Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Crispy on the outside, with juicy meat and crispy skin, these easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings rival your favorite sports bar! No marinating is required, clean up is a breeze, and if you love fried chicken (who doesn’t?!) you’ll want to make them on the regular.

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Wings

• Crispy Outside, Juicy Inside. Like my Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Legs, and Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, the air fryer gives these wings a fabulously crispy skin and tender meat.
• Deep Fried Taste, without the Oil. The air fryer is fantastic at creating lighter takes on foods that are typically deep-fried: Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Egg Rolls, Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks, and Air Fryer Pickles are just a few! You don’t need any oil for these wings, so they’re lower calorie and much easier to clean up than traditional wings.
• Sauce is Boss. This method is perfect for any of your favorite sauces. Spicy Buffalo is the reigning favorite around here (as indicated by the cult following of this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken and the Buffalo Chicken Burgers in my cookbook). You also can take things in an Asian direction with Korean Air Fryer Chicken Wings.

These wings might just be the best of all of my air fryer recipes so far!

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings

The Ingredients

• Chicken Wings. This recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of fresh chicken wings, which is the max amount that I can comfortably fit in a single layer in my Ninja air fryer. If you are cooking more, you’ll need to air fry them in batches.
• Hot Sauce. Frank’s RedHot Original is my go-to, though you can use a similar mildish hot sauce you prefer (something like Tabasco would be too spicy).
• Garlic. Minced garlic gives the sauce extra zip that’s a step above garlic powder. It’s worth it for these air fried chicken wings.
• Vinegar. A small splash helps cut the richness of the wings and balance the sauce.
• Butter. What makes the wings finger-lickin’ delish.
• The Fixings. Blue cheese sauce (the Greek-yogurt based one in my cookbook is perfection), Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, and celery (or carrots) sticks bring the bar experience home to you. Ranch dressing is a favorite of readers too.

The Directions

1. Split the Wings. Cut away the wing tips and split the “drumette” side of each of the “wingettes” from the flat side. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Air Fry at 360°F for 24 minutes. This renders the fat so they don’t get soggy. Flip halfway through.

3. Turn Up the Heat. Flip the wings again, and increase the temperate to 390°F. The skin will get nice and crispy.

5. Make the Sauce. We use Buffalo, but use any kind you like.

6. Toss. Combine the crispy chicken wings and sauce. ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

• Honey Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Use the sauce from my Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.
• Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Use the sauce from my Lemon Pepper Wings.
• BBQ Air Fryer Wings. Toss the wings in Homemade Barbecue Sauce.
• Extra Spicy Chicken Wings. Add a few pinches of cayenne pepper to your Buffalo sauce.
• Boneless Air Fryer Chicken Wings. I haven’t experimented with boneless wings, but I suspect they will cook more quickly. For another great boneless chicken recipe, check out my Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Wings

• Baked French Fries. Because Buffalo wings and fries are a match made in comfort food heaven. You can plan these recipes so that both are ready at the same time.
• Sweet Potato Fries. Another tasty option in the fry department.
• Air Fryer Broccoli. This quick-cooking air fryer side can be ready shortly after you finish up the wings. Or try oven Roasted Broccoli.
• Dipping Sauces. Dunk your chicken wings with blue cheese dressing, Homemade Caesar Dressing, or Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Refrigerate chicken wing leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer. Let the wings come to room temperature. Mist with water to help make them juicy, then reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

• Knife Block Set. Ergonomic and with a broader blade curve for easy rocking cutting, this knife set is worth every penny!
• Kitchen Tongs. These 16-inch tongs easily reach deep into the air fryer’s basket.
• Glass Mixing Bowls. With 10 different stackable sizes and easy to wash, they’re ideal for tossing or dipping air fryer chicken wings recipe in any type of sauce.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Air Fry at 2 Temperatures. Start at a low temperature to render the fat, then increase the air fryer to a higher temperature to crisp the skin.
• Don’t Overcrowd the Air Fryer. If your wings aren’t crispy, you likely cooked too many at once (or didn’t turn up the temperature enough at the end).
• Skip the Baking Soda. Toss your wings with baking soda or flour isn’t necessary for crispy results, and you’ll save yourself hassle.
• To Use Frozen Wings in the Air Fryer. Increase the cook time by 5 additional minutes at 360 degrees F (29 minutes total at this temperature). The wings may stick together at first. Simply shake the basket after a few minutes to separate them, then use tongs to arrange them so they are not touching.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Video

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Air Fryer Chicken Wings

4.83 from 92 votes

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How to make PERFECT Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Crispy outside, juicy and tender inside, with easy clean up. The best way to cook chicken wings!

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

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Servings: 10 wings (flats and drumettes)

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

FOR THE WINGS:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce Frank’s RedHot is what I use
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
• Nonstick cooking spray

TO SERVE:

• Blue cheese sauce The Well Plated Cookbook, page 212 or blue cheese dressing of choice
• Celery sticks
• Chopped fresh chives optional for color

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Instructions

 

• Coat the basket of a 3 quart or larger air fryer with nonstick spray.
• Trim off the wing tips (you should be able to feel the joint soft spot). It should separate fairly easily, but if not, put the blade in place, then carefully but firmly hit the top of your knife to apply extra pressure. Discard. Next, split the drumette side of each wing from the flat side at the joint: slice down through the skin feeling for the “soft spot” and wiggle your knife as needed.
  
• Pat the wings very dry. Sprinkle all over with salt.
• Place the wings in the air fryer in a single layer, making sure they do not touch (if needed, stand up the drumettes along the side). Set the air fryer to 360 degrees F. Cook the wings for 12 minutes, then remove the basket and with tongs, flip the wings over. Return to the air fryer at 360 degrees for 12 additional minutes.
  
• Slide out the basket, flip the wings once more, then return them to the air fryer. Increase the air fryer temperature to 390 degrees F. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, flipping once more halfway through. The skin should look nice and crisp (if your wings are on the larger side, they may need a few more minutes).
  
• While the wings finish up, melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove. Stir in the hot sauce, garlic, and vinegar until smooth.
  
• Transfer the wings to the bowl with the hot sauce mixture. Toss to throughly coat the wings. Transfer the wings to a serving plate. Sprinkle with chives as desired. Enjoy warm with blue cheese sauce and celery.
  

Video

Notes

• TO MAKE IN THE OVEN: Place a broiler rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler. Preheat to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe baking rack on top. Arrange the wings on the rack in a single layer so they do not touch. Broil for 20 to 25 minutes, until the wings are browned and crisp, flipping once halfway through.
• TO STORE. Refrigerate leftover chicken wings for up to 3 days.
• TO REHEAT. Let the wings come to room temperature. Mist with water to help make them juicy, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 7gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgPotassium: 70mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 134IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg

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