Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak

Who doesn’t love this southern fried food??!! Well if you’re looking for the same great taste with a fraction of the fat intake, try our air fryer chicken fried steak recipe! It’s one of our favorite air fryer recipes that my teens make all by themselves.

You can make these into bigger pieces or in fingers like we did. If you’re Southern this is probably a regular meal in your home. If you’re not I am sure you love it too. We made these into strips because they’re easier to eat.

Just like deep fried to a golden brown but NO need to submerge these babies in oil at all, they’re a healthier version of your favorite comfort food.

Ninja Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak

Of course you could leave the cubed steak whole as a Ninja Foodi recipe but it would just take longer to cook. I personally think smaller bites turn out better to get the inside nice and tender while keeping a crunchy texture on the outside. In a Foodi you will use the lid that is attached.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want a few large Cubed steak pieces cut into strips is how we like to do it but you could leave them whole but timing would need to be longer. Steak fingers like these are about 1.5 inches wide and however long the pieces are.

The seasonings for the breadcrumbs are totally up to you. Of course we share what we used down below so feel free to use those suggestions. I’d say Salt and pepper are the basics, with garlic and onion powder are good add ins too, use seasonings you love

Breading for Chicken Fried Steak

You are going to want some well seasoned flour to create a crispy coating with some Panko breadcrumbs to make the outsides crunchier. An Egg whisked in a bowl will get coating to stick with a bit of Milk or dairy free alternative works

You’ll need 3 bowls or plates with tall lips on the sides too with your machine. If you can lay it all out on the counter it’s easier to make sure each piece is completely coated, dipped, coated again and laid in your basket quickly.

Whenever I come up with an idea, I refer to my air fryer cooking times chart linked at the top of this post to determine how long it will take to cook. Of course you may need to adjust it slightly, but it is a great reference to start with.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak (with Flour)

Spray air fryer basket with non stick spray. Preheat for 5 minutes so it is the same heat throughout the cooking time Slice into strips with an electric tenderizer to pound the meat out.

Season each piece with salt and pepper or those of your choice Mix together flour and seasonings to coat the outside. Whisk together milk and egg. Spread out Panko bread crumbs.

Use a fork and press into flour mixture, shaking off excess. Then dip into egg mixture allowing the excess to drip off. Press into Panko breadcrumbs on both sides.

How Long to Cook Chicken Fried Steak in Air Fryer

Spray with olive oil and air fry for 11 min. total, flip your pieces over after 7 minutes. Continue to cook if you want them to crisp up more. If so add a few more minutes until they’re done to your liking. NO need for paper towels to absorb the grease on these as there isn’t any!

You want to make sure to give them space inside the air fryer basket. Hot air is what will cook them and create a crispy outer layer you want. If you crowd the strips the chicken fried steak strips won’t get as crispy as you’d like.

Here’s a peek at them once they’re done. Kinda’ like air fryer frozen chicken tenders, but with beef instead.

Traditionally you’d serve this or our air fryer fried chicken thighs with air fryer mashed potato ballsif it’s served as a dinner. These are cut as a finger food appetizer though so you can serve them with a bowl of gravy to dip them into. Another option is vegetables! Air fryer cauliflower is a great side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is prepared in the same manner as traditional fried chicken, but it’s made out of steak. Makes sense I guess right??!! Some people would call this country fried steak. What’s the difference? Not much. One flour dusted and the other uses bread crumbs. Since we used both I just called it this. 😉

Cube steak is the name of a cut of beef. It’s usually top round or top sirloin that’s been tenderized and flattened by pounding with a meat tenderizer. Reason this is done is to make it easier to chew.

Use a meat mallet that is either metal or wooden. Cover your steak in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and pound it thoroughly until the entire steak is covered with marks from the mallet.

Most definitely! We have made these, air fryer frozen steak, and our favorite is probably this air fryer steak bites recipe with an incredible dry rub.

Set to 350 degrees F for 4 minutes. Flip halfway thru the cook time and check to see if they’re warm enough to serve.