When you feel like chicken wings made super simple, crispy and delish, you should give my air fryer chicken wings recipe a try. Made using the air fryer you get chicken wings that are finger licking crispy and full of flavor! I love to drench my chicken wings in hot sauce and serve with my blue cheese dip! Chicken wings perfection!
If you guys love chicken wings, this is a recipe you MUST try! Now I have made so many chicken wings versions, mostly baked, but this tops them off! Spicy Mango Chicken Wings are baked, and that mango sauce goes perfect on any other cut of chicken!
What better dip can we use here other than Blue Cheese Sauce or Dip! I also love using a classic Buffalo sauce for this wings recipe, but you can absolutely use a BBQ or a simple garlic Parm. There are so many tricks to this awesome recipe, so let’s get to it!
Why Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Cooking your chicken wings in the air fryer makes for some amazing chicken wings. The air fryer makes crispy skin with chicken that is tender on the inside. When air-fried, they are similar to frying, without the mess!
Just check these ever so popular Air Fryer Chicken Legs and see how crisp the skin is!! I’ve honestly been in LOVE with my air fryer like I can’t stop! Air Fryer Salmon and Air Fryer Baked Potato have been my latest obsession too! My latest is this Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
Making your chicken wings in the air fryer is super easy, follows the same steps, uses the same spices and technique as baked chicken wings–only better and crispier!
To finish off your wings, feel free to use your tossing sauce of choice! The idea is to fully cook the chicken wings in the air fryer and crisp them up. At that point, you’ll have a tossing ready to drench the wings in.
The sauce can be Buffalo (recipe below), BBQ, Garlic Parm, Jerk sauce, Asian sauce (like the one I use in my Korean Fried Chicken Strips), or your favorite!
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
This is such a simple recipe and here’e the step by step breakdown.
- Have the chicken wings in a large bowl, large enough to toss around with seasoning and spice.
- Pat dry the chicken wings using a paper towel. This really helps the seasoning to stick on to your wings and you need that to flavor up the wings! You want to absorb any excess moisture from the wings. The dryer you can get your wings the crispier they will be.
- In a small plate gather your dry spice blend. This is the base of flavor to the chicken wings, and from that base you’ll add on the sauce after they’re cooked. This base is so important so you don’t end up with bland chicken wings once you eat off the outer sauce.
- Spice blend is: onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. Now you’ll add in olive oil.
- Now they are ready to put into the air fryer. Place your chicken wings into the air fryer basket in batches and make sure you have your wings in a single layer.
Squeezed tight but not overlapped! Remember the wings will shrink slightly as they start cooking, so feel free to squeeze in as many wings as you can in your air fryer basket, but don’t overlap them.
- You’ll need to air fry the chicken wings for 15 minutes, and flip each to the other side so that both sides can crisp up enough. Continue air frying until crisp and golden.
- You need to cook wings in the air fryer between 390 degrees f and 400 degrees F. You should fry your chicken wings in the air fryer for about 28 minutes. They shouldn’t take any longer than 30 minutes.
- See that CRISP?? Perfectly crisp with zero oil, and no oven racks or hassle!
- While they are cooking it’s a great idea to make your air-fried chicken wing sauce ready to pour over your cripsy air fryer chicken.
Make Buffalo Sauce
This Buffalo sauce has hints of honey and a deep garlic flavor thanks to my easy Garlic Sauce which you can make and keep in your fridge for months! I use it endlessly!
The type of hot sauce here is completely up to you, I however love using Sriracha. It’s thicker, richer in taste, and doesn’t have any vinegar tones which I personally prefer. feel free to use your favorite!
Parsley Simply adds a bright fresh finish to the complex sweet and spicy sauce.
You’ll be mixing all those ingredients in a bowl until smooth and there you have it!
And now, your super easy hot sauce is ready to pour over your wings. It’s best to do this when they are piping hot and have just come out of the air fryer.
You can also serve your chicken wings with a blue cheese dip that does really nicely with this recipe.
Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
If you decide to use frozen chicken wings for this recipe, you have the option of defrosting them and proceeding. However if you need to make the recipe using frozen wings then follow these steps.
Technically you can cook this recipe with frozen chicken wings ( I don’t really recommend however). If you do make this recipe with frozen chicken wings then you end up having to drain water from the bottom of the air fryer, which is a fuss. You also won’t get the skin cripsy on your chicken wings as when they’re defrosted.
If you do decide to use frozen chicken wings, you should cook it for 35 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees F. Make sure to flip them half way. Make sure to add a layer of olive oil and let the wings air fry for an extra 3 minutes to crisp up as much as possible.
NOTE: If you’re busying frozen breaded chicken wings, or Frozen sauced chicken wings–you may have better results with crisping. Make sure you read the instructions on the box for times and temperature as it may vary.
Chicken Wings Recipe Tips
- Make sure to pat dry the chicken wings for the crispiest chicken!
- The dry seasoning spice adds a flavor the wings so they don’t taste bland once the sauce layer is consumed!
- Have your air fryer preheated for 2 minutes before adding in the wings.
- When you spread the chicken wings in the air fryer, make sure they are in a single layer. Over lapping the wings will have them not cook or crisp up.
- Flip the wings halfway for crisping all over!
- Once ready and still piping hot, toss the chicken wings with the desired sauce. This infuses most flavor into the wings.
Can you Reheat your chicken wings in the air fryer?
While I definitely recommend eating your chicken wings the first time you cook them, if you need to reheat them, you can easily do this is the air fryer. Just place them in the air fryer to reheat for 5-7 minutes, turning them halfway through so they are reheated evenly. Make sure you still reheat them in a single layer and do them in batches if they don’t all fit in one layer.
How long to cook chicken wings in the air fryer?
Depending on the size, your chicken wings should take between 25-28 minutes to cook through. Don’t cook them past 30 minutes (unless they are huge wings) as you risk overcooking and burning them.
How Long to cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer?
If you need to cook your wings from frozen, it should take around 35 to 40 minutes to cook through properly. Also make sure you read the package instructions if you’re buying frozen breaded chicken wings, or frozen sauced chicken wings.
This is a really a go to chicken wings recipe once you try it! The wings that are just as crispy as fried ones on the outside but super tender on the inside. Personalize this recipe to your own taste and skip hot sauce if that isn’t your thing, and use your favorite!
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Fish For Air Fryer Fish Tacos
Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Poblano Sauce
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
When you feel like chicken wings made super simple, crispy and delish, you should give my air fryer chicken wings recipe a try. I love to drench my chicken wings in hot sauce and serve with my blue cheese dip! Chicken wings perfection!
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2.5 pounds chicken wings trimmed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Buffalo Sauce
- 1/2 cup Sriracha Sauce or any hot sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic Sauce
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add the chicken wings and use Paper towels to pat dry your chicken wings really well.
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In a small bowl mix the dry spice seasoning (without the olive oil).
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Toss the chicken wings in the dry seasoning and then add in the live oil. Mix well.
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Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 2 minutes before adding in the chicken wings.
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Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer making sure they don't overlap. Squeeze in as many of them as you can.
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Air fry the chicken wings for 13-15 minutes and then flip them.
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Continue air frying for another 13-15 minutes until they're crisp on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
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While the chicken wings are air frying, make the buffalo sauce.
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Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
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Adjust seasoning to your taste if you like.
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When the wings are ready and still piping hot, remove them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over the wings. Toss them really well.
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Serve right away with extra sauce on the side and a blue cheese dip.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Chicken Wings Recipe Tips
- Make sure to pat dry the chicken wings for the crispiest chicken!
- The dry seasoning spice adds a flavor the wings so they don't taste bland once the sauce layer is consumed!
- Have your air fryer preheated for 2 minutes before adding in the wings.
- When you spread the chicken wings in the air fryer, make sure they are in a single layer. Over lapping the wings will have them not cook or crisp up.
- Flip the wings halfway for crisping all over!
- Once ready and still piping hot, toss the chicken wings with the desired sauce. This infuses most flavor into the wings.
Can you Reheat your chicken wings in the air fryer?
While I definitely recommend eating your chicken wings the first time you cook them, if you need to reheat them, you can easily do this is the air fryer. Just place them in the air fryer to reheat for 5-7 minutes, turning them halfway through so they are reheated evenly. Make sure you still reheat them in a single layer and do them in batches if they don't all fit in one layer.
How long to cook chicken wings in the air fryer?
Depending on the size, your chicken wings should take between 25-28 minutes to cook through. Don't cook them past 30 minutes (unless they are huge wings) as you risk overcooking and burning them.
How Long to cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer?
If you need to cook your wings from frozen, it should take around 35 to 40 minutes to cook through properly. Also make sure you read the package instructions if you're buying frozen breaded chicken wings, or frozen sauced chicken wings.
These wings turned out perfectly. Terrific flavor profile too!
Delicious wings!! Love that air fryer and how crispy these get in it! So much healthier than fried but just as good!
These where the beat wings I tried in an air fryer! So crispy and flavorful, definitely adding to our weekly menu!
This is the best way to make chicken wings and less mess too! Thanks for the easy recipe!
I LOVE my air fryer, makes life so much easier. These are so tasty and surprisingly easy to make!
So flavorful and so easy! Never going back.
Making chicken wings has never been easier than when you make them in the air fryer. So juicy and crispy on the outside.
Super crispy wings every time. Love the seasonings on them too. Can’t wait to make a batch.
Everything is better in the Air Fryer. These wings are no exception!
I LOVE crispy skin on my wings! Yummy recipe!