The 6 Best Substitutes For Baking Powder For Wings

What can I use instead of baking powder for wings? The best baking powder replacement is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar. Other options include baking soda, cornstarch, self-rising flour, plain flour, or drying the wings thoroughly before baking.

Baking powder consists of an acid and a base ingredient held together with a buffer, like flour or cornstarch. It is primarily used to lighten and add volume to baked goods. Baking powder is a common ingredient in coatings when making baked or deep-fried chicken wings. This chemical leavening agent gives the seasoned coating the desired crispy crunch on the outside.

The Best Substitutes For Baking Powder For Wings

Baking Soda And Cream Of Tartar Mix

If you have run out or want to be sure that your baking powder is free from harmful compounds like aluminum, you can easily make homemade baking powder.

All that is required is baking soda and cream of tartar.

Combine 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tartar. Most baking powders already contain baking soda, which acts as the alkaline component of the leavening agent.

Cream of tartar works as the acidic compound in the combination.

This simple homemade baking powder can be substituted confidently in all recipes, including in baked wing seasoning mixes. Use it at the same ratio as required in recipes.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a common household item used for everything from eliminating odors in the refrigerator to baking delicious banana bread.

The only ingredient in baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a natural mineral harvested from deposits found in evaporated salt lakes.

Baking powder and baking soda are different ingredients, but they can be good stand-ins for each other in some recipes if used in the correct ratio.

Baking powder almost always contains baking soda, an acidic agent, and a few additional buffering agents like cornstarch.

There is a lot of debate online about whether baking soda can be substituted for baking powder for wings, with some strong feelings on both sides.

The essential thing to remember if you need to replace baking soda with baking powder in wing recipes is only to use one-third of the amount required.

Use a third of the amount of baking soda as the amount of baking powder called for in a recipe.

Add extra seasonings like garlic or spice rub if you need more coating but adding too much baking soda can change the flavor of the wings, so only use it at a 1 to 3 ratio instead of baking powder in wing seasoning mixes.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is a thickening agent often used when making gravies or soups. It is made from finely ground corn flour.

Cornstarch cannot be used as a replacement for baking powder in all recipes as it is not a leavening agent.

However, since the coating on crispy chicken wings does not need to rise, cornstarch is an excellent substitute for baking powder in this application.

The great thing about using cornstarch as a substitute for baking powder is that it is colorless and odorless.

It won’t affect the wings’ overall taste, and the powder’s starchiness will absorb the fat in the skin to give an overall crispy wing effect.

Cornstarch can be used confidently to replace baking powder in seasoning mixes for wings.

It is tasteless so that it can be used in equal or greater measures to the amount of baking powder required in the recipe.

Self-Rising Flour

Self-rising flour is one of the convenient joys of the modern world. It is a ready-mixed blend of flour, baking powder, and salt, which will work perfectly as a coating for crispy chicken wings.

When using self-rising flour as a substitute for baking powder, remember that each cup contains about 1½ teaspoons of baking powder.

Blend the self-rising flour with other seasonings like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, etc., and smother your chicken wings before baking.

Self-rising flour is a convenient replacement for baking powder in wing recipes since it contains both the fat-absorbing flour component, with the baking powder that will result in crispy skin.

Do not add additional salt, as the mixture already has salt added.

Use self-rising flour in the amount required to coat the chicken pieces thoroughly. The baking powder is contained in the flour at the correct ratio.

Flour

Flour is typically made from wheat and is a common everyday ingredient in many foods. It is also commonly used as a thickening agent or a coating for fried foods.

Flour cannot replace baking powder in most recipes, but it will work well if you need something to fill out a dry seasoning rub for wings.

It has a neutral taste profile and will absorb a lot of fat during the cooking process, resulting in a crisper texture.

Substitute flour for baking powder in a wing recipe should be done according to the amount of seasoning rub required.

Many baked wing recipes only use flour and other seasonings and do not require baking powder to get a crunchy coating.

Air-Dry The Wings Before Baking

While it isn’t a substitute for baking powder, we have found a means to an end to get chicken wings crispy and delicious while baking.

The trick is to remove as much moisture from the wings as possible before cooking them.

Dry the wings in a paper towel before adding dry rub seasonings. Then let them dry out in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight before baking as usual.

The loss of moisture from the meat will result in the wings baking up crispy, even if you don’t use baking powder.