Difference between Chicken Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak
By Theydiffer - March 4, 2016

Some steaks aficionados think that Chicken Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak are interchangeable. This is largely due to the similar process of cooking: tenderized cube steaks are battered, fried in a pan, covered with gravy, and that’s it. Yet, there are several differences in the traditional applications of each of these. We will explore the matter in the following article.

Definitions

Chicken fried steak is thought to have appeared in the middle of the 20th century in the state of Oklahoma, and spread through nearby states. Nowadays, many steak aficionados believe that it is best if tried in the state of Texas. Despite its name, chicken fried steak’s recipes do not include chicken, but prepared with beef, like other steaks.

Getty Images/EyeEm/Kit Ying Yu / EyeEm

Country fried steak is thought to have arrived in the Southern states of the U.S. in the middle of the 18th century from Germany. It is a breaded cutlet dish with gravy, highly popular for its easy preparation methods and low price.

Chicken Fried Steak vs Country Fried Steak

The crucial difference between Chicken Fried Steak and Country Fried Steak is in the color that the gravy has for each dish. Country Fried Steak is usually surrounded by a brown gravy . Chicken Fried Steak, on the other hand, tends to have a white gravy, usually with a peppery tint.

While Chicken fried steak is popular in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, country fried steak is more likely to be found in restaurants in the Southern American states: Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.

Comparison chart

Chicken Fried SteakCountry Fried Steak
Peppery white gravyBrown gravy
Usually has a crispier coatingThe coating is less crispy
Is a more recent variation of country fried steakArrived in the U.S. in the mid 19th century from Germany
Is popular in Texas, Oklahoma, and KansasIs popular in the Southern States