‘Filetes Empanados de Ternera’ Breaded Pan Fried Steak is a Spanish family favorite! Thinly sliced, hammered beef fillets are drenched in seasoned flour, eggs and breadcrumbs and then fried until golden brown in garlic infused olive oil. The exterior is crunchy and aromatic from the garlic and inside the meat is tender and moist. I always make more of these fillets than I think I need because they fly off the table. This dish is too easy to eat! A favorite of all children, they are great served with potatoes cooked any style or rice and vegetables. I like to serve ‘filetes empanados de ternera’ with ‘patatas a lo pobre’ poor man’s potatoes. There is just something so good about the combination of the meaty, crunchy fried steaks with those tender potatoes, sweet peppers and onions! Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon on top to give a touch of acidity to cut through the fat, a good sprinkling of coarse grain salt and chopped fresh parsley. 

Breaded Pan Fried Steak 

Breaded Pan Fried Steak

  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Persons: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Ingredients
  • 4 Thinly sliced beef fillets 
  • 1/4 cup of seasoned flour
  • 1 cup of breadcrumbs
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 2 whole peeled garlic cloves
  • 1/2 lemon cut into quarters
  • Handful of fresh parsley
  • 1 tpsp coarse salt
  1. Instructions
  2. Start by hammering the beef fillets to tenderize them.
  3. Peel 2 garlic cloves and set aside.
  4. Season the flour with salt and black pepper. 
  5. To bread crumb the meat place the fillets first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Set aside.
  6. Heat the oil in a wide and shallow pan. Add the 2 cloves of garlic, fry and remove once golden brown. 
  7. Fry each fillet one at a time for roughly 1-2 minutes on each side until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
  8. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and sprinkling of coarse grain salt. Enjoy!

Top Tips

  • You can use thinly sliced veal, pork or chicken as a substitute for beef.
  • Test the temperature of the oil by placing some left over bread crumbs in the pan. If the breadcrumbs sizzle straight away then the oil is hot enough to start frying the meat.

Breaded Pan Fried Steak – Filetes Empanados de Ternera

I get regular requests from the little people in my house for ‘Filetes Empanados de Ternera’ Breaded Pan Fried Steak. Crispy and golden on the outside but tender and juicy in the middle. They taste good with anything! So no stressing over those side dishes!