Delicious Air Fryer Chicken Wings can be cooked from fresh or frozen, with a simple spice rub, then tossed in your favorite wing sauce. They are crispy and only take 5 minutes to prepare.
If you love appetizers, try our Hawaiian Meatballs, Tomato and Basil Bruschetta, Blistered Shishito Peppers, and Bacon Wrapped Dates.
Why I love Air Fryer Wings:
- Faster than the oven: my oven baked wings are amazing, but they can take 30 minutes to an hour to cook and get that great crispy skin. This air fryer chicken wings recipe only takes about 20 minutes.
- Crispy Skin: Like my other air fryer recipes, you end up with a crispy product that’s just as good as if it were truly “fried”, but without the extra calories. Here are all of my air fryer tips, if you need help getting started.
- 5 minute prep!
How to Make Air Fryer Wings:
Dry the wings well with paper towels. This is essential to getting a crispy coating.
Toss with dry spice rub. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat.
Air Fry. Arrange wings, skin side up and bake, turning every 5 minutes until wings are crispy and browned (about 15 minutes total). The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 20 minutes.
Toss in sauce. Remove from oven allow to rest for 5 minutes before tossing the air fryer wings in your desired sauce.
For Crispy Wings:
- Pat them dry. As with many other air fryer foods, the trick to crispiness is to ensure you dry them really well before adding seasonings.
- Use (aluminum free) Baking Powder. This is another secret to crispy air fryer chicken wings and will help add that nice brown crispy coating. The red label Rumford brand is aluminum free.
- Single layer. Be sure to lay the wings in a single layer with a little space between. If you have an air fryer that allows for multiple layers, your cook time may need to be increased.
Wing Sauce Suggestions:
- Hot Buffalo sauce (recipe below)
- Honey BBQ sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Ranch
Recipes Variations:
- Baked Chicken Wings.
- Frozen Chicken Wings: Prepare the wings the same and add them, frozen, to the air fryer. Cook for about 10 additional minutes, or until crisp and cooked through.
Serve With:
- Fresh veggies and dip
- Other finger foods or game-day appetizers, like:
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings , halved at joints, wing tips discarded
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder* (aluminum free)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Buffalo Sauce*:
- 1/3 cup Frank's Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Dry wings well with paper towels. This is essential to getting a crispy coating.
- Season: Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl, and then sprinkle seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat.
- Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the fry basket with cooking spray. Arrange wings in an even layer, skin side up. Spray the top of the wings with cooking spray and air fry, turning the wings every 5 minutes for about 15 minutes or until crispy. Total cook time will depend on the size of the wings and air fryer but may take up to 20 minutes.
- Sauce: Remove from air fryer allow to rest for 5 minutes before tossing in desired sauce.
- Buffalo wing sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together all sauce ingredients. Mix well until sugar has dissolved.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe April 2021. Updated December 2023.
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UNREAL!!! Had I not cooked them myself, I would have said there is NO WAY that was not deep fried! Wife who does not eat bone-in wings LOVED IT! That coating is AMAZING! I use Franks RedHot Buffalo by itself. as I love it, but honest to God, I only covered two wings just to try it. The seasoning on its own, and how juicy the wings turned out are DELECIOUS by themselves! I am diabetic, and I have found unbraided wings will drop my sugar level quite a bit. This is the only way I will ever make them again. Only regret? Having to clean the air fryer after eating them, and that I only made 8 (and got to eat 7) Thank you so much for this!!
Good seasoning, and air fryer instructions, but the sauce is WAY too sweet. I used 1/3 the sugar, and it was still too sweet for my taste.
Great in the oven, even better in the air fryer!!