This air fryer chicken wings recipe is my favorite way to cook wings, because they get SO crispy! With just a couple simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, these are as easy as it gets, but also easy to customize with your favorite sauce. Perfect for game day, or–let’s be real–or any day! Let me show you how to cook chicken wings in the air fryer perfectly — I’ll show you the simple steps and a few key tips for the crispiest skin ever. If you like air fryer chicken recipes, try air fryer drumsticks, air fryer chicken thighs, or whole chicken next. For those, there’s a different method for getting the skin super crispy.
Basic Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for wings in the air fryer, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken Wings – Buy them trimmed, or separate whole chicken wings at the joint (to make wingettes and drumettes) before cooking.Baking Powder – This surprising ingredient makes the wings nice and crispy! This is because it soaks up extra moisture, helping to dry the skin. (Be careful not to use baking soda by mistake, which won’t work and will have an aftertaste.)Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Seasoning Variations
Chicken wings in an air fryer are delicious plain, but you can also mix it up with a variety of seasonings or sauces:
Simple Spices – If you don’t want to make any special seasoning or sauce, the easiest way to spice up your wings with sometjhing basic like garlic powder or paprika.Lemon Pepper – Season with lemon pepper seasoning, or try my baked lemon pepper wings. Buffalo – Cook wings as written below, and after cooking, toss in this buffalo sauce.Ranch – Skip the salt and season wings with dry ranch seasoning instead.Cajun – Skip the salt and season wings with Cajun seasoning.Garlic Parmesan – Air fry wings like below, and toward the end, toss in the sauce from this garlic parmesan wings recipe. (Some Italian seasoning is also delicious with this one.)
No matter what seasoning or sauce you use, I recommend keeping the baking powder on the skin — it’s the key to super crispy air fryer wings.
How To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to make chicken wings in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Dry. Pat the wings with paper towels to dry them. This is another key tip for making them crispy!Season. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Air fry at low heat. Place wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches to not overcrowd. Cook at 250 degrees F for 15 minutes.Flip & air fry at high heat. Flip wings and increase the temperature to 430 degrees F. Air fry until wings are cooked through on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Wings
Let wings come to room temperature if you have time. This is not required, but letting them sit out for 20-30 minutes before cooking will help them cook more evenly.Dry the skin. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so patting dry with paper towels helps you achieve maximum crispiness.Use the right salt ratio. A good rule of thumb for meat and poultry is a teaspoon of salt per pound of meat, but since chicken wings have mostly bones, only about 1/3 of their weight is actually meat. This air fryer chicken wing recipe is for 2 pounds of wings, which is about 11 ounces of meat, and that’s why I used 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Adjust accordingly if you make a bigger or smaller batch.Sprinkle baking powder on the skin. This is the main trick for extra crispy skin! Don’t skip it.Grease the air fryer if needed. Mine is pretty nonstick, but you can spray with cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil before adding the wings if you like, for easier cleanup.Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. This ensures that the air can flow through and crisp up the skin. It’s okay if the wings touch a little, but try not to have their entire sides touching. If you have patience to have them not touching each other at all, even better.Start at low temperature. Cooking the wings at 250 degrees F first makes the meat super juicy. Also, if you are cooking frozen chicken wings in the air fryer, starting at low temp helps them cook more evenly.Flip and max out the heat. Flipping halfway through helps with even cooking as well, and increasing the heat is necessary to crisp up the skin on the outside.Check internal temperature. The best way to know the wings are done is to use a meat thermometer to confirm that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
How Long To Cook Wings In An Air Fryer?
Air fry chicken wings for 15 minutes at 250 degrees F first, then flip and air fry for 15-20 more minutes at 430 degrees F. The total time is 30-35 minutes.
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Wings In An Air Fryer?
Air fry frozen chicken wings for 25 minutes at 250 degrees F (that’s 10 minutes longer than thawed ones), then flip, increase heat, and proceed with the same cooking time (15-20 more minutes), until crispy and cooked through. If you prefer to thaw the chicken wings first (for more even cooking), you can do so in a few ways:
Water: Put the wings in a zip top bag (not straight into the water!), then place the bag into a bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and use something heavy to submerge the wings in the water.Microwave: The defrost setting on your microwave is by far the fastest way to thaw chicken wings, but can lead to pre-cooked spots. Select the weight of wings you have, and rotate frequently if your microwave doesn’t have a turntable. (Cook immediately with this method.) Fridge: Thaw frozen chicken wings overnight in the refrigerator.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover cooked wings in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze air fryer chicken wings?
Yes, freeze air fryer chicken drumettes in an airtight container the freezer for 2-3 months.
How to reheat wings in the air fryer?
Reheat wings in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes, until hot.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Wings
Dipping sauces – Blue cheese dressing is a classic, and ranch dressing, keto teriyaki sauce, or bbq sauce are always hits. For a spicy sauce, try buffalo sauce or hot sauce. Raw veggies – Carrots and celery sticks are classic sides to air fryer wings. You can also use cucumber, radishes, or bell pepper strips. Air fryer veggies – Serve the best air fryer chicken wings with a veggie like air fryer eggplant, air fryer brussels sprouts, or air fryer zucchini chips. Simple salads – Veggie salads always pair well with wings! Try my creamy cucumber salad, coleslaw, or wedge salad. Other appetizers – Serve wings with rotel dip, zucchini pizza bites, or caprese salad skewers.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you like this air fryer chicken wings recipe, you might also like some of these other easy air fryer recipes:
Air Fryer Chicken LegsPork Chops In The Air FryerAir Fryer BaconWhole Chicken In The Air Fryer
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