Fried Chicken in Air Fryer without Flour

Best fried chicken in air fryer without flour ever. As crispy as a copycat Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe. An easy way to make gluten free wings or drumsticks for everyone to enjoy.

Fried Chicken Legs in Air Fryer

You can use these same steps for air fryer wings or fried chicken thighs in air fryer. The timing for smaller pieces wouldn’t be quite as long of course and bone in will take a while longer. Just have a meat thermometer handy to get it just right and crunch away.

We used legs this go around because they were cheap at the store and a kid favorite around here. No need for sauce at the end but of course you can brush some on if you like. If you’re looking for the best chicken recipes in air fryer you’ve come to the right place.

Air Fryer Fried Chicken Drumsticks

You may prefer to call these babies drumsticks vs. legs. Those terms are synonymous to me so use what you wish. If it’s close to the end of the year you may want to try this method to make air fryer turkey legs too, go for it!! They will take longer but taste like the ones at Disneyland that a few people can enjoy.

The biggest tip to remember when making air fryer fried chicken is to dry the skin at the beginning. You can do this by gently rolling each piece in paper towels to remove the moisture.

Gluten Free Air Fryer Chicken

If you are here because you need gluten free fried chicken, welcome. The ingredients listed below are but you do need to read the label on each one you choose because some brands are not certified GF. Arrowroot is surprisingly similar to all purpose flour in texture and the results it creates.

What is the difference between arrowroot flour and regular flour?

What we are using is extracted from a tropical plant called Maranta vs. milled from grains (usually wheat). This is used as a thickener and you need a whole lot less than it’s grain counterpart. In fact you can use half as much to achieve the same thickening power for any recipe.

Gluten Free Fried Chicken

Many times to get the coatings to stick whisked egg is used. This works great but you can use whole milk or some prefer buttermilk to do the same thing. If you need egg free fried chicken this is a great alternative for you too.

• Defrosted legs were used this time
  • if they are not thawed, the coating won’t stick
  • instead follow our air fryer frozen chicken legs recipe instead
• A bit of parmesan is good but not a must
• 3/4 c arrowroot flour
• Make sure your brand of cornstarch is labeled GF if that is necessary for your family 
• I love me some tumeric
• 1 tbsp paprika
• A bit of cayenne pepper is great, if you want more heat use red pepper flakes instead
• Garlic powder and some onion powder
• Salt and Pepper
• Use a bit of brown sugar if you want a touch of sweetness
• Bit of thyme
• Whole milk is best

When air frying meats use olive oil spray on the top to reach the golden brown color you want.

Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken

If you came from the South and crave that crunch, but not the fat and calories from it this is for y’all. With a big glass of sweet tea it will bring you back to your childhood for sure, but you won’t feel as guilty. 😉

• Dry your meat with paper towels and then soak your chicken legs or wings in 1 cup milk while prepping your other ingredients. This can be done overnight if desired.
• In a small bowl combine: parmesan cheese, arrowroot flour, cornstarch, tumeric, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, brown sugar, salt, and thyme.
  • Using tongs, one at a time, dip chicken legs into spice mixture, thoroughly coating.
• Preheat air fryer to 390° degrees F.
• Place chicken into air fryer basket allowing space around for easy flipping. Spray the tops of the chicken with oil. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Flip chicken.
  • Spray with oil and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Flip chicken again. Spray with oil and cook for 5 more additional minutes. Check for doneness

Enjoy as is or you could drizzle some spicy Asian sauce over the top if you want heat. BBQ sauce is great too if you really think you need something else. There are plenty of seasonings in the coating though so typically we skip adding those calories.

How to save leftover fried chicken?

To keep the outside from getting wet and icky, store inside freezer bags with all of the air sucked out! It is best to not add sauce to the outside of those pieces you are going to be storing, keep that separate. For best results reheat within 24 hours in your Ninja Foodi or Cosori.

• We have a post on how to reheat chicken in air fryer here so it almost tastes like it were fresh again.

Done with deep frying but still want that same CRUNCH? You’re in for a treat with this y’all. Want boneless and quicker cook time? Use strips of chicken tenders instead so it’s easier for the kiddos to pick up and eat. Set aside about 20 minutes to get this cooked thru and 5 to get extra crispy.

Ready to get started and enjoy the YUM? Jump to recipe, get started and let us know what you think!