Almost set off my smoke detector with a flour coating

Last Tuesday I tried making crispy chicken wings for dinner. I coated them in seasoned flour like my grandma's fried chicken recipe. After 12 minutes at 400°F, the air fryer was billowing smoke and the detector went off. I had to open all the windows in my kitchen and wave a towel around. Has anyone found a flour substitute that doesnt smoke up the place?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_grant341mo ago

The "flour coating smoking up the place" part hit home for me... I had the exact same problem with my air fryer. What finally worked was swapping half the flour for cornstarch. It still gets that crispy texture but for some reason it doesn't turn into a smoke bomb in there. I also started spraying a tiny bit of oil on the wings before cooking them... that cuts down on the loose flour flying around inside the machine. Just be careful with the amount or you'll get soggy spots instead of crispy ones.

wesley_adams1mo ago

Oh man, actually the cornstarch thing is a solid tip but you gotta be careful with the oil spray timing. I found out the hard way that spraying oil on the flour coating makes it stick to the basket way worse if you don't let it sit for a minute first. Just a heads up.

jana_hart181mo ago

lol I feel this so hard my smoke detector has trust issues with me now. I tried the "flour coating" method once and my kitchen looked like a fog machine at a haunted house. My neighbor actually knocked on my door asking if I was okay. The cornstarch tip is a lifesaver though, I switched to that and now I only set off the alarm maybe every other time instead of every single time. My air fryer still acts like a drama queen but at least I can breathe while I eat.