Throw this one in my top 5 for tasty, comforting, and just plain awesome. This protein and fat amalgamation is sure to make anyone happy. I know what you’re saying . . . isn’t it going to taste like coconut? If there is a hint of it in there, it’s from the coconut milk used in the gravy. For those without a palate for coconut, I recommend substituting ¼ cup heavy whipping cream instead. Yes, it’s dairy (though mostly fat), so you’re going to have to choose between broadening your palate or taking in a little dairy.
2 pounds (900 g) beef round, trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (150 g) almond flour
½ cup (75 g) coconut flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups (500 mL) chicken broth
½ cup (125 mL) coconut milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh thyme
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
The steaks
- Cut meat into ½-inch-thick (1 cm) slices and season both sides with half of your salt and pepper.
- Mix your flours, garlic powder, and remaining salt/pepper into a pie pan. Set aside 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for gravy. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour and place on cutting board. Now tenderize each piece with a meat hammer until ¼ inch (.5 cm) thick.
- Beat eggs in another pie dish or large bowl. Coat each piece of meat in egg, then coat again with flour mixture. Place on plate and allow them to sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of your coconut oil over mediumhigh heat.
- When oil is hot, add pieces of meat to pan, being careful not to overcrowd.
- Cook meat for about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove pieces to a wire drying rack on a cookie sheet. When you have cooked all the meat pieces, place in oven until browned.
To make the gravy
- Add the remaining coconut oil to frying pan.
- Whisk in remaining flour mixture 1 spoonful at a time.
- Pour in chicken broth and deglaze pan.
- Continue to whisk pan as you bring mixture to a soft boil and gravy begins to thicken. Add the coconut milk, thyme, and coarsely ground pepper and continue stirring until gravy reaches desired thickness.
- Serve gravy over the steaks and enjoy.
Tips & Tricks—To save time, purchase cubed steak from your local butcher.
Variation—This is an excellent recipe for venison and bison.
More Recipes You'll Love
Chicken fried steak gets a full paleo makeover here, and you won't miss the grains for a second. Thin beef round steaks get a double dredge of almond and coconut flour, pan-fry to a craggy golden crust, and are served under a creamy coconut milk gravy made from the pan drippings.
Pro Tips
- Pound the floured steaks to a quarter inch (0.5 cm) thickness — tenderising after the first dredge pushes the flour into the meat and gives the crust something to grip.
- The double coat (flour, egg, flour again) followed by a 10-minute rest lets the breading hydrate and set so it doesn't fall off in the skillet.
- Reserve two tablespoons of the flour mixture before dredging; it becomes the thickener for the gravy, which is how you get a proper country gravy without wheat.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet — cook in batches and hold the finished steaks on a wire rack over a sheet pan in a 250°F (120°C) oven so they stay crisp.
- Coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond flour, so the blend matters: the almond keeps the crust tender while the coconut adds structure and crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef is best for chicken fried steak?
Beef round is the traditional choice — it's lean and affordable, and pounding it thin tenderises it perfectly. Cube steak (pre-tenderised round) works too.
Is chicken fried steak paleo?
This version is: the breading is almond and coconut flour with egg, the frying fat is coconut oil, and the gravy is a coconut milk pan sauce. Nothing grain-based in sight.
Can I make the gravy without the reserved flour?
The reserved dredge is what thickens it, but you can whisk in a small spoon of coconut flour instead — add it gradually and simmer until the sauce coats a spoon.
How do I keep the crust from getting soggy?
Rest the coated meat 10 minutes before frying, fry in batches without crowding, and hold cooked steaks on a rack rather than a plate so steam escapes.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Cut meat into ½-inch-thick (1 cm) slices and season both sides with half of your salt and pepper.
- Mix your flours, garlic powder, and remaining salt/pepper into a pie pan.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons for gravy. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour and place on cutting board. Now tenderize each piece with a meat hammer until ¼ inch (. 5 cm) thick.
- Beat eggs in another pie dish or large bowl.
- Coat each piece of meat in egg, then coat again with flour mixture.
- Place on plate and allow them to sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of your coconut oil over mediumhigh heat.
- When oil is hot, add pieces of meat to pan, being careful not to overcrowd.
- Cook meat for about 3–4 minutes per side.
- Remove pieces to a wire drying rack on a cookie sheet.
- When you have cooked all the meat pieces, place in oven until browned.
- Add the remaining coconut oil to frying pan.
- Whisk in remaining flour mixture 1 spoonful at a time.
- Pour in chicken broth and deglaze pan.
- Continue to whisk pan as you bring mixture to a soft boil and gravy begins to thicken.
- Add the coconut milk, thyme, and coarsely ground pepper and continue stirring until gravy reaches desired thickness.
- Serve gravy over the steaks and enjoy.
