A State-by-State Guide to the Most Iconic Foods in America

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Nebraska: Chicken Fried Steak

Nebraska’s culinary icon is the down-home comfort dish known as chicken fried steak. Despite its name, there’s no chicken involved – it’s a beef steak (usually a tenderized cube steak) that’s breaded and fried in the style of fried chicken, then typically topped with creamy gravy. This dish is popular throughout the Great Plains and South, but Nebraskans have a particular fondness for it, embracing it as a staple of local diners and family tables. Chicken fried steak likely evolved from German/Austrian wiener schnitzel (breaded veal cutlets) brought by immigrants, but on the American frontier, beef was used instead. To make it, a steak is pounded thin, seasoned, and dredged in flour or cracker crumbs before being fried to a golden crisp. It’s served smothered in a peppery white gravy made from the pan drippings – perfect for soaking into a side of mashed potatoes. Nebraska’s love for beef and hearty farm cooking shines through in this dish. Walk into small-town cafes across Nebraska and you’ll find chicken fried steak on the menu, often as a signature special. It’s inexpensive, filling, and unpretentious – exactly the kind of comfort food that has earned a place as the state’s unofficial meal.