Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Super Crispy!)
Air Fryer Chicken Wings have become a favorite for anyone who wants a quick, tasty, and healthier way to enjoy classic crispy wings! This recipe will give you chicken wings that are beautifully flavored and cooked until perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining juicy and tender on the inside.
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Ingredients For Making Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Scroll down to the recipe card to see the complete list of ingredients.
- Chicken wings. They’re usually sold as whole wings that come with the wingette (flat), drumette (drum), and wing tip. All you have to do is cut through the joints to divide them into flats and drums. Wing tips are usually removed and can be used to make chicken stock.
- Oil. Use your favorite oil. It helps the spices adhere to the wings, prevents them from sticking to the air fryer basket, and gives the skin a bit of a char around the edges.
- Spices. I almost always use my trifecta of spices, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, to give these wings lots of color and flavor.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Scroll down to the recipe card to see detailed step-by-step instructions.
Are you ready to see how easy it is to make the best crispy chicken wings in less than 20 minutes? Then let’s read on:
- Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel before adding the spices. This will remove any moisture and will help them get super crispy.
- Transfer the chicken wings to a large bowl and add the oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Toss them well to evenly coat them with the seasoning.
- Place them in the air fryer basket making sure they are not touching and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 8-10 minutes. Then flip them over and air fry for another 8-10 minutes.
- You can toss them in your favorite sauce for added flavor.
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Why make chicken wings in the air fryer?
There are several reasons why I sometimes prefer to make chicken wings in the air fryer:
- I can make smaller batches of chicken wings. This is great when it’s just me and my husband watching football on Sundays (Go Broncos!).
- The chicken wings get a crunchy, golden brown exterior without the need to fry them in excess oil. They also come out crunchier than making them in the oven.
- It’s faster! Air fryers cook food quickly, which makes it easy to whip up a batch of wings in less time. This also locks in the juices, so the wings are less likely to dry out.
Can I make these chicken wings in a regular oven?
You can and I actually have a wonderful recipe for making oven-baked chicken wings that is incredibly easy to make. It works great when you want to make a large amount of wings so it’s perfect whenever you’re hosting a large gathering!
However, you will get crispier chicken wings using an air fryer. Plus, they will cook a lot faster.
Why are my chicken wings not crispy?
To get crispy chicken wings in the air fryer you need to:
- Take off any moisture by patting them dry with a paper towel so that the skin can get nice and crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket, line them up flat and avoid any touching.
- Use the correct temperature in the air fryer. If it’s too low, the skin won’t get a nice crispy texture. You can also increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes but avoid any excess char or burning.
Can I double the recipe to make more chicken wings?
You can, but you will need to cook them in batches. The great thing about air fryers is that they cook faster than traditional ovens, so you can whip a few batches in less time.
What sauces can I use for tossing chicken wings?
You can use your favorite sauce to toss them, just keep in mind that the moisture in the sauce will make them a bit less crunchy. Here are a few ideas:
- Buffalo sauce – It’s the most popular, classic sauce and you can use any brand or make it from scratch with this easy Buffalo Chicken Wings recipe.
- Ranch Buffalo – Just toss any Buffalo sauce with ranch dressing to taste and voilá!
- BBQ sauce – Another perfect sauce for chicken wings. You can use your favorite brand or make it from scratch with this great BBQ Sauce or this Guava BBQ Sauce.
- Teriyaki – One of my favorite sauces to use whenever I want to give them a sweet and savory Asian flavor.
What dips can I serve with these chicken wings?
Chicken wings are usually served with your basic ranch or blue cheese dressing. But if you want to change things a bit, you can use any of these wonderful recipes to serve along with these delicious crispy chicken wings:
- Garlic Mayo, Pink Sauce, Pineapple Sauce
- Green Sauce, BBQ Ketchup, Pineapple Mayo
- Garlic Sauce, Avocado Sauce, Hamburger Sauce
Tools Needed To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- PowerXL Air Fryer 4 QT – This is the air fryer I’ve been using for years. It’s not too big, so you can only make one small batch at a time.
- Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven 6-Qt – This is a great option for a larger air fryer.
- Farberware Large Cutting Board – Perfect for cutting chicken and easy cleanup.
- WÜSTHOF Classic 3.5″ Paring Knife – Love using this paring knife to cut through the joints of the chicken wings.
- Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set – I use it to easily coat the chicken wings with the spices.
- Hotec Stainless Steel Kitchen Tongs – This is a great tool to use to flip over the hot chicken wings.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Wings
- BBQ Chicken
- Chicken and Potatoes
- Fried Chicken
- Chicken Stew (Colombian Sudado de Pollo)
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken wings (Cut into flats and drums)
- 1 tbsp oil (I usually use olive oil)
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper (To taste)
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel to remove all of their moisture.
- Transfer to a large bowl and season with the oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Toss well (You can use your hands) to evenly coat the chicken wings.
- Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure they don’t overlap or touch each other. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 8-10 minutes. Remove the basket from the air fryer, flip over the chicken wings, and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve plain or toss in your favorite sauce and a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. The wings should also not overlap or touch each other to ensure they turn out nice and crispy.
- You can toss them in your favorite sauce, but keep in mind that they may lose some of their crispy texture when covered in sauce.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. You can then reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for about 4 minutes.
- You can also freeze fully cooked chicken wings in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for about 12 minutes.
