Can You Fry Without Eggs?

Last updated on July 28th, 2022 at 05:39 am

Fried foods are delicious. When you think of a Southern home cooked meal, you probably envision a plate full of fried chicken with maybe some fried okra on the side along with mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, fried potatoes may be too many fried foods on your plate all at once. 

Eating too many fried foods aren’t good for your health but are okay when eaten in moderation. 

When frying some food, you typically bread it before adding it to the pan of sizzling oil. This is done by dipping the food in some egg and then flour to give it a nice coating. Then you dip it into the oil to fry it up into a crispy coating on the food. 

Now, for one reason or another, you may wonder if you can skip the egg in the process of frying. Can you fry without using eggs?

You can fry without using eggs. Although eggs are traditionally used in the breading of fried foods, there are some substitutes you can use instead of egg when you are frying up some crispy and delicious food.

Fried foods are time consuming to make, but the task may be fun and the finished product is so yummy. Even though you can fry without eggs, they do serve a purpose when frying with them. They hold the breading together, keep the interior moist, and flavor the food. 

But, someone may have an egg allergy or not want to use eggs in their cooking. Then there are some (and we’ve all been here) who simply forget to grab some at the grocery store. Standing ready to fry up some food for dinner without any eggs for the breading and not having the time to run and get some can be very disheartening. But, don’t worry! 

There are substitutes you can use for the egg in frying foods. We will discuss these later on in this article. If you were wondering if you can fry foods without using eggs, you can.

Do You Need Eggs For Frying?

Eggs are nutritious and are normally used in the process of frying foods. In traditional frying, you dip the food in the egg and then into the flour or breading, and then fry it. 

But, do you really need eggs for frying?

You usually need eggs for frying foods. The egg acts as a sticky glue to hold the breading onto the food and give it a crispy and crunchy outer layer. However, you don’t have to use eggs when frying and there are substitutes that can be used instead.

Why are eggs used in frying in the first place? Well, eggs act as a binding ingredient. They hold the flour in place to make a great breading for the food. Then when it is fried, the flavor of all of the ingredients are combined to be absolutely scrumptious. 

Eggs also help to retain moisture in the food by trapping it so the moisture stays in the food and doesn’t escape while it is being fried. Eggs also make the food crispy and crunchy and combined with the moisture on the inside giving the food the perfect combination of taste. 

Eggs can give a nice flavor to the fried food that other things can’t. But, for one reason or another, if you need to fry without using any eggs, you can. You don’t have to have eggs when frying, but they do make the food better.

What Can You Use Instead Of Eggs For Frying?

Whatever the reason why you aren’t using eggs, you will need a substitute for the egg because it holds the breading in place so you get a crispy and crunchy breading on your food. So, what can you use instead of eggs for frying?

There are many substitutes you can use for eggs when frying foods. Some of the most common substitutes for eggs are:

1. Buttermilk
2. Milk
3. Cream
4. Butter
5. Tomato paste 
6. Chia seeds 
7. Oil (Vegetable oil or Olive oil)
8. Water
9. Maple Syrup
10. Honey
11. Yogurt
12. Soy Milk
13. Rice Milk
14. Almond milk
15. Fruit-based glazes

Usually an egg wash before dipping the food in flour or a breading helps to hold it all together while it is frying so you will need to use something to substitute it. 

The amount you will need to use of the substituted ingredient depends on what you are frying but these will work well when you don’t want to use any eggs in your frying.

Oil is one of the most common substitutes for eggs in frying. It holds the breading in place while giving the food a nice flavor. Oil is actually a healthy substitute for eggs in frying as well. 

Along with oil, there are many other ingredients that can be substituted for egg in frying. While they won’t result in the same flavor as the egg gives the food, they can be used in place of it when frying foods. 

If healthy eating is why you are cutting back on the egg, consider air frying the food instead of normal frying. This only takes a little bit of oil (or none at all) and can give you crispy pieces of food without all the extra stuff. 

Air frying is healthier than regular frying. But, if you are wanting to fry in the traditional way using a frying pan on the stovetop, and don’t want to use eggs in your breading, you don’t have to. 

Maybe you have an egg allergy or are ready to start cooking and realize that you don’t have any eggs on hand to use. The good news is that you can fry without using eggs. All you have to do is substitute the egg for another ingredient.

Final Thoughts

Fried foods are a comforting meal and taste so good. You can fry food without using any eggs. Usually food is dipped in egg, breaded and then fried. Eggs help the breading to stick to the food while it is frying, but you can use other ingredients instead of egg for this. 

However, although they will function the same as the egg, the result won’t be the same in texture or flavor as the egg gives to fried foods. But, if you have an egg allergy, you don’t want to use eggs, or just don’t have any on hand to use, you can fry without using eggs.