Using Self-Rising Flour To Fry Chicken [ Can It Be Done?]

You have decided to make fried chicken and you do not have all-purpose flour—just self-rising flour in your pantry.

Wondered if you can use this instead.

Self-rising flour is a good alternative for frying chicken as the flour is mixed with additives such as baking powder, baking soda, and salt that coat the chicken well and make it extra crispy. The reason various Southern fried chicken recipes call for self-rising flour instead of plain flour.

In this article, we shall look into various queries such as if self-rising flour can be used instead of all-purpose flour. How to use this flour in a chicken recipe. Also, what are some other alternative flours that can be used if you do not have all-purpose flour?

Can You Fry Chicken With Self-Rising Flour?

Self-rising flour can be used to fry chicken. Self-rising flour is basically all-purpose flour with added additives such as baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This flour is used in baking where these agents help to give the cake a better structure and ensure that it rises adequately and does not fall after cooling.

In about 1 cup of self-rising flour, there is 1 teaspoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, and one-fourth teaspoon of baking soda. These quantities aren’t much that will alter the flour’s taste.

Also, the added advantage of these additives is that baking powder will help coat the chicken with the flour evenly, and baking soda will fluff the coating of the chicken.

In fact, many recipes for Southern Fried Chicken call for the use of self-rising flour instead of plain flour. Thus using self-rising flour if you do not have all-purpose flour to fry chicken will only add texture to your chicken.

How to Fry Chicken With Self-Rising Flour?

Frying chicken with self-rising flour is about the same as using any other flour. The only difference would be to adjust the salt amount while adding the seasonings since self-rising flour already has salt in it. About 1 cup contains half a teaspoon of salt.

Steps on How To Fry Chicken Using Self-Rising Flour:

Take 1 whole chicken and cut it into big pieces.
Dip the chicken in buttermilk completely (Alternatively, you can use egg, melted butter, brine, or yogurt).
In another bowl add 2 cups of self-rising flour, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt ( paprika is an added option).

Coat the chicken well with the flour so that there aren’t any parts left without the coated flour. If needed pat it on the chicken. Let it sit for about 10 minutes if you aren’t in a hurry. Shake off any excess.
Check the temperature of the heated oil in the pan. It should neither be too hot nor too cold. Dip the chicken in oil and fry. Do not crowd the pan with the chicken.

Additional Tips:

How to Make Self-Rising Flour:

If your recipe calls for self-rising flour and you do not have it at hand. Then, converting your plain flour or the flour of your choice into self-rising flour is pretty simple. You can follow the steps below:

1 cup all-purpose flour or flour of your choice
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

You needn’t add salt to your homemade self-rising flour. As you will be adding the salt to the recipe while seasoning. However, if you are using it in making then add a pinch of salt.

How to Make Buttermilk Substitute from Milk:

If you do not have buttermilk at home then fret not. I have been using the following recipe to make a buttermilk substitute at home for all my baking needs.

1 cup of Milk
1 tablespoon of Lemon / Vinegar / Apple Cider OR 1/4th teaspoon of citric acid
Stir well and let the above mix sit for 5 minutes.

Alternatives to Frying Chicken Without All-Purpose Flour

If you do not have all-purpose flour or for any other would not like to use all-purpose flour and are looking for alternatives. Then we have a list of flours that work well in place of all-purpose flour.

Whole Wheat Flour

Whole Wheat flour is the source which all-purpose is derived from. The major difference between the two is that whole wheat has a little nuttiness compared to all-purpose flour. Also, it isn’t as fine as all-purpose flour. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great substitute for all-purpose flour.

It is a great substitute and it can be mixed with other flour to make it even better than all-purpose flour. Simply use any one of the following mixes in a 1:1 ratio.

Whole Wheat Flour + Cornstarch

Whole Wheat Flour + Rice Flour
Whole Wheat Flour + Semolina
Whole Wheat Flour + Cornmeal

Rice Flour

Rice flour is white in color and super smooth. 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. In fact, it is an excellent substitute for all-purpose flour. Rice flour is gluten-free.

You can make even mix rice flour and wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio and this works exactly like all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour is a staple in Asian cooking and a variety of fried foods are made with chickpea flour. It can be used as flour or mixed with water and made into a batter. It is a versatile flour with an earthy flavor.

The only precaution you will have to take though is the amount of water you are putting in while making a batter with this flour. It has a tendency to absorb water and become thick so it is easy to overdo on water. Thus, after you add water wait a while then add water if needed.

It gives a lovely coating on the outside and will coat the chicken well.

Corn Flour or Masa Harina

Corn flour is not to be confused with cornstarch. Although, they are both made from corn. Corn flour is yellowish in color and is very similar to Mexican masa harina which is used to make tortillas or tamales.

Although, it does not taste very good without the cooking process. But, baking, cooking, or frying it tastes great.

Rye Or Barley Flour

These gluten-free flours are a great substitute for wheat flour. They have a slight nuttiness which will provide a layer of flavor to the chicken when you fry with them. They are heavy and deep-tasting flours so use them for darker meat. Also, they give a deep brown color after frying the chicken.

6. How Long Should You 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.

Using Self-Rising Flour To Fry Chicken [ Can It Be Done?]

Can You Fry Chicken With Self-Rising Flour?

How to Fry Chicken With Self-Rising Flour?