01
Cornstarch
10.0best for stir fry1/2 cup : 1 cup
Best as thickener sub only
10.0
rice flour substitute
in stir fry.
A light dusting of Rice Flour on proteins gives Stir Fry a crisp coating that grabs sauce. The stand-in should crisp at high heat without scorching.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Cornstarch is the classic Chinese-kitchen dusting — purer starch than rice flour, crisping faster and holding tighter to protein. Use 0.5 cup per cup rice flour; 2 teaspoons per pound of protein is plenty. The coating crisps in 60 seconds at 425°F and grabs sauce through its porous starch surface.
02
Oat Flour
10.0best for stir fry1 cup : 1 cup
Not GF; adds slight oat flavor
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Oat Flour contains protein that can burn at wok temperatures, so keep heat at 400°F instead of 425°F. Swap 1:1 by volume; dust 2 tablespoons per pound of protein. The coating is nuttier and less crisp than rice flour, so sear 30 seconds longer per side to compensate and avoid crowding the wok.
03
Sorghum Flour
10.0best for stir fry1 cup : 1 cup
Neutral GF flour swap
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Sorghum Flour has 11% protein and a mild flavor that holds up at high heat. Swap 1:1, dust 2 tablespoons per pound, and sear at 425°F with ginger and garlic added after the crust sets. The coating crisps well but is less delicate than rice flour — toss with sauce off-heat to keep the sizzle.
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04
Millet Flour
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Mild and light, gluten-free; good for flatbreads
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Millet Flour is granular and sweet, giving a slightly caramelized coating when it hits the wok oil. Swap 1:1, dust 2 tablespoons per pound of protein, and sear at 420°F (5°F cooler than rice flour since millet browns faster). Add aromatics after the crust sets; toss with sauce off-heat for char without sogging.
05
All-Purpose Flour
10.01 cup : 7/8 cup
Lighter and grittier; use 3/4 cup AP flour per cup rice flour, loses gluten-free benefit
10.0
adjustment for this dish
All-Purpose Flour has gluten that turns gummy in wok oil, so keep the dusting light — 1.5 tablespoons per pound of protein. Use 0.875 cup APF per cup rice flour. Sear at 400°F (25°F cooler than rice flour) since gluten browns fast; flip after 80 seconds per side. The coating is heartier but less crisp than rice.
06
Cake Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Fine soft flour for delicate bakes; lower protein yields tender crumb, reduce liquid slightly
6.7
07
Coconut Flour
6.71/4 cup : 1 cup
Very absorbent, use 1/4 cup and add extra egg
6.7
08
Cassava Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Grain-free, similar texture; slightly stickier dough
6.7
09
Potato Flour
6.73/4 cup : 1 cup
Heavier; use less to avoid density
6.7
technique for stir fry
technique
Rice flour dusted on protein for stir-fry forms a lacy crust that grabs sauce because rice starch gelatinizes fast at wok temperature (425°F+) while staying neutral in flavor. Toss 1-inch chunks of chicken or tofu in 2 tablespoons rice flour until barely coated — any thicker and the coating turns gummy when it hits the sizzle.
Preheat the wok until oil shimmers and smoke just begins (roughly 2 minutes on high heat over a gas flame), then sear protein in a single layer for 90 seconds per side before adding aromatics. Ginger and garlic go in after the crust sets, never before, or they burn while the protein finishes.
Unlike rice flour in pasta where the starch integrates into the dough matrix, rice flour in stir-fry lives on the surface and must crisp in under 3 minutes total — long cooking defeats the coating. Rice flour takes high heat better than wheat flour because its smoke point via coating char lands closer to 460°F.
Toss with sauce off-heat so the coating stays crisp.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Avoid dusting proteins too thick — more than 2 tablespoons rice flour per pound clumps into gummy patches that never crisp in the wok, no matter the high heat.
watch out
Don't add garlic and ginger before the sear — aromatics hit the oil at 425°F and scorch in 40 seconds, killing the finish before the protein forms its crust.
watch out
Skip tossing in sauce on-heat — rice flour coating steams limp if sauce hits the wok while flame is live; toss off-heat to keep the sizzle crunch.
watch out
Don't crowd the wok — crowding drops oil temperature below 380°F and the coating sits wet instead of crisping, giving soggy protein.
watch out
Rest floured protein no longer than 2 minutes before the sear — rice flour draws surface moisture and turns pasty if held longer, gluing the coating to the meat.