The Ultimate Fried Venison Cube Steak Recipe
Crispy, golden venison cube steaks made from tenderized loin or round, double-dredged in seasoned flour and buttermilk, then pan-fried to perfection. A comforting, Southern-style meal best served with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 4 Four-ounce venison steaks (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)
- salt and black pepper
For the Breading
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
- 1 large egg
- High smoke point oil (for frying)
Instructions
Tenderize the Meat
- Lay the venison on your cutting board. Pierce the meat with a fork or handheld meat tenderizer. Pound first with a meat mallet for better results.
Make a Breading Station
- In a medium-sized bowl add the egg and buttermilk. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add all of the dry breading ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Bread the Steaks
- Lightly season the venison steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Generously apply the dry breading mixture to both sides of the steaks. Reserve the remaining breading for later.
- One at a time, dip the steaks into the buttermilk mixture. Then coat the steaks once again on both sides with the remaining dry breading mixture.
- Place the steaks in a single layer on a baking tray. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Fry the Steaks
- Pre-heat your oven to 200℉
- Add enough cooking oil to a large skillet (preferably cast iron) to a level of around 2 inches. Heat the oil to between 325 and 330 degrees ℉.
- Working in batches, fry the steaks until they are a nice golden brown on each side. Carefully flipping as needed.
- Immediately after removing the steaks from the cooking oil, season them lightly with salt.
- As each steak is cooked, place it in the oven to keep warm.
NOTES
- Pound or tenderize the venison first. 1/4-inch thickness gives the best texture and helps it cook fast without getting tough.
- After breading, refrigerate the steaks for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours so the coating sticks better when fried.
- Fry in batches so the crust stays crisp.
- Season the steaks lightly with salt right after frying while they are still hot.
- Keep finished steaks warm in a 200 F oven while you fry the rest.
- Top round, bottom round, or backstrap all work well for venison cube steak.
Use the pan drippings left in the skillet to whip up a savory gravy. Or you can make my from-scratch venison gravy recipe.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking oil from the pan, along with any drippings and crumbs.
- Add a tablespoon or two of flour, whisk to create a roux, then slowly stir in stock, broth, or milk.
- Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped mushrooms for a mushroom sauce. Simmer until thick and season to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1825mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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