- December 10, 2019
- 30 Minute Meals
Keto Chicken Fried Steak Nuggets with Gravy
Indulge on these keto chicken fried steak nuggets made with a delicious gravy dipping sauce for the perfect southern comfort inspired recipe.
American comfort food is definitely having its moment with this recipe (but with fewer carbs). It’s everything you love about a classic chicken fried steak but in finger-friendly nugget form.
Each nugget is pan-seared (or air fried) to a perfectly crispy golden brown and seasoned just right.
Pair these delicious steak nuggets with a rich and decadent gravy dipping sauce to tie the whole recipe together.
Get all the in-depth details below outlining everything you need to know about buying the right cut of meat, prepping the steak nuggets with a keto friendly coating, cooking options, and more. Let’s dive in!
“School” Supplies:
- Knife & Cutting Board
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Baking sheet
- Frying Pan
- Tongs
- Small Pot
- Whisk
“Class” Notes:
Welcome to my virtual classroom! Use the guided notes below where I often answer commonly asked questions I get from readers and cooks just like you.
This information is meant to help you have a stronger understanding of this recipe and the process so you can find success all on your own.
Ready to begin cooking? Simply jump to the recipe below and begin.
What Steak Cut Is Used In Chicken Fried Steak?
Chicken Fried Steak is typically made with cube steak. Cube steak is tenderized from round steak (if you cannot find cube steak at your local grocery store purchase the round steak and tenderize it yourself). The “chicken fried” component comes from a flour mixture, which is delicious, yet it’s not gluten-free or keto friendly.
My goal here was to create an easy recipe that yielded a crispy coating that was also low carb and keto friendly dish. I love using crushed pork rinds, aka pork “panko” in place of bread crumbs. It makes the perfect zero carb coating (but still high calorie so keep that in mind).
How To Bread Chicken Fried Steak Nuggets:
To make the steak nuggets, cut the round steaks into roughly 2×2 inch pieces, as equal in size as possible. I like to season both the steak itself and the outer coating as well.
For the outside breading, I wanted to achieve a crispy, golden brown outer coating. What’s more Southern than keto chicken fried steak coated in pork rinds?
If pork rinds aren’t your thing, use regular bread crumbs or almond flour (if looking for a different low-carb/gluten-free option).
Start by patting the steaks dry (helps the coating stick better) and season both sides with salt and pepper. Next, dip each nugget in an egg wash and the crushed pork rinds, then set it aside.
Cooking Instructions:
To cook your keto-friendly nuggets, preheat the avocado oil in the base of the frying pan. Swirl enough oil in to just lightly coat the bottom fully.
I like to do a quick shallow pan fry for each keto nugget but you can also air fry as well.
Avocado oil is my go-to frying oil of choice because it has a higher smoke point, preventing a stinky “fried food” smell and limiting any smoke in the kitchen.
The chicken fried steak nuggets will need to cook in a pan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.
How To Make Southern Pepper Gravy:
The pepper gravy makes a great topping or dipping sauce.
To keep this lower carb, I have opted to use a mixture of butter, xanthan gum (aka keto cornstarch), and heavy cream (again, not low fat just low carb).
Season the mixture with a generous amount of pepper and a little salt. Let it cook on medium-low till bubbling slightly and thickened (this happens fairly quickly).
Serve the nuggets on a plate or platter with the pepper gravy on the side. Enjoy! Looking for other keto chicken nugget recipes? Check out my keto and gluten-free Chicken Fajita Nuggets too.
Keto Chicken Fried Steak Nuggets with Gravy
Ingredients
Chicken Fried Steak Ingredients
- 3 lbs Cube Steak cut into 2×2″ pieces
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- 4 oz. Bag Pork Rinds, crushed
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 2 Eggs
- Splash of Milk
- 2 tbsp. Avocado Oil
Southern Pepper Gravy
- 1 1/2 cups Half & Half
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 2 tbsp. Butter
Instructions
Keto Chicken Fried Steak Instructions:
- Begin by cutting the cube steak into 2×2" sized pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper. Pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove the moisture.
- Crush the pork rinds into crumbs in a plastic bag (or in a food processor) and season them with salt and pepper. Mix in 1 tsp of xanthan gum or arrowroot powder. Place the mixture into a shallow dish and set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add a splash of milk or water. Dredge each piece of cube steak in the egg wash and then in the pork rind mixture. Press the steak pieces into the pork rinds to help them stick nicely.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a shallow amount of oil (about 1/4" thick) into the pan so it coats the bottom. I always like to test one piece out first to assess the temperature and make adjustments to the oil.
- Cook the chicken fried steak nuggets in about 3-4 batches. Continue to adjust the oil temperature as needed (or change the oil out if needed). I cooked the nuggets for about 3 minutes per side and placed the cooked nuggets onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Gravy Instructions:
- In a small pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the xanthan gum (almost like you would a roux). Slowly whisk in the half and half until everything is combined. The gravy will thicken fairly quickly, stir continuously to prevent scorching.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (I prefer 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp of pepper personally). Place the gravy in a small dish for dipping alongside a plate of keto chicken fried steak nuggets.