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.
Table of Contents
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Why We Love Air Fried Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients
- Substitutions and Additions
- Recommended Tools
- How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Cooking Frozen Wings
- Tips for the best Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Do I Add Flour to Air Fryer Wings
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- How to Store Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Delicious Recipes for a Crowd
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
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 We Love Air Fried Chicken Wings
- 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.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients
- 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)
Substitutions and Additions
- 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.
Recommended Tools
- Sharp knife
- Mixing bowl or a gallon-size ziplock bag
- Air fryer
How to Make Air Fryer 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!
Cooking Frozen Wings
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!
Tips for the best Air Fryer Chicken 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.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Do I Add Flour to Air Fryer Wings
There are many recipes that require coating the chicken in flour, baking soda, or baking powder to create crispy exterior. But I firmly believe that wings need NO flour or powder to get them any crispier. Plain wings with a simple oil and dry rub seasoning are the best, crispiest, and most flavorful!
What To Serve With Air Fryer 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.
How to Store Air Fryer 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 Chicken Wings
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
- 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.
Can’t wait to try. Very simple n easy