Our Air Fryer Chicken Wings are crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside. They cook fast in the air fryer without the added calories of frying in oil and are perfect for serving with your favorite dipping sauce.
Quick and Flavorful Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Our easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe requires no marinating in advance and takes a fraction of the cooking time as their conventional oven counterpart.
A simple dry rub of onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and some optional spices coats each wing and drum before they’re quickly baked in the air fryer basket without oil splatters and splashes.
I love air fryer recipes that rely on the hot circulating air to cook my food instead of deep frying in oil; you get the same crispy outside and juicy inside with way less greasy mess.
These healthy fried air fryer wings are full of delicious flavor – they’re the perfect party appetizer or game day snack that are low carb and keto compliant.
Why you’ll love this Chicken Wings Air Fryer recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Using dry spices instead of a wet sauce is a great way to get crispy chicken wings without making a mess.
- Works great for low carb, keto, gluten free and dairy free diets.
- Perfect for Super Bowl snacks, game day gatherings, party appetizers, or simply eating for dinner.
Ingredients for Air Fried Chicken Wings
- Chicken wings: You can use fresh or frozen chicken wings.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Ground chipotle powder or cayenne pepper (optional)
Recommended Tools
- Sharp knife
- Mixing bowl or a gallon-size ziplock bag
- Air fryer
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Variations
- Serve With Sauce: You can serve the wings with bbq sauce, ranch dressing, Caesar dressing, hot sauce, Buffalo sauce, or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.
- Swap The Spices: Feel free to make your own dry rub with your favorite seasonings and spices. Some ideas include garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, or even some cinnamon.
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Air Fry Chicken Wings
- Prepare The Poultry: Remove the small wing tip and separate the drumette and wingette. Drizzle the chicken with oil and coat with the seasonings.
- Cook: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the drumettes for 8-10 minutes on each side and the wingettes for 8-9 minutes on each side.
- Serve: Serve while warm. Enjoy!
Tips for cooking frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
If you prefer to use frozen chicken wings instead of fresh or fully thawed, simply follow the same steps, but adjust the cook time. You will need to add an additional 5-10 minutes in the air fryer and will still taste delicious!
Chicken Wings Air Fryer Tips
- For the crispiest possible wings, pat your chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- If you are using your hands to coat the wings, I recommend wearing disposable gloves while handling the raw meat. I always keep 3 different thicknesses of nitrile gloves on hand for food prep.
- You can lightly spray the inner basket with nonstick cooking spray, but most baskets are already nonstick.
- Wings will cook best and crispiest when cooked in a single layer. You may need to cook your wings in batches depending on the size of your basket.
- You can coat the wings in BBQ sauce or a buffalo wing sauce for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
What to serve with Air Fried Chicken Wings
Planning a party and need some easy appetizers or sides to serve with your wings? These air fryer chicken wings pair perfectly with my Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, KFC coleslaw (copycat), instant pot mashed potatoes, and my Mexican Corn Salad.
Storing leftover Air Fry Chicken Wings
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cooked wings in a freezer safe container for up to 1 month.
- To Reheat: Allow the wings to thaw overnight before reheating in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes to re-crisp the wings.
More Delicious Recipes for a Crowd
- 7 Layer Dip
- White Castle Sliders
- Crockpot Nacho Cheese Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups
- Sloppy Joe Garlic Bread
- Air Fryer Nachos
- Baked Lemon Pepper Wings
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Serves — 12
Air Fryer Chicken Wings are super crispy without cooking in oil. Easy to make in minutes, healthy fried chicken is the perfect finger food that won't make a mess!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings (frozen wings need to be completely thawed)
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder – or – cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to remove the small wing tip. Then carefully separate the drumette and wingette (the flat part of the wing).
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl or a gallon-size ziplock bag.
- Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder over the chicken.
- Use tongs or your hands to mix the chicken, oil, and spices. If you are using a ziplock bag, seal the bag and either gently shake or squish the chicken until well coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. (Depending on which brand/model air fryer you have, 5 – 7 minutes is sufficient enough time for preheating)
- You can lightly spray the inner basket, but most baskets are nonstick, so it is up to you. Place the drumettes into the basket. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turn and cook for another 8-10 minutes. (Again, different models cook differently. 9 minutes per side was the perfect amount of time)
- Cook the wingettes for 8-9 minutes, turn and cook for another 8-9 minutes. Serve while warm.
Jenn’s Notes
Servings: 6 – drumettes and 6 – wingettes (Depending on how large or small the wings you buy are, you may have more or less)
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cooked wings in a freezer safe container for up to 1 month.
- To Reheat: Allow the wings to thaw overnight before reheating in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes to re-crisp the wings.
- For the crispiest possible wings, pat your chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- If you are using your hands to coat the wings, I recommend wearing disposable gloves while handling the raw meat. I always keep 3 different thicknesses of nitrile gloves on hand for food prep.
- You can lightly spray the inner basket with nonstick cooking spray, but most baskets are already nonstick.
- Wings will cook best and crispiest when cooked in a single layer. You may need to cook your wings in batches depending on the size of your basket.
- You can coat the wings in BBQ sauce or a buffalo wing sauce for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Can’t wait to try. Very simple n easy