This Southern Chicken Fried Deer Steak is the most tender and flavorful venison backstrap recipe you will ever try! Delicious cubed venison steaks are soaked in buttermilk, coated in seasoned flour, and pan fried to a golden perfection! Be sure to save your pan drippings to make my Country Cream Gravy to pour on top!
1-2poundscubed venison steaks(backstrap or tenderloin)
1quartbuttermilk(reserve 1 Tablespoon for the batter)
2cupsall-purpose flour
1Tablespoonseasoned salt
1teaspoonground black pepper
1teaspoonpaprika
1teaspoonsalt
¼teaspooncayenne pepper(optional)
canola oil or vegetable oil(enough to fill a deep cast-iron skillet or frying pan ½-inch deep)
1Tablespoonolive oil
2Tablespoonssalted butter
Instructions
Start by giving the venison steaks a good rinse in cold water and then pat dry with paper towels.
Using a butcher knife, trim off any fat or connective tissue from your steaks, as preferred.
Lay the steaks flat between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a tenderizing meat mallet, pound the steaks to ¼-inch thickness. (Be careful not to tear the meat.)
Place deer steaks in a container of buttermilk and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. If you're short on time, 2 hours should do the trick.
Whisk together flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl or small pan. Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of buttermilk into the flour mixture while whisking, until tiny clumps start to form.
Take steaks out of buttermilk one by one, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off. Coat both sides of the steaks in the seasoned flour and place on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. (This helps the batter stick to the steaks better while frying.)
Heat canola or vegetable oil in a deep heavy skillet over Medium heat. Add olive oil (for flavor) and butter (for browning). When butter has melted and oil has reached 325°F, you're ready to fry!
Fry 2 to 3 steaks at a time for 2-3 minutes on the first side, until blood starts to surface. Flip over and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Place fried steaks on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Save your pan drippings to make my Country Cream Gravy to drizzle over the delicious deer steaks. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Store leftover steaks in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Tips
To help keep the batter from falling off while frying:
Allow excess buttermilk to drip off your deer steaks before battering.
Refrigerate the battered steaks for at least 15 minutes before frying.