Keto Chicken Fried Steak
Published September 27, 2020 • Updated February 22, 2026
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My husband's favorite keto chicken fried steak. Cubed steak double-dredged in almond flour and seasoned pork rinds, fried in butter until shatteringly crispy. 1.7g net carbs with a skillet gravy made from the drippings.
This is my husband’s favorite meal. Not his favorite keto meal. His favorite meal, period. He’d eat it for breakfast if I let him. I usually make it on weeknights because the entire recipe, gravy included, takes about 22 minutes from start to plate.
The secret to a thick, crunchy crust without flour is a double dredge. A light coat of almond flour goes on first to give the egg wash something to grip. Then the steak gets pressed into seasoned ground pork rinds for the outer layer. The pork rinds fry up golden and crispy in butter while adding almost zero carbs. Each serving comes in at 1.7g net carbs and 43.6g protein.
I’ve tested almond flour on its own as the main coating, and it browns nicely but doesn’t hold a candle to pork rinds for crunch. The pork rind layer develops a texture closer to the cornmeal crust on a traditional chicken fried steak. It shatters when you cut into it and stays crispy even under gravy.
The gravy comes together in the same skillet using the brown bits, butter, heavy cream, and chicken broth. It thickens in about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. If you want it thicker, a teaspoon of arrowroot powder does the job without changing the flavor. I also tested beef broth after a reader suggested it, and it adds noticeably more body. Worth trying if you have some on hand.
If you’re looking for more low carb comfort dinners like this one, try creamy pork chops (same kind of skillet-to-gravy workflow) or keto Philly cheesesteak for another steak night option. Slow cooker steak and peppers is another favorite when I want steak but don’t feel like standing at the stove.
The steak, the gravy pooling over cauliflower mash, the crispy bits soaking up the sauce. It’s comfort food that doesn’t knock you out of ketosis.
How to Make Keto Chicken Fried Steak
The key to a great crust is three things I learned from troubleshooting this recipe over the years. First, pat the cubed steaks completely dry. Moisture underneath the coating creates steam that pushes the crust off the meat. Second, coat in almond flour, dip in egg wash, then press firmly into seasoned pork rinds. I mean really press, both sides, until the pork rinds embed into the surface. Third, let the coated steaks rest on a wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes before they hit the skillet. That short rest lets the egg wash set and bonds everything together. Fry in butter over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side until the crust is deep golden and the steak reaches 145 degrees internally.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoon butter -
4 cubed steaks
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1/2 cup almond flour
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2 eggs
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1 cup ground pork rinds
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
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1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
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1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare your bowls
Using three shallow bowls, add almond flour to one bowl. Whisk together eggs with 2 tablespoons water in the second bowl. In the third bowl, combine ground pork rinds with garlic powder.
Dredge in pork rinds
Next, place the cubed steak in the ground pork rinds to coat on both sides. Repeat with remaining cube steaks and set aside.
Fry
In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 cube steaks to the skillet and fry over medium heat on both sides for 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet or else your steaks will steam cook and not get crispy. Work in batches if needed.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros (Free) →Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between chicken fried steak and country fried steak?
I get asked this all the time. The way I make it, chicken fried steak has a thicker, crunchier breaded coating (my pork rind double-dredge) and gets served with cream gravy. Country fried steak typically skips the heavy breading and comes with a brown onion gravy instead. Both use the same cuts of steak. My version is the breaded, low carb style with the cream gravy because that's what my husband grew up eating.
Can I cook this in the air fryer?
I've tested it at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping once at the 5-minute mark. Spray both sides with avocado oil before cooking or the pork rinds won't crisp up properly. The crust won't be quite as golden as pan frying in butter, but it gets close. I still make the gravy on the stovetop in a separate skillet since the air fryer basket doesn't give you those brown bits to work with.
Can I freeze keto chicken fried steak?
I freeze these after coating but before frying. Lay the breaded steaks on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 2 months. When I'm ready to cook, I fry them straight from frozen, adding about 1 extra minute per side. The crust actually holds up better from frozen because the coating has fully set. Freeze the gravy separately in ice cube trays if you want to make it ahead too.
Can I use heavy cream instead of eggs in the breading?
I've tried this for friends who can't eat eggs. Brush heavy cream onto the almond-floured steak instead of egg wash, then press into the pork rinds. The coating holds, but it's slightly thinner than the egg version because cream doesn't build the same sticky layer. I press extra hard on the pork rind step to compensate. It works well enough that my egg-free friends request this regularly.
Can I use beef tallow instead of butter for frying?
Beef tallow is actually my preferred choice when I have it on hand. It has a higher smoke point than butter, so I can get the skillet hotter without burning. The crust develops faster and comes out slightly crispier. I render my own tallow from beef fat trimmings, but the store-bought jars work fine. The flavor is more savory and beefy, which pairs perfectly with the cube steak. If you like grilled marinated chicken, tallow works great for that too.
Does the nutrition count include the gravy?
The nutrition is for the steak only. I keep it separate because the gravy amount varies so much per serving. My gravy adds roughly 2 to 3g fat and less than 1g carbs per couple tablespoons, depending on how thick you make it and whether you add the arrowroot. I usually just pour it on without measuring.
How do I prevent the coating from falling off during frying?
I struggled with this early on until I nailed three things. First, pat the cubed steaks completely dry with paper towels before seasoning. Moisture underneath creates steam that pushes the crust away. Second, press the pork rinds firmly onto both sides instead of just laying the steak on top and flipping. Third, let the coated steaks rest on a wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes before frying so the egg wash sets and bonds everything. Since I started doing all three, I haven't lost a coating.
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
I swap the butter for avocado oil or beef tallow for frying. For the gravy, I use full-fat coconut cream in place of heavy cream. The coconut flavor is mild enough that it blends into the chicken broth without being noticeable. Ghee also works for the frying step if you tolerate it. I've made it dairy-free for friends multiple times and the crust turns out the same. The gravy texture is slightly different with coconut cream but still coats the steak well. Keto chicken casserole is another dinner I make dairy-free the same way.
Brought this to a dinner party last weekend and the gravy alone had everyone convinced I'd ordered from somewhere. Three people asked for the recipe before we even finished eating. That pork rind crust is no joke.
The gravy is sneaky. All those drippings from the pork rind crust go right into it, that's where the flavor comes from. People never guess it's just chicken broth and cream.
Followed the recipe except for the actual frying. I tried a few options: butter, butter and olive oil, and just olive oil. For my taste, the just olive oil was better. It could be me or my stove. I tried using the butter and cooking first on a setting of 5 (out of 9). In each case where I had butter in the skillet I found that the butter started to burn. In the case where I just used olive oil on a setting of 5 I found that the steak cooked up nicely.
Yeah butter smokes out fast at medium-high. Olive oil works fine, you won't miss it. Ghee is another option if you want that butter flavor, higher smoke point so it won't burn.
This was delicious and the hubs loved it! We have not had country fried steak in ages because we thought it was off the menu for KETO eaters. The few other recipes I tried were not very good, and with the price of food these days, I just couldn't justify another costly mistake, but in desperation I gave it one more try and I'm sure glad I did. I followed the recipe almost to the letter, but substituted Cavender's Greek seasoning for the garlic salt because I didn't have any. It didn't hurt a thing. The gravy was also very good. I will put this on a regular rotation for us! Thanks for a tasty recipe!
Cavender's works so well here. More depth than plain garlic salt, and it doesn't fight the pork rind crust. Going to test it myself next round.
So good
Ha. That pork rind crust. Try a pinch of flaky salt right when it comes out of the pan.
I love reading recipes and all the comments but never comment myself. But this recipe is so easy and so good! I never had chicken fried steak in my life until last year (non keto version). It was so good and I was hoping to find a recipe to make it low carb. I used homemade beef broth in the gravy which gave it a strong beef flavor and added a bunch of ground pepper. I will be making this again! Fantastic.
Beef broth in that gravy, yeah. Way more body than chicken broth and it takes the pepper better. Going to try it that way.
Wow, this is excellent! I didn't have any heavy cream or arrowroot for thickening, and it was still great! (I'm not home with my normal "stuff" for cooking.) I used half and half and the broth, but definitely would make this again with heavy cream and arrowroot. I will make this dish again and often! (I served it with sauteed fresh spinach in olive oil and some salt and garlic powder. It was great!)
Half and half is fine, gravy just ends up a little thinner. Arrowroot's optional anyway, I include it for people who want more body. Love the spinach idea.
How could I do this one in the air fryer? Just recently found you and loving your recipes!!
I haven't tried it in the air fryer. It might work. Let me know if you try it.
This was fantastic! Definitely a keeper!
One question, does the nutrition include the gravy or was it just for the steak?
It's for just the steak. I'm glad you liked the recipe
PLEASE!!!!!! write a cookbook. It would be a BEST SELLER, I would buy several to give to friends and family. What a gift, great recipes and good health !!!!
Love this! But I made mine without the eggs and flour, just pressed with Mayo and then covered in crushed pork rinds. I do season the meat first, i add paprika and garlic to the rinds before i cook, major Yum! BTW down 60 pounds AND best of all, VeRY aware of what I eat and how I serve it! Thanks for yet another good recipe idea.
do you have an email ?
Yes, you can email me at annie@ketofocus.com
Loved it. Still trying to perfect cauliflower as a mashed potato replacement. Always seems to watery and loose but the steak was great.
If you’re doing keto you can add cream cheese. :)
What I have found to get the water out of the cooked cauliflower is after you boil the cauliflower, drain the water through a collander and then put the cauliflower back in the cooking pot at low heat for 3 or 4 min. This do0es seem to dry up some of the excess water.
Wow! This was amazing. I used Montreal Steak Seasoning on the meat and in the gravy. Definitely will be a repeat for us!