Air Frying Chicken: Flour Coating, A Good Idea?

Air fryers are a great alternative to deep-frying or pan-frying chicken, as they use less oil and are faster and easier to clean. You can use flour to coat your chicken before placing it in the air fryer, but be sure to also coat the chicken with oil to ensure the flour cooks properly and doesn't taste raw. You can also marinate the chicken in buttermilk to make it more tender and add flavour.

Marinating the chicken in buttermilk

The chicken should be cut into pieces or strips before being placed in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Cover the chicken pieces with buttermilk and add in any desired seasonings, such as hot sauce, salt, pepper, or garlic powder. You can also add in an egg and dijon mustard to the marinade, as one Reddit user suggests. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour, or even overnight for maximum tenderness and flavour.

Once the chicken has finished marinating, remove the pieces from the buttermilk, allowing any excess to drip off. It is now ready to be dredged in flour and placed in the air fryer!

Coating the chicken in flour

Preparing the Chicken for Flour Coating:

Before coating the chicken in flour, it's essential to create a sticky base that will help the flour adhere to the chicken pieces. This can be done by marinating the chicken in a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce. The general ratio is half buttermilk and half hot sauce, and the chicken should be submerged in this mixture. You can adjust the spiciness by choosing a milder or hotter sauce. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour, or even overnight for more intense flavour.

Selecting the Right Flour and Seasonings:

For the flour coating, you'll need all-purpose flour, which is readily available in most grocery stores. You can also experiment with alternative flours like cornflour, but the coating and taste will be slightly different. To make your flour mixture more flavourful, add seasonings like Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, or black pepper. You can also use pre-mixed seasonings like Old Bay Seasoning, which includes celery salt, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika.

Dredging the Chicken in Flour:

Take your marinated chicken pieces and, using tongs, remove one piece at a time from the buttermilk mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Place the chicken into the flour mixture and use the tongs or a large spoon to ensure the chicken is fully coated. Shake off any excess flour, as you don't want a very thick layer that may not cook evenly in the air fryer. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken.

Resting the Coated Chicken:

Once all your chicken pieces are coated in flour, it's a good idea to let them rest on a wire rack or a foil-lined baking sheet. This will help the coating set and ensure the flour doesn't clump or slide off when you transfer the chicken to the air fryer.

Oil Spraying Technique:

Before placing the chicken into the air fryer, it's crucial to spray the chicken pieces lightly with oil. You can use canola or vegetable oil, which have higher smoke points, making them ideal for frying. Avoid using olive oil, as it tends to have a lower smoke point and may burn. Spray both sides of the chicken generously, ensuring all flour spots are covered. This step is essential, as it helps the flour cook properly and prevents it from tasting dry or raw.

Troubleshooting:

If you notice floury spots on your chicken after air frying, don't worry. This can happen, especially with crevices or areas that weren't coated evenly. Simply remove the chicken from the air fryer, spray those spots with a bit more oil, and return it to the air fryer for a few more minutes.

Final Thoughts:

Coating chicken in flour for air frying is a straightforward process that yields delicious results. Remember to marinate the chicken, season your flour generously, ensure an even coating, and don't skip the oil spray. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to enjoying mouthwatering, crispy air-fried chicken!

Cooking the chicken in the air fryer

Marinate the Chicken:

Firstly, prepare your chicken by cutting a whole chicken into separate portions, including thighs, drumsticks, breasts, wings, or legs. You can also use skin-on or skinless chicken, depending on your preference. Place the chicken pieces in a marinade of buttermilk and hot sauce. This combination helps to tenderize the meat and adds a tangy flavour. You can adjust the amount of hot sauce to your taste; it won't make the chicken spicy. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

Prepare the Breading:

In a separate container, combine all-purpose flour with your choice of seasonings. You can use Old Bay Seasoning, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, or black pepper. Whisk or shake the container to ensure the flour is fully seasoned.

Coat the Chicken:

Take each piece of chicken out of the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Use tongs or your hands to coat each piece of chicken with the flour mixture. Make sure all sides of the chicken are evenly coated, and shake off any excess flour. You can place the coated chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or a wire rack while you prepare the air fryer.

Preheat the Air Fryer:

Preheat your air fryer to 390°F (some recipes suggest 370°F) for about 5 minutes. You can also spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking, although this is optional.

Cook the Chicken:

Place the chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don't overlap. The chicken pieces can touch, but proper spacing allows better air circulation, resulting in crispier chicken. Mist or spray the chicken with oil, ensuring all flour spots are coated. Close the air fryer and cook at 390°F for about 25 minutes for bone-in chicken pieces. For chicken tenders or chicken breasts, adjust the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.

Flip and Spray:

After about 12-13 minutes, open the air fryer and flip the chicken pieces. Spray the other side with oil, ensuring all flour spots are covered. Close the air fryer and continue cooking.

Check the Temperature:

Once the cooking cycle is complete, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. For chicken thighs, you can cook them to a higher temperature of 180-185°F for more tender meat.

Reheating and Storage:

Air fryer fried chicken is best served fresh, but you can reheat it in the air fryer at 375°F for about 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Avoid using the microwave, as it may make the breading soggy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheating the chicken in the air fryer

Reheating chicken in an air fryer is simple, but there are a few tricks to ensure it doesn't dry out and that it retains its crispiness.

Firstly, it is best practice to put food into a hot basket, so preheat your air fryer to around 350-375°F (175-190°C) for about 5 minutes.

Next, you'll want to ensure your chicken is at room temperature before reheating. This will help it cook quicker and prevent it from drying out.

Now you can place your chicken in the basket. It's important to ensure the chicken pieces aren't overlapping or touching, as this will prevent proper air circulation and crispiness. It's fine if they touch slightly, but they shouldn't overlap.

Reheat for 3-6 minutes for individual pieces, 10-15 minutes for a whole chicken, and 2-3 minutes for tenders or fingers. Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time to ensure even heating and crispiness on both sides.

You can brush on a sauce or spray with a little oil to add moisture, but this isn't necessary.

Check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure it's reached at least 165°F (74°C) and indulge in your crispy, juicy, reheated chicken!

Using oil or cooking spray

While air-fried chicken is a healthier alternative to deep-fried chicken, you can still use oil or cooking spray to help the flour coating cook and crisp up.

How to Use Oil or Cooking Spray

• Use an oil mister or pastry brush to apply a light coat of oil to the air fryer basket to prevent sticking.
• Mist or brush both sides of the chicken with oil before placing it in the air fryer.
• During the cooking process, check for dry spots and mist with oil as needed.
• If you see any uncooked flour spots on the chicken when you pull it out of the air fryer, lightly spray those spots with oil.
• If you don't have an oil mister, you can use cooking spray, but be aware that aerosol non-stick sprays like Pam may damage the coating of your air fryer basket over time.

• Oil helps the flour coating cook and crisp up, preventing it from burning or tasting like raw flour.
• Oil can also help the breading stick to the chicken and give it a luscious crispy outside.
• Using oil or cooking spray is especially important if you like a thicker breading on your fried chicken, as it can be hard to hydrate all the flour in an air fryer.

Frequently asked questions