Best Flours To Use For Fried Chicken! [A Deeper Understanding!]

I love crispy fried chicken. Well, we all do!

A crispy fried chicken with a crunch on the outside and tenderly moist on the inside is how a fried chicken should be. And, there is a fine line between a chicken that is fried to perfection and a fried chicken. That line is the flour.

The flour that the chicken has been coated in makes all the difference. In fact, it is one of the most essential ingredients in fried chicken and has the power to make or break your recipe.

The best flour to use for a crispy fried chicken is all-purpose flour. All purpose flour mixed with cornstarch or rice flour in a 1:1 ratio retains the crispiness longer. If you are looking for a crunch in the coating then all purpose flour should be mixed with semolina or cornmeal.

In this article, we will know about the different flours that can be used to fry your chicken in. As well as what impact will the flour have on the chicken once fried. Thus, you can choose the flour for your chicken recipe based on how you want your fried chicken to be!

Types of Flour Recommended To Use for Frying Chicken

The table below gives a glance at the different flours that can be used to fry chicken. Also, the texture of the chicken after you have fried using the particular flour.

Sr. No.	Type of Flour	The texture of the chicken
1	All-purpose Flour	The most common flour is used and gives a nice crisp
2	All-purpose Flour + Cornstarch(1:1 Ratio)	A better option than just all-purpose flour as the mix gives a better amount of crispiness
3	All Purpose Flour + Cornmeal or Semolina	Turns the chicken crispy as well as crunchy
4	Rice Flour or Rice Flour + AP Flour (1:1)	gives a light coating and crispier texture
5	Whole Wheat Flour + Cornstarch / Potato Starch in (1:1 Ratio)	Deeper flavor with the crispiness
6	Whole Wheat Flour + Semolina /Cornmeal	Deeper flavor with crispiness and crunch
7	Chickpea Flour	Earth flavor with a thicker coating compared to all other flours

1. All Purpose Flour

It is the common flour used for fried chicken because it is easily available as well as it is versatile since it can blend well with most herbs and seasonings. It is white in color with a super fine texture but does not have a taste or flavor of its own. It coats the chicken well and by frying with it you can choose how dark or light you want your chicken to be after being fried.

2. All Purpose Flour + Cornstarch (1:1 Ratio)

All Purpose Flour Or AP Flour as it is also known gives a lovely crispiness, however, adding in cornstarch will elevate the crispiness even further and ensure that the chicken remains crispy even after cooling or after 1 or 2 hours.

It is a recommended flour when you want your chicken to stay crispy for longer also cornflour is gluten-free and healthier than using only AP Flour.

3. All Purpose Flour + Cornmeal / Semolina

If you like your chicken crispy and crunchy then using cornmeal or semolina is recommended as this combination mimics the results of using breadcrumbs. Your chicken will resemble something like chicken nuggets.

4. Rice Flour

This gluten flour is widely popular in Asian cuisine as well as giving a lovely crunch to fried seafood dishes. It has a mildly sweet taste, tastes great when fried, and retains the crunch longer. Also, the chicken does not turn too brown when fried with rice flour.

Rice Flour combined with AP Flour or semolina is a good option as well. I use it to fry seafood. This mix will hold the seasonings and spices well. A little better than only using rice flour.

5. Whole Wheat Flour + All Purpose Flour / Cornstarch / Potato Starch (1:1 Ratio)

If you like to use healthy flour then whole wheat flour is a better option than AP Flour. It has a denser flavor compared to AP Flour, giving a brownish color to the chicken after frying. The only drawback is that it doesn’t retain the crisp texture of the chicken after the chicken has cooled. For this, we recommend adding AP Flour or cornstarch, or potato starch in a 1:1 Ratio.

You will have to adjust the seasonings and spices when using only whole wheat flour generally a little extra is required to bring out the flavors. Well, it might not be true for all spices so you will have to check.

6. Whole Wheat Flour + Semolina / Cornmeal

This combination holds well gives a crunch and will give your chicken a rustic look. The crispiness will not be very good but you can expect to get a good crunch in every bite. However, it is healthier than using AP Flour.

7. Chickpea Flour

Chickpea Flour is a gluten-free flour with a deeper flavor than all other flours. It has an earthy flavor and is versatile in giving the chicken a thick or thin coating. It definitely coats very well. Also, It will add a layer of flavor to the chicken.

If you want to get a thicker coating then do not add too much water to the flour. If you are looking for a thinner coating then make the batter runny. A word of caution though, after adding water wait for some time to cook, as this flour absorbs water and thickens. So you might have to adjust the amount of water.

This flour retains its crispiness well, in order to do so, add a pinch of baking soda to the mix. Also when using chickpea flour batter then using a whisk mix well for about a minute so as to fluff the batter.

Best flour To Make fried chicken Crispy?

I personally use AP Flour and Cornstarch mix in a 1:1 ratio for frying chicken. As it retains the crispiness better than using only AP Flour. It can take a variety of seasonings and I do not have to worry too much about the adjustment of seasonings and spices since it has a neutral flavor. It also works well in Asian cooking when a lot of recipes call for coating the fried chicken with a sauce.

Also, another mix that I often use is AP Flour + semolina when the recipe calls for the chicken to be crispy and crunchy.

which flour is better for frying Chicken bleached or unbleached?

Bleached and unbleached flour can both be used for frying as it doesn’t have a big impact on the frying process like baking. Both flours will coat the chicken well, are versatile, and will have crispiness after frying the chicken.

However, it is recommended to use bleached flour since it is lighter than most unbleached flour. Also, it has added additives that work in fluffing the chicken better.

Can I use Self Raising Flour to Fry Chicken?

Absolutely, self-raising flour can be used for frying chicken. It will give the same results as AP Flour. In fact, it is a better option than using only all-purpose flour since it has additives that will give the chicken better crispiness. It mimics the crispiness of added starches such as cornstarch, and potato starch to AP Flour.

Since self-raising flour is a combination of AP Flour, baking powder, and salt, and is widely used in cakes to provide a good structure so that the cake does not fall flat after cooling. Similarly, when it is used in chicken it coats the chicken better and makes it crispy.

Can I use Potato Starch to Fry Chicken?

Potato starch can be used to fry chicken. However, only using starch will not work as the starch has coagulating properties so it will lump together when used alone. You will have to use it in combination with flour.

The recommended ratio is 1:1. As using this ratio blends the flour and starch well, providing the best amount of crispiness also it coats the chicken well.

Should you use Korean frying flour to fry chicken?

You can definitely use Korean Frying Flour to fry chicken as it has a dual advantage. It coats and retains the crispiness of the chicken for longer than other flours.

Korean Frying flour has Wheat Flour, Cornstarch, corn powder, rice flour, and sodium bicarbonate, these are the essential ingredients that retain the crispiness longer. It is also seasoned so you will not have to add any seasonings.

Which is the healthiest flour to fry chicken?

Rice Flour is the healthiest flour to fry chicken. It is gluten-free as well. It coats the chicken superbly and gives a nice fine coating. Almost like a tempura batter. It also retains its crispiness for quite some time after frying.

It is versatile as it allows you to add other flours and starches to it as well.

What happens when you coat chicken in flour?

Coating Chicken in Flour is called dredging i.e. coating the chicken in a thin layer of flour. It helps lock in the moisture in the chicken and not go completely dry while cooking. After this it can be dipped in egg, or, buttermilk, melted butter, or yogurt and then tossed in breadcrumbs before frying.

It is an essential step in the process, without this the meat will taste dry and not moist and juicy from the inside.

How Long to Coat Chicken in Flour Before Frying?

The ideal time to coat chicken in flour before frying is about 7 -8 minutes. You can even leave it for 10 minutes. Never fry the chicken immediately after coating it in flour, as the coating tends to fall off while frying, as it hasn’t got enough time to rest and stick to the chicken.

After you have coated the chicken in flour and let it rest it can then be dipped in buttermilk or egg wash, breaded, and fried.

Best Flours To Use For Fried Chicken! [A Deeper Understanding!]