How To Flour Chicken [5 Easy Steps To Follow]

Fried chicken is a food that is loved by cultures all around the world. There are endless ways to prepare it, and the great thing is that it is perfect for any occasion. But how exactly do you flour chicken? We've researched the best method to go about this, and in this post, we will share it with you.

Here are the steps to flour chicken:

Prepare the chicken
Beat the eggs
Prepare the flour
Dip the chicken in the eggs
Cover the chicken with the flour

Whether you are preparing chicken wings, thighs, or breasts, it's best to be sure that you have all of the ingredients ready beforehand. Flouring chicken is a fairly simple process. After doing it once or twice, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Continue reading to learn more about how to flour chicken, as well as a few tips on how to make it tasty.

Steps to Flour Chicken

It's best to set up your preparation area before taking out your chicken to minimize contact with other tools and materials. You'll also want to make sure that you're following proper health precautions when dealing with raw chicken to avoid spreading foodborne illnesses.

Things you'll need:

2 large mixing bowls
Uncooked chicken pieces
Eggs
All-purpose flour
Baking dish
Large plate

1. Prepare the chicken

Separate the chicken pieces and lay them flat on a plate.

2. Beat the eggs

Take two eggs and beat them inside of a mixing bowl, then set the bowl aside.

3. Prepare the flour

Place 2 cups of flour in another mixing bowl and set the bowl aside.

4. Dip the chicken in the eggs

Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten egg batter and hold the pieces over the better for a few seconds so that any excess drips off.

5. Cover the chicken with the flour

Next, take the chicken pieces and place them in the flour, rolling them around until they are completely coated. If you're making a large batch of chicken, it may be easier to place multiple pieces of chicken pieces into a Ziploc bag that's filled 1/4 of the way up with flour. Seal the bag and then shake it up to coat them. Now the chicken is ready to be cooked.

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Tips for Making the Best Fried Chicken

Cut up the chicken properly

Whether you cut up the chicken yourself or buy it pre-butchered, it's always best to cut larger pieces such as thighs and breasts in two halves or thirds. The smaller pieces will have a shorter cooking time, making them less prone to burning and overcooking. You can use a butcher's knife or kitchen shears to cut up the meat.

Check out this butcher's knife on Amazon

Let it soak in marinade or brine

A marinade is one of the best ingredients that you can add to your fried chicken. Whether it's brine or a homemade combination of spices and oil, it can help make your fried chicken more flavorful and juicy. You can even create an easy brine by simply mixing 1/4-cup of salt and 1/4-cup of sugar with a couple of cups of water. Let the chicken pieces soak in the brine for two to four hours or overnight before preparing the chicken.

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One of the best ways to get the most flavor out of your chicken is to let it sit in a marinade for 24 to 48 hours. Marinades containing salt and other seasonings can break down the fibers in the chicken muscle, making it more tender and juicy.

Be generous with the seasoning

Brining the chicken alone won't always bring out all of the flavors of the meat. To do this, you'll need to add additional seasoning before the chicken is fried. This can include seasoning black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and celery salt. If you've had problems with flavorless fried chicken in the past, adding a good mixture of spices can help to banish all blandness.

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Don't cook the chicken while it's cold

Cooking chicken that has just been removed from the refrigerator can cause it to cook unevenly. It can also cause the chicken to cook with a crust that is less than crispy. It's best to let the chicken sit at room temperature for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes so that it can cook evenly. Otherwise, it may cause the temperature of the cooking oil to drop.

Get rid of the paper towels

It's best not to lay the chicken on a mound of paper towels after removing it from the frying pan. Doing this can cause the chicken's crust to turn soggy, as the paper will cause the chicken to steam. Instead, place a wire rack over a large baking sheet and cover the baking sheet with paper towels if you want to absorb the grease. This way, the chicken can cool, and any excess oil will drip off the rack, keeping the chicken crispy.

Learning more about this wire rack on Amazon.

Always use the best cooking oils

While there are different types of oils that you can use to fry chicken, it's best not to use oils with a low smoke point. So while extra virgin olive oil may seem like the healthiest choice, it's not exactly the best choice for fried chicken. Instead, go for neutral-tasting oils that have high smoke points. This includes vegetables, canola, and peanut oil.

Also, when frying the chicken, the temperature should be left at a constant 350 degrees. If you're working on a gas stove, this is usually the medium or medium-high setting.

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What happens when you put flour on chicken?

When you put flour on chicken, it creates an outer coating that can help to lock in flavor moisture and create a thick crust once fried. When the chicken is placed in a frying pan, the flour will harden the chicken crust, making it crispy--all while keeping the inside soft and juicy.

How do you Dredge chicken with flour?

Here are the steps to dredge chicken with flour:

Start by patting the chicken pieces dry using paper towels.
Next, take a large mixing bowl and fill it with flour and any of your preferred seasonings. Take the chicken pieces and place them in the seasoned flour, rolling them around until they are completely coated.
Remove the chicken pieces and shake them off to get rid of any excess flour.

What is the best flour to use to fry chicken?

While there are different types of flour on the market that can be used to fry chicken, the best type of flour is still all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is flavorless for the most part, making it ideal for creating your own spices--something that most cooks prefer. It's also great at absorbing spices to make fried foods more flavorful. Lastly, all-purpose flour holds up well to long periods of high heat without burning.

Check out this all-purpose flour set on Amazon.

How to coat chicken with flour and egg

To coat chicken with flour and egg, start by placing the chicken pieces on a plate. Next, place a couple of beaten eggs in a mixing bowl and a cup or two of cooking flour and another mixing bowl. Then dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg mixture and let any excess liquid drip off before rolling them around in the flour. The wetness from the beaten eggs will help the flour stick to the chicken pieces.

Do you season the chicken or the flour?

The answer to this question depends on your personal flavor preference. You can season both, actually. Though, it's more common to add the seasoning to the chicken first before placing it in the flour. However, if you are looking to reduce your sodium intake, you can simply add a bit of seasoning to the flour instead of the meat.

Can you leave chicken in flour overnight?

You can do this. However, it's not recommended as the flour will turn into a paste, making the finished result less crispy. It's best to fry the chicken immediately after it's been floured so that the crust will be crispy.

Wrapping Things Up

We hope that this post has helped illustrate how to flour chicken properly. Remember, the key to great fried chicken is great preparation. This includes cooking the chicken immediately after frying it and using the best cooking oil and all-purpose flour for your recipe.

Before you go, be sure to check out our other posts:

What Dessert Goes With Fried Chicken?

What Is The Best Pot To Fry Chicken? [3 Great Options!]