Frying crispy chicken wings without flour might seem odd, but there are many ways to fry chicken wings without flour. If you have gluten allergies or simply don’t have flour available in your pantry, no problem at all! You can choose so many different ingredients that fulfill your “flour” needs! Keep reading to learn how to fry chicken wings without flour.

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Why do we use flour to fry chicken wings?

When frying chicken wings, almost every recipe calls for all-purpose flour. It is usually an essential ingredient when making fried chicken wings. But the question is, why do we add flour when frying chicken wings? Does it add flavor to the wings as well?

Well, here are a few simple reasons why almost every fried chicken recipe has flour in it:

The main reason for adding flour to any fried chicken wing recipe is that it allows the wings to achieve a beautiful and appetizing golden-brown color when fried. This color is a signature for fried chicken wings, and the credit goes to the use of all-purpose flour.
Adding all-purpose flour ensures the chicken wings get a uniform brown color. Plus, it enables the wings to cook slowly, making them taste perfect.
Although all-purpose flour doesn’t have much of a flavor of its own, it works really well as a base, and you can add flavor to this base by using spices and herbs.

Can you fry chicken wings without flour?

Because almost every recipe uses all-purpose flour to fry chicken wings, people often think it is impossible to get crispy, delicious, golden brown chicken wings without all-purpose flour. If you think the same, let me tell you it is totally possible to fry chicken wings without using flour.

In fact, you can achieve the same crisp and tempting brown color, just as you get when you use flour. You can use many ingredients as a substitute, and they will all give you great results. All you have to do is think outside the “flour” box!

Flour substitutes for frying chicken wings

Stop there if you are racking your brains to find the best all-purpose flour substitute. We have a few fantastic substitutes that are readily available in most households and are pretty easy to buy. These are:

Cornstarch: The most widely used ingredient in place of all-purpose flour is cornstarch. It is not just a gluten-free choice but is also a great way to add an extra crispy coating to your chicken wings. Most people combine all-purpose flour and cornstarch to get the perfect crispiness but if you don’t want to use all-purpose flour, just use cornstarch. You can make a slurry of it as well.
Potato starch: Potato starch also works just like corn starch. It doesn’t have a flavor of its own, but it gives you the perfect crispy coating you crave. It is a gluten-free and a great vegan choice.
Rice flour: Rice flour is yet another ingredient you can use to coat your chicken wings to get the right crisp and color. Rice flour is readily available at grocery stores, and you can also make it by finely grinding dry rice.

More Flour Substitutes

Breadcrumbs: if you don’t want to use flour and still want crispiness, you can use breadcrumbs. Although breadcrumbs are in an entirely different league, it works well, especially when you don’t have flour on hand. It will give the crispiness you desire.
Pancake mix: If you think pancake mix is for making pancakes only, think again! You can use it to fry chicken wings as well. Of course, the flavor will change a bit, but this ingredient is a contender and works well when you don’t have or want to use all-purpose flour.
Chickpea flour: Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour, is a gluten-free ingredient. It is widely used in making savory dishes; therefore, you can also use it to make chicken wings. It works well when you use it as a batter. It has an earthy flavor and also has protein in it. Plus, it also has fewer calories than all-purpose flour.