Southern Air-Fried Chicken Drumsticks Without Flour
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Flourless fried chicken has established itself in the culinary world as a popular option for those seeking gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly alternatives. Many people have embraced this innovative approach, whether due to health preferences or dietary restrictions.
But, while flourless air fryer chicken recipes promise crispy skin, fans of Southern soul food still crave fried chicken that’s both well-seasoned and flavorful.
So, I’ve developed an easy soul food-inspired recipe that doesn’t compromise on taste or texture. With just one bite of my Southern air-fried chicken, you’ll see how delicious it can be—no cooking oil, deep fryer, or flour required!
Quick fried chicken drumsticks without flour
Air fryers enable you to cook tasty air-fried chicken drumsticks without any mess. You won’t have to deal with flour or the oil splatter typical of deep-frying. You won’t even need a paper towel since there’s no grease!
Plus, air fryer drumsticks only take about 20 minutes to cook, less time than watching an episode of your favorite TV show! Air frying drumsticks is a simple and delicious way to cook up something new without having to put in too much work.
Benefits of this recipe
Air frying is a modern cooking method that’s a healthier alternative to traditional oil-fried chicken. This is because air fryers can reduce the calories associated with deep-frying by 70% to 80%! As a result, my air fryer chicken recipe, which contains no flour, has significantly less fat.
But don’t worry! Thanks to my recipe’s rich soul food seasonings, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—nutritious and delicious—without sacrificing the classic flavor of Southern fried chicken!
Ingredients
This fried chicken recipe does not use flour or oil, so it relies heavily on seasonings to achieve that traditional Southern soul food flavor. We’ll use The Soul Food Pot’s classic fried chicken seasoning blend, which includes all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and red pepper. The seasoning blend will create a crispy, crunchy skin in the air fryer while also infusing flavor into the meat.
Skin on or skin off?
Keep the skin on the chicken drumsticks and season them generously. This recipe is healthier and even keto-friendly because it requires no flour or oil like deep-fried or skillet-fried chicken recipes.
The chicken skin and the soul food seasonings make the air fryer create that delicious and flavorful fried chicken crunch. That’s why it’s essential to leave the skin on and place the chicken in the air fryer with the largest side facing up to ensure the skin crisps up nicely as it cooks!
How to make Southern fried chicken drumsticks without flour
Air fryer drumsticks are not just tasty but also easy to prepare. They cook quickly in only 20 minutes in the air fryer at 360 degrees F. After seasoning the chicken, you won’t need to watch for or worry about excessive browning, burning, or grease splatters since this recipe doesn’t require flour or oil. Your only task is to flip the chicken halfway through!
- Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Rub the mixture all over each chicken piece.
- Air fry the chicken, flipping it halfway through the cooking time.
Making crispy chicken in the air fryer
Here are my helpful tips for making air-fried chicken without using flour.
- Begin by spraying the air fryer basket with cooking oil to achieve a clean, non-stick finish.
- Avoid stacking the chicken pieces. While they can touch each other, make sure not to overcrowd the basket.
- Flip the drumsticks halfway through the cooking process to ensure they cook evenly on all sides and develop a crisp, fried chicken-like crunch!
What to serve with them
There are numerous serving options for air-fried chicken drumsticks. The list can get quite lengthy, so I’ll mention a few popular soul food options, and you can choose your favorites from there, such as Southern baked mac and cheese, Black folks’ collard greens, or a Southern fried cabbage recipe.
Reheating leftovers
To reheat leftover drumsticks, simply air fry them for 5 to 10 minutes at 150 degrees F on the warm setting. If your air fryer is fancy-pants, it may already have an automatic warming or reheating setting!
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Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken drumsticks
- 1 ½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning or poultry seasoning I use this chicken seasoning rub HERE!
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper ground
- non-stick cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and red pepper in a small bowl.
- Evenly coat the drumsticks with the seasoning mix. (You could also place the chicken pieces in a 1-gallon resealable food storage bag with the seasoning to shake and coat them evenly.)
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking oil, place the seasoned chicken in the basket with the largest side facing up, and avoid stacking the chicken pieces. The pieces can touch, but make sure not to overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry at 360 degrees F for a total of 20 minutes.
- Halfway through, flip the chicken (at about 10 minutes in the air fryer), then continue cooking.
- Serve right away, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Last night, I marinated the chicken drumstick using your milk + apple cider vinegar as an alternative to buttermilk. So this morning, I cook the chicken for breakfast. It was so tasty, plus the chicken meat inside is so tender. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! 😉
Thanks for sharing! I’m so happy you enjoyed buttermilk chicken!