Fried Chicken > Can you make fried chicken without flour

Can You Make Fried Chicken Without Flour?

Fried chicken is a beloved comfort food for many, with its crispy, golden breading enveloping juicy and tender chicken. Traditionally, fried chicken is dredged in a mixture of flour, spices, and seasoning before being fried. However, if you find yourself out of flour, you can still make delicious fried chicken without it.

Can You Make Fried Chicken Without Flour?

Absolutely – you can still make incredibly delicious fried chicken even if you don’t have any flour on hand. Flour is commonly used to bread chicken before frying, but there are several great substitutes that allow you to achieve that crispy, crunchy coating without it.

The key is to find an alternative dry dredging ingredient that will adhere to the chicken. Excellent flourless options include cornstarch, crushed crackers or breadcrumbs, almond flour, or potato flakes. Each imparts its own flavor and texture, so explore to find your favorite.

To ensure the flourless breading sticks, first marinate the chicken pieces in buttermilk for 30 minutes up to overnight. Then, set up a dredging station with the dry coating in a dish. One at a time, pull chicken from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Place the chicken in the flourless coating, pressing to completely coat all sides.

Related post: Can you make fried chicken without eggs?

For extra crispness, place the breaded chicken on a rack for 5-10 minutes before frying. This helps the coating set and adhere better. Fry in batches at 325-350°F until deeply golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel-lined racks.

With the proper preparation and frying at high enough heat, you can achieve incredibly crunchy, flavorful fried chicken without a drop of flour. The buttermilk cling and crisp alternate coatings like cracker crumbs or almond flour make flourless fried chicken a delicious reality.

Breading Alternatives to Flour

While flour is the most common breading for fried chicken, there are several flourless options that can be used:

• • Cornstarch – This pantry staple can be mixed with seasonings to coat the chicken before frying. It provides a light, crisp coating.
  • Crushed crackers – Crackers like saltines or even panko breadcrumbs can be crushed into crumbs to bread chicken. Go for coarsely crushed to get a craggy texture.
  • Potato flakes – Dehydrated potato flakes create an ultra-crisp shell when fried. Mix with spices for flavor.
  • Almond flour – For a gluten-free option, almond flour makes a tasty breading alternative. The nutty flavor pairs well with chicken.

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How to make Crispy Fried Chicken Without Flour?

The key to getting a crunchy exterior on flourless fried chicken is to dip the chicken in buttermilk or egg before the breading. This helps the coating stick and promotes browning. Here are the easy steps:

• • Cut chicken into pieces and marinate in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  • Prepare your dredging station – put the breading of choice like cracker crumbs or cornstarch in a shallow dish.
  • One at a time, remove chicken pieces from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off, then place in the breading, turning and pressing to fully coat all sides.
  • Shake off any excess coating and place the breaded chicken on a wire rack or sheet pan. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so the breading adheres.
  • Fry the chicken in batches in hot oil 325-350°F until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165°F.
  • Drain the fried chicken on a paper towel-lined wire rack before serving hot.

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The end result is crunchy, mouth watering fried chicken sans flour. With the right breading and frying technique, you won’t miss the flour at all. Explore the many flavorful coatings to find your new favorite flourless fried chicken recipe.

So, Can you cook fried chicken without flour?

Yes, you absolutely can cook up delicious fried chicken even without a drop of flour. While flour is commonly used to bread chicken before frying, there are several easy substitutions (like what’s written above). With the right prep and frying technique, flour is not at all necessary for whipping up mouth watering fried chicken.

FAQs
Can you fry chicken without flour?

Frying up perfect chicken without flour is completely achievable. Though flour is the traditional go-to for breading fried chicken, you can still make crunchy, delicious fried chicken without it. Alternative dry dredging options like crushed crackers, panko breadcrumbs, potato flakes, or almond flour allow you to coat the chicken in flavor and crunch before hitting the hot oil.

Just be sure to marinate the chicken first in buttermilk so the coating sticks. Then completely cover the chicken pieces in your flourless mixture, pressing it on. Fry at high heat, about 350°F, until the outside is golden and the chicken is cooked through. You’ll enjoy tender, juicy chicken encased in a crispy, textured shell, no flour required.

What can I use to fry chicken if I don’t have flour?

Some great alternatives to use for frying chicken instead of flour include cornstarch, panko breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, potato flakes, or almond flour. Coating the chicken in one of these dry ingredients after soaking in buttermilk will allow you to achieve a deliciously crunchy exterior when fried.

The starch in cornstarch helps promote browning and crispness. Crushed crackers or bread crumbs provide texture and flavor. Potato flakes get ultra crispy when fried. And nutty almond flour is perfect for gluten-free fried chicken. With the right frying heat and prep, flour is not at all necessary.

What happens if you don’t flour chicken before frying?

Frying chicken without first flouring it can still yield delicious results, though the coating may end up slightly less light and crispy. To help the breading without flour stick and get as crunchy as possible, really press and pack on the dry coating after marinating the chicken in buttermilk.

Letting it sit for a few minutes before frying also allows the coating to adhere better. Frying at a high enough temperature, around 350°F, will promote browning and crispness. While flour does help chicken fry up a bit lighter and crisper, with some simple tweaks, flourless chicken can be just as scrumptious.

How do you get breading to stick to chicken without flour?

To help breading stick to chicken without using flour, first marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes or more – the buttermilk helps the coating cling. Make sure to completely coat each piece of chicken in the dry dredge, pressing it on to adhere.

Let the breaded chicken sit for 5-10 minutes before frying – this helps the breading set up. Frying at high heat also promotes crisping and browning. With this proper technique, you can achieve a perfect crunchy coating on your chicken even sans flour.

Can I use breading without flour?

Yes, you can absolutely use flourless breading to coat chicken before frying. Great options include cracker crumbs, panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, potato flakes, or almond flour. Each imparts its own taste and texture. Soak chicken in buttermilk first, then dredge it thoroughly in your desired flourless breading.

Allow to sit briefly before frying at high heat for maximum crispness. With the right prep and fry technique, you can make incredibly tasty breaded fried chicken without a bit of flour. The possibilities are delicious!

 

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