If You Have Ground Beef, Eggs, And Flour You Have A Hearty, Country-Fried Dinner (Just Add Gravy)

It can be hard to come up with unique ideas for ground beef. You can only eat so many burgers, meatloaf, tacos, meatballs, and plates of spaghetti with meat sauce. If you're looking for something new, try making country-fried steak fingers with little more than ground beef, eggs, and flour.

So what does it mean to make a steak country-fried? You generally just have to dredge your beef in a seasoned flour mixture and fry it. The difference between country-fried and chicken-fried is often regional. Some versions of chicken-fried steak use an egg wash before the meat is dredged in seasoned flour, and that technique will work for this dish.

This dinner idea doesn't use steak, so it plays a little fast and loose with expectations. Instead of cutting a steak into strips, you need to shape seasoned ground beef into finger-sized portions. Keep things simple by combining ground beef with an egg and your favorite seasonings. Salt and pepper are ideal for a basic version, but garlic powder, paprika, steak seasoning, or Italian seasoning work, too. After shaping the seasoned fingers, chill them for about 30 minutes so they hold their shape better during frying.

For a simple coating, dredge the beef fingers in seasoned flour before frying. For an extra-crispy coating, dredge the fingers in flour, dip them in an egg wash made with milk or buttermilk, then coat in flour again. Some recipes use three flour dredges and two dips in the wet mixture. Fry in 350-degree-Fahrenheit oil for two to three minutes per side.

Like any good country-fried steak, these fingers are delicious served with gravy. We have a recipe for a simple white country gravy, which is a traditional choice. A rich, brown beef gravy would work, too. You could also serve them like chicken fingers, with barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, sweet-and-sour sauce, or honey mustard for dipping.

Since these steak fingers are made from ground beef, you could also lean into more of a burger approach and use ketchup, burger sauce, or a creamy garlic aioli for dipping. We have a list of over a dozen sauces to elevate any burger that offers even more ideas.

Choose some classic Southern sides and you can turn your country fried steak fingers into a full meal. Mashed potatoes are a perfect side that you can slather in more of that white gravy, but mac and cheese or potato wedges work, too. Corn, green beans, or collard greens would round out the plate. Fresh coleslaw or a simple cucumber and tomato salad adds a crisp, refreshing contrast to the heavier items. A buttery, flaky biscuit or some sweet cornbread to soak up any leftover gravy would also make a nice finishing touch. If you're just looking for a casual meal for the family, serve your country-fried steak fingers with fries and dip on the side like an order of chicken tenders.