Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthy alternative to deep frying. Many people wonder if you need to use flour when cooking in an air fryer, or if you can simply air fry without it. The short answer is that while flour is not always necessary when air frying, it can be useful for certain recipes and preparation methods.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven that uses hot air to circulate around food to cook it. The rapidly moving hot air produces a crispy texture similar to deep frying. Air fryers allow you to enjoy fried foods with less oil than traditional frying methods.
Air fryers work by using convection – the circulation of hot air – to cook food. A heating element and fan quickly push hot air around the air fryer interior up to 400°F. This high heat helps create a crispy fried texture.
Do You Need Flour for Air Frying?
Using flour when air frying is optional for most foods. Flour is often used when air frying to:
- Create a crispy coating on foods like chicken, fish, or veggies
- Help bind wet batters on foods like fritters or falafel
- Absorb excess moisture from battered foods
- Enhance browning through the Maillard reaction
However, you can absolutely air fry many foods without using any flour at all. For example, you can air fry chicken wings, steak, or bacon without dredging in flour first. The circulating hot air will make these foods nice and crispy.
When air frying foods like fresh veggies or fruit, flour is not necessary. The high heat will caramelize the natural sugars and produce a delicious crisp texture.
Benefits of Using Flour
Here are some of the benefits of using flour when air frying certain foods:
- Crispy coating – Flour helps provide a crispy, crunchy exterior on foods like chicken strips, fish fillets, and veggies when dipped in flour before air frying.
- Helps bind wet batters – Using flour in wet batters helps hold ingredients like veggies or chickpeas together when air frying fritters or falafel.
- Absorbs excess moisture – Flour will soak up some of the moisture in wet batters, preventing soggy results.
- Enhances browning – The Maillard reaction occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars in the flour to promote better browning.
- Adds flavor – Flour can add flavor to foods when air frying depending on the type used, like semolina or almond flour.
So while not always required, flour can take your air fried foods to the next level in terms of texture, appearance, and flavor.
Types of Flour for Air Frying
There are many types of flour you can use when air frying:
- All-purpose flour – The most common option that works well in light batters or for dredging.
- Cornstarch – Creates an ultra crispy coating on foods when air fried.
- Semolina flour – Adds a rich flavor and coarse texture perfect for some batters.
- Almond flour – For a gluten-free and nutty flavored coating option.
- Rice flour – Another good gluten-free choice that can also create a crunchy crust.
Avoid using whole wheat or high protein flours as these can sometimes result in a dense, chewy texture when air fried. All-purpose, cornstarch, and other finely milled flour tend to produce the crispiest results.
Tips for Air Frying with Flour
If you do want to use flour when air frying foods, keep these tips in mind:
- For a light dredging, use a ratio of about 1⁄4 cup flour to 1 pound of food. Dredge wet foods in flour right before air frying.
- When making wet batters, maintain a thin, pourable consistency. Thick batters may steam instead of fry.
- Let floured or battered items sit for 5-10 minutes before air frying so the flour adheres better.
- Spray a light coating of oil on floured foods to enhance browning and crisping when air frying.
- Shake off any excess flour after dredging to prevent burnt clumps from forming.
Experiment with different flours, batters, and dredging methods to find your favorite air fried preparations.
Common Foods to Air Fry with Flour
Some of the most common foods to flour before air frying include:
- Chicken strips or nuggets
- Chicken, pork, or veal cutlets
- Fish fillets like tilapia, cod, or haddock
- Shrimp or scallops
- Zucchini sticks or squash slices
- Eggplant or cauliflower florets
- Fritters like zucchini or apple
- Veggie or bean patties
- Falafel
- Potato wedges or sweet potato fries
The flour helps these foods develop a deliciously crisp crust when air fried. But don’t overlook the wide range of foods you can also air fry naked without any coating.
Recipes for Air Frying with Flour
Here are some tasty flour-based recipes to try in your air fryer:
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes & flats separated
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp pepper
- Cooking spray or oil
Instructions:
- Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Dredge chicken on both sides in the flour mixture, coating evenly and shaking off any excess.
- Arrange wings in air fryer basket sprayed with nonstick spray. Air fry at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping wings halfway.
- Toss cooked wings in your favorite sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Crispy Air Fried Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
- 1⁄4 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1⁄4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1⁄4 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp pepper
Instructions:
- Wrap zucchini in paper towels and squeeze out excess moisture.
- In a bowl, mix together zucchini, flour, egg, feta, green onion, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Spoon batter into small mounds in air fryer basket lightly coated with nonstick spray.
- Air fry at 380°F for 9-11 minutes, until fritters are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve fritters warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Crispy Air Fried Fish
Ingredients:
- 1 lb firm white fish fillets, cut into strips
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a bowl, mix flour, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Dip fish strips in beaten egg, then dredge in flour mixture until fully coated.
- Add oil to air fryer basket. Place fish strips in a single layer in basket. Air fry at 400°F for 4-6 minutes until golden brown.
- Flip fish strips halfway through cooking. Serve immediately.
Common Air Frying Mistakes to Avoid
While air frying with flour can produce delicious results, there are some mistakes to watch out for:
- Using too much flour – This will create a thick, bready coating instead of a light crispy crust.
- Skipping the resting time – Let floured items sit before cooking so the flour sticks better.
- Overcrowding – Don’t overload the air fryer basket or airflow will be restricted.
- Breading with wet hands – Dredge foods in flour with dry hands so it adheres properly.
- Thick batters – Thin, pourable batters will air fry better than thick ones.
- Not preheating – Fully preheat the air fryer before adding food for best results.
Avoiding these common mistakes will help you become an air frying pro!
Storing and Reheating Air Fried Foods with Flour
Air fried foods coated in flour should be stored and reheated properly to maintain that crispy texture:
- Store – Allow to cool completely, then place in airtight container in fridge up to 4 days.
- Reheat – Reheat in air fryer at 300°F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
- Avoid – Don’t reheat flour coated foods in the microwave or they will get soggy.
The key is to reheat leftovers in the air fryer to preserve the crispy crust created by the flour coating or batter.
Substitutes for Flour When Air Frying
If you don’t want to use flour when air frying, some alternatives to try are:
- Cornstarch – Produces an ultra crispy result and can be used to dredge or in batter.
- Panko breadcrumbs – For a crispy crunch without the flour.
- Crushed corn chips or cereal – Use flavorful crushed crumbs for coating foods.
- Nuts – Finely chop and coat meats or veggies for a tasty baked crunch.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated parmesan adds rich flavor when dredging foods.
Experiment with these flour alternatives to find your favorite crispy air fried recipes.
Conclusion
While flour is certainly not required for air frying, it can be a useful ingredient for creating crispy coatings and bindings batters. All-purpose flour is the most versatile option, but you can also use alternatives like cornstarch or almond flour with great results.
Dredge meats, fish, veggies, and more in flour prior to air frying for maximum crunch. Or incorporate flour into wet batters to bind and enhance browning. Just avoid common mistakes like over-flouring and improper batter consistency. With the right techniques, flour can take your air fried foods to the next level!