Using Flour On Chicken In An Air Fryer

Using flour on chicken in an air fryer is a great way to get crispy fried chicken without the mess and health drawbacks of deep frying. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your chicken comes out perfectly. Firstly, it's important to coat the chicken evenly in flour and shake off any excess. Then, spray the chicken with oil to help the flour cook and crisp up. You may need to flip the chicken and spray again halfway through the cooking process. Finally, don't overcrowd the air fryer to ensure even cooking, and use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.

Marinating the chicken in buttermilk

Mouth-watering, crispy, and juicy buttermilk fried chicken is achievable in an air fryer. The key to achieving that traditional fried chicken tenderness is to marinate the chicken in buttermilk. The lactic acid in buttermilk is a tenderiser, guaranteeing tender chicken pieces inside a crunchy crust.

How to Marinate the Chicken in Buttermilk

Firstly, decide on your chicken pieces. You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, or a whole chicken cut into pieces. If you want to reduce the fat content, you can remove the skin. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper, then place it in a bowl and pour buttermilk over it. You can also add hot sauce to the buttermilk to add a bit of zing. Cover the chicken pieces with the buttermilk mixture and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

Tips for Marinating Chicken in Buttermilk

• If you don't have buttermilk, you can add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk as a substitute. You can also use plain yoghurt.
• Marinating the chicken in buttermilk overnight will help the breading adhere better when you come to cook the chicken.
• If you want to add extra flavour to your chicken, you can also add a marinade before coating the chicken in buttermilk.

Coating the chicken in flour

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Before coating the chicken in flour, it is recommended to marinate the chicken in buttermilk. This helps tenderize the meat and adds a tangy flavour. You can also add hot sauce to the buttermilk to give it a bit of a kick, although this is optional. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Step 2: Prepare the Flour Mixture

In a separate container, prepare a mixture of flour and your choice of seasonings. You can use salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and/or cayenne pepper. Mix the ingredients well to ensure the flour is fully seasoned. You can also add an egg to the flour mixture to help bind the coating together.

Step 3: Coat the Chicken

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Then, using tongs or your hands, coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the flour mixture. Make sure all sides of the chicken are covered.

Step 4: Air Fry the Chicken

Place the coated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not overlapping or touching. This allows the hot air to circulate properly and crisp up the chicken. Close the air fryer and set the temperature to 360-390 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces and your air fryer, but on average, it should take around 15-20 minutes.

Step 5: Spray with Oil

After about 10-13 minutes, open the air fryer and spray any visible flour spots on the chicken with oil. You can use canola oil or vegetable oil, as these have a higher smoke point. Then, use tongs to flip the chicken pieces and spray the other side with oil as well. Close the air fryer and continue cooking for another 10-12 minutes.

Step 6: Check Doneness

Once the cooking cycle is complete, use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures that the chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.

Enjoy your delicious, crispy air-fried chicken!

Using an air fryer instead of a deep fryer

Air fryers and deep fryers are both popular options for frying food. Deep fryers have been used for years to prepare fried treats such as doughnuts and fried chicken. However, air fryers are becoming increasingly popular and are now considered a kitchen staple.

How They Work

Deep fryers submerge food in hot oil or fat to cook at high temperatures, creating a browned and crispy exterior. Air fryers, on the other hand, cook food by heating air and rapidly circulating it through and around the food using a fan within the appliance cooking chamber. This crisps and browns food using little to no additional oil.

Pros and Cons

Deep Fryers

Deep fryers offer a traditional fried taste and work well with food that has a thick or wet batter. They also tend to be cheaper upfront than air fryers. However, they use a lot of oil, which can be messy and expensive to replace. They also require more preparation and attention during the cooking process.

Air Fryers

Air fryers are a healthier alternative to deep fryers as they use a fraction of the oil. They are also easier to clean, with removable baskets that are often dishwasher-safe. Air fryers are more versatile and can be used to cook a wide variety of foods, from chicken to bacon and vegetables. However, they tend to be more expensive upfront and may not create as crispy a texture as deep fryers.

Tips for Using an Air Fryer

When using an air fryer, it is important to coat the food with a light layer of oil to ensure even cooking and browning. It is also crucial to ensure that the food does not overlap in the air fryer basket to allow for proper air circulation. Additionally, it is recommended to flip the food halfway through the cooking process to ensure even cooking.

The best oil to use for air fryer chicken

Using an air fryer is a simple, healthy, and convenient way to cook food. It's also a great way to reduce the amount of oil you use, which is beneficial if you're eating low-fat or simply want to cut down on calories and fat.

You don't need to use oil in an air fryer in the same way that you would for deep-frying, and you certainly don't need to use the same quantities. However, adding a small amount of oil will give a nice golden colour to breaded chicken or vegetables and will help to keep food moist.

Choosing the Right Oil

When choosing an oil to use in your air fryer, it's important to consider the smoke point of the oil, which is the temperature at which an oil begins to break down and emit smoke. You should use an oil with a higher smoke point than the temperature you are cooking at, otherwise, the oil will start to smoke and affect the taste of your food.

The best oils to use in an air fryer are those with a high smoke point, such as:

• Avocado oil
• Peanut oil
• Sunflower oil
• Light olive oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Refined coconut oil
• Vegetable oil
• Canola oil
• Safflower oil
• Soybean oil
• Ghee (clarified butter)

You only need to use a small amount of oil when air frying. You can brush the air fryer basket and the food with oil using a pastry brush, or spray it lightly using an oil sprayer. If you're cooking breaded food, like chicken tenders, it's a good idea to spray the food with oil to prevent dry spots.

Oil Sprays

You should avoid using non-stick cooking sprays like PAM in an air fryer as they can damage the lining of the air fryer basket. Instead, use a non-aerosol pump-style oil spray that has no propellant, or buy a refillable oil sprayer and fill it with a high smoke point oil.

How to make the breading stick

There are several steps you can take to ensure that the breading sticks to your chicken when using an air fryer. Firstly, it is important to marinate the chicken in buttermilk, or a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce, for at least 30 minutes, or even up to 24 hours. This will help to tenderize the chicken and provide a surface for the breading to stick to.

Next, you will need to coat the chicken in flour. Some recipes suggest double-dipping the chicken in flour to create a thicker breading, but this may not cook properly in an air fryer, so it is recommended to only coat the chicken once. You can add seasoning to the flour to enhance the flavour of the chicken. It is also important to shake off any excess flour before placing the chicken in the air fryer.

Some recipes suggest placing the chicken in the fridge for 10-15 minutes after breading to help the breading stick. However, it is crucial to ensure that the chicken is at room temperature before placing it in the air fryer, so do not leave it in the fridge for too long.

Finally, when cooking the chicken, you should spray it with oil to help the flour cook and create a crispy texture. You can use an oil mister or a pastry brush to apply the oil. It is important to ensure that all parts of the chicken are coated, especially any dry spots of flour.

Frequently asked questions