Out of Cornstarch, one case

Cornstarch substitute for frying

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Potato starch

1 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of cornstarch

For frying, potato starch is the closest swap: use the same amount as the cornstarch, whether you are dredging chicken, coating fries or thickening a stir-fry sauce. It fries to a thin, crisp shell. Rice flour and tapioca starch also coat well in the same amount. All-purpose flour works as a dredge but gives a thicker crust that softens sooner, and in a stir-fry sauce it takes 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch and turns the sauce cloudy.

Verdict —: Works
The tweak —: As a coating, use it exactly as you would cornstarch. In a stir-fry sauce, stir it into 2 tbsp cold water, add it at the very end and serve within a few minutes.
Best for —: dredging chicken, tofu, fish and vegetables

One casethe full cornstarch card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Cornstarch substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 tbsp cornstarch	Verdict
1	Potato starchdredging chicken, tofu, fish and vegetables	1 tbspWorks	Works
2	Tapioca starchfried chicken and tofu	1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
3	Arrowroot powderstir-fry sauces and glazes	1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
4	Rice flourdredging and tempura-style batters	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	All-purpose flourSouthern-style fried chicken and pan-fried cutlets	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Baking powder	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Potato starch

neutral taste

A pure starch that fries the way cornstarch does: a thin, brittle, pale crust. It is the standard coating for Japanese and Korean fried chicken.

Best for: dredging chicken, tofu, fish and vegetables, velveting meat for a stir-fry, coating potatoes for crisp fries
Prep: As a coating, use it exactly as you would cornstarch. In a stir-fry sauce, stir it into 2 tbsp cold water, add it at the very end and serve within a few minutes.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: A sauce that keeps boiling or sits on the heat: potato starch thins out again. Potato flour is a different product and does not fry crisp.

Tapioca starch

neutral; the crust is crisp outside and slightly chewy

Cassava starch, also sold as tapioca flour. It fries crisp with a light chew underneath and gives a stir-fry sauce a clear shine.

Best for: fried chicken and tofu, glossy stir-fry sauces, gluten-free batters
Prep: For a sauce, stir it into 2 tbsp cold water and add it in two halves, stirring 30 seconds between them, so you do not overshoot.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Too much in a sauce turns it stretchy and gluey.

Arrowroot powder

neutral taste

The pick for the sauce half of a stir-fry. It thickens below a simmer and stays clear and glossy.

Best for: stir-fry sauces and glazes, sweet-and-sour and other acidic sauces, a light coating for pan-fried tofu
Prep: Stir it into 2 tbsp cold water, add it in the last minute and take the wok off the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: A sauce left boiling goes thin again, and arrowroot turns slimy in a sauce made with milk or cream.

Rice flour

neutral; the crust is crisp and a little sandy

White rice flour has no gluten, so as a coating it fries crisp and stays crisp. As a sauce thickener it is weaker than cornstarch, which is where the doubled amount applies.

Best for: dredging and tempura-style batters, coating fries and vegetables, gluten-free frying
Prep: As a dredge, use the same amount as the cornstarch. In a sauce, use 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch, whisked into cold liquid and simmered 3 to 4 minutes.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Quick stir-fry sauces: it needs several minutes of simmering to lose its grit, and it will not turn glossy.

All-purpose flour

toasty and more bready; a stir-fry sauce turns cloudy and matte

The dredge everyone has. Its gluten makes a thicker, browner, breadier crust than cornstarch, and that crust holds moisture and softens faster. In a sauce it needs twice as much.

Best for: Southern-style fried chicken and pan-fried cutlets, when there is no starch in the house
Prep: As a dredge, use the same amount as the cornstarch and shake off the excess. In a sauce, use 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed into cold liquid and simmered at least 2 minutes.
Contains: gluten
Where it fails: Velveting, stir-fry sauces that should be clear, and any coating you want thin and glassy.

Baking powder

bitter and metallic in the amount a dredge would need

A leavener, not a starch. It cannot form a crust and it will not thicken a sauce.

Best for: oven-baked wings, in a small amount and as a different method
Where it fails: Used cup for cup in place of a cornstarch coating, it tastes harsh and fries to nothing. In a stir-fry sauce it foams.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeCornstarch

Cornstarch does two jobs around a frying pan. As a dry coating it soaks up surface moisture and fries into a thin, brittle shell, which is why it beats flour for crispness. In a stir-fry it also thickens the sauce to a clear glaze and, in velveting, coats sliced meat so it stays tender. A pure starch covers all three; flour only covers the first, and less well.

Tips for substituting cornstarch

5 tips

For a dredge, use the swap in the same amount as the cornstarch and pat the food dry first. A dry surface is what lets the coating fry crisp.
If flour is all you have, mix it half and half with rice flour or potato starch when you can. The crust comes out lighter and stays crisp longer.
For a stir-fry sauce, mix 1 tbsp potato starch, arrowroot or tapioca starch with 2 tbsp cold water, pour it in at the end and stir until the sauce turns glossy, usually well under a minute.
For velveting, replace the cornstarch in the marinade with the same amount of potato starch or tapioca starch.
For fries, toss the dried, cut potatoes in potato starch or rice flour in the same amount the recipe gives for cornstarch, and shake off the excess before they go in the oil.

Questions

5 questions

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch for frying?

Yes, as a dredge in the same amount. Expect a thicker, darker, more bready crust that goes soft sooner than a cornstarch one. For something closer to cornstarch, use potato starch or rice flour, or cut the flour with either.

What can I use instead of cornstarch in a stir-fry sauce?

Arrowroot, tapioca starch or potato starch, 1 tbsp for each 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and added at the end. All three stay clear and glossy. Flour works at 2 tbsp per 1 tbsp but makes the sauce cloudy and needs 2 more minutes of simmering.

Can I thicken a stir-fry sauce without any starch?

Yes. Take the meat and vegetables out and boil the sauce hard for a minute or two until it reduces and coats a spoon, then toss everything back in. It will be thinner than a starch-thickened glaze and stronger in flavor, so go easy on the soy sauce.

Can I use baking powder instead of cornstarch for frying?

Not as a coating. Baking powder is a leavener and tastes bitter in quantity. Recipes for crisp oven-baked wings use about 1 tsp per pound to dry the skin, which is a separate technique and not a replacement for a cornstarch dredge.

Is potato starch or cornstarch better for frying?

They are close. Both fry into a thin, crisp shell with no gluten. Many cooks find potato starch gives a slightly lighter, crunchier crust, which is why it is the usual coating for karaage. Use whichever you have, in the same amount.