Idaho Steak Fingers Recipe

You are in for a treat today. I'm sharing my take on the iconic Idaho Steak Fingers.

They are crispy and crunchy beef strips that marinate in seasoned buttermilk. Then they are battered and fried to perfection and served with a delicious dipping sauce.

❤️ Why you'll love it

• These steak fingers are simple to prepare and pure comfort food.
• There are so many variations in the spices and dipping sauces for the steak.
• How doesn't love pure comfort food?

Ingredients

• Cube Steak - We use cube steak that has been tenderized by our butcher and we slice it thin for the finger steaks.
• Rice Flour - To make the steak with an Asian flair, we use rice flour blended with all-purpose flour. The rice flour doesn't absorb a lot of the oil when fried. This makes the batter light and crunchy.
• Chinese 5 Spice - is a favorite of mine and it gives a great flavor to the beef.
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder - I'm a big seasoning person and love to add garlic and onion powder to the flour for added flavor.
• Salt and Black Pepper - add another level of flavor to the recipe.
• Buttermilk - is a great tenderizer. Marinate the sliced cube steak in the buttermilk for more tender results.

Equipment

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• Cutting Board
• Knives
• Bowls
• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoon
• Dutch Oven/Deep Pan
• Deep Fry Thermometer

Instructions

This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.

1. Cut meat into strips, about ½ inch by 3 inches.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, Chinese 5-spice, and pepper. Place the sliced beef strips into the marinade. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose and rice flour with the remaining Chinese 5-spice, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Remove the marinated cube pieces from the buttermilk marinade, shake off excess liquid, and coat the pieces with the flour mixture. If you love a crunchy exterior, double coat the steak fingers by redipping the meat back into the buttermilk mixture and again into the flour mixture.
4. Heat the oil in a deep pan or cast-iron skillet to 375°F.
5. Work in batches and add the prepared steak fingers to the hot oil until they are golden brown, flip have way, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Remove from the oil, and set on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
7. Repeat until all pieces have been fried.
8. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Storage

For best results serve immediately after frying.

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheat in oven-safe bakeware at a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the beef is reheated.

The sauce can be made ahead of time 1-2 days and should be stored in the fridge in an airtight covered container until ready to serve

Expert Tips

Eileen's Tip: Be sure to marinate the beef. The buttermilk is a great tenderizer and adds a fabulous level of flavor to the whole recipe.

• We don't add salt to the buttermilk marinade because we enjoy the overnight method of marinating for a nice tangy flavor addition to the beef.
• Salt can pull out the moisture from an overnight marinade therefore, I prefer adding it to the flour mixture for dredging the beef.
• We love a crispy crunchy exterior so a double dredge is our preferred method. You can do a single dredge of the flour mixture with delicious results.
• Be sure to let your oil heat up to at least 350° to 375°F to ensure crispy steak. If you do not have a deep-fry thermometer, when you think the oil is warm enough, sprinkle in a bit of the flour. It should immediately begin to crackle in the oil when warm enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

• Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes would be a great pairing with the crunchy style steak fingers.
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes is an easy recipe that would be delicious paired with this recipe.
• Roasted Green Beans are a hit with any recipe.
• Lemon Asparagus is another easy side dish to prepare with any beef recipe.
• French fries are always an option that is a classic.
• Fry Sauce is a classic dipping sauce that many love to serve with the steak fingers.
• Bacon Ranch Potato Salad would be a classic side dish for these tasty finger steaks.

Related recipes

Some other beef recipes you will enjoy are:

• Roast beef Roll-ups an easy to make and a hit with everyone. Great for parties and prepping ahead too.
• Slow Cooker Coffee Rubbed Brisket, the rub is loaded with flavor and the beef is tender and juicy. Great for pot-lucks and Game-Day food.
• Beef Jerky Dip is another favorite that is so easy to make and a huge hit with the family.
• Juicy Lucy Burgers, yummo, is all I have to say! Such a great burger.
• Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets is another recipe that is easy and tasty.

If you want to change the serving size, click on the servings in the recipe card to adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe, we would love for you to give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

When my friends at the New York Beef Council asked me to participate in this east coast meets west coast event to celebrate this tasty beef recipe, I jumped in.