Video
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, crushed garlic, and sriracha sauce. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1½ tablespoons sriracha, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place each cube steak between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the steaks until they’re less than ¼-inch thick. Salt the steaks lightly. 4 pre-tenderized cube steaks, Kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven to keep the cooked steaks warm while you assemble the sandwiches.
- In one shallow dish, whisk together beaten eggs and milk. In another dish, combine flour, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then dip it in the egg wash, and coat it again with the flour mixture. Set aside on a plate. 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- In a large frying pan, heat canola oil to 350°F and add 1 tablespoon butter. Carefully lay a coated steak in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer the fried steak to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks. 1 cup canola oil, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Lightly toast the buns and spread a generous layer of spicy mayo on the bottom half of each burger bun. Top with a crispy chicken fried steak and a layer of fresh lettuce leaves. Spread more spicy mayo on the inside of the top bun. Gently close the sandwich and serve immediately. 4 hamburger buns, 4 leaves lettuce
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make a Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich Step by Step
Make the Spicy Mayo: In a medium bowl, combine ¾ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic, and 1½ tablespoons of sriracha sauce. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pound the Steaks: Place each of 4 cube steaks between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the steaks until they’re less than ¼-inch thick. Salt the steaks lightly. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven to keep the cooked steaks warm while you assemble the sandwiches.
Dredge the Steaks: In one shallow dish, whisk together 2 large beaten eggs and 1 cup of milk. In another dish, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then dip it in the egg wash, and coat it again with the flour mixture. Set aside on a plate.
Fry the Steaks: In a large frying pan, heat 1 cup of canola oil to 350°F and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Carefully lay a coated steak in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer the fried steak to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks.
Finish and enjoy : Gently close the sandwich and serve immediately.
How to Store and Reheat
I recommend storing these chicken fried steak sandwiches unassembled so the buns don’t turn soggy. Reheat the chicken fried steak in a pan set over medium-low heat until warmed through before assembling.
Serving Suggestions
I like serving my chicken fried steak sandwich simply with french fries . It’s also great with a light salad, like this green goddess salad .
More Sandwich Recipes To Try
Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich
Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the Spicy Mayo
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1½ tablespoons sriracha or hot sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Chicken Fried Steak
- 4 pre-tenderized cube steaks (about 1 pound)
- Kosher salt for seasoning
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup canola oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
Additional Ingredients
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 leaves lettuce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, crushed garlic, and sriracha sauce. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1½ tablespoons sriracha, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place each cube steak between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the steaks until they’re less than ¼-inch thick. Salt the steaks lightly. 4 pre-tenderized cube steaks, Kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven to keep the cooked steaks warm while you assemble the sandwiches.
- In one shallow dish, whisk together beaten eggs and milk. In another dish, combine flour, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each steak in the flour mixture, then dip it in the egg wash, and coat it again with the flour mixture. Set aside on a plate. 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- In a large frying pan, heat canola oil to 350°F and add 1 tablespoon butter. Carefully lay a coated steak in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer the fried steak to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining steaks. 1 cup canola oil, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Lightly toast the buns and spread a generous layer of spicy mayo on the bottom half of each burger bun. Top with a crispy chicken fried steak and a layer of fresh lettuce leaves. Spread more spicy mayo on the inside of the top bun. Gently close the sandwich and serve immediately. 4 hamburger buns, 4 leaves lettuce
Video
Notes
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
