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Do you want chicken wings that are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of flavor, without heating up your oven? Cooking them in the air fryer might be the answer you’re looking for.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about cooking air fryer chicken wings, including seasoning tips to bring out the best flavors in your wings, preparation and cooking steps to ensure a tasty result, and foolproof reheating tips to enjoy your leftover wings the next day.

Table of Contents

Why Make Wings in the Air Fryer?

Making chicken wings in an air fryer can be a game-changer if you enjoy the perfect balance of crispy skin and juicy meat (and who doesn’t?). The air fryer’s rapid and consistent circulation of hot air helps your wings come out golden and crunchy, mimicking the texture you’d get from deep frying without the oil or baking without heating up your kitchen. Additionally, the air fryer cooks wings quickly and evenly, locking in moisture while still delivering that satisfying crunch of crispy skin.

Clean-up with an air fryer is also a breeze, as you avoid the greasy mess that comes with traditional frying methods. Plus, you can experiment with different seasonings and marinades, just as you would if you were grilling or baking your wings.

Tips for Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air frying chicken wings is actually much simpler than grilling or air frying them. If you’ve ever baked chicken wings, you’ll find that air frying them is similar. These tips can help you get the results you’re looking for:

Use baking powder in your coating: Lightly coat the wings with baking powder before air frying, which draws out moisture and boosts crispiness.
Preheat the air fryer: Always preheat your air fryer for about 5 minutes before adding the wings to make sure the air fryer is at the proper temperature for even, thorough cooking.
Don’t overcrowd the basket: Place the wings in a single layer with space between them. Overcrowding the air fryer basket can lead to uneven cooking and non-crispy spots on your wings.
Flip the wings halfway through: For evenly cooked and crispy wings, flip them halfway through the cooking time. This helps both sides get the same level of crisped skin.
Always check the temperature: Use a digital thermometer to check the temperature of your wings when the cooking cycle is complete. Chicken wings should read at least 165°F in the thickest part of the meat to be safely cooked.

Seasoning Variations

Understanding seasonings and how to play around with them is the key to making air-fried chicken wings your own. The classic salt and pepper combo is always a hit, but there’s no reason to stop there, especially with versatile chicken wings. For a savory kick, try a garlic Parmesan mix by tossing your wings in a blend of garlic powder, grated Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Or, if you’re a fan of heat, a spicy buffalo rub with cayenne pepper, paprika, and a touch of smoked chili powder is sure to please.

Love bold, tangy flavors? Coat your wings with a zesty lemon pepper seasoning or a blend of Cajun spices for lots of zing. Want something a bit more exotic? A sweet and spicy Asian-inspired rub with five-spice powder, cumin, ginger, brown sugar, and cardamom is an excellent option.

Wing Sauce Suggestions

Chicken wings can taste great with only a seasoning, but wing sauce helps tie everything together. After all, what’s a plateful of chicken wings without a little saucy mess? Chicken wings are basically a blank canvas when it comes to sauces, but here are a few ideas for inspiration:

BBQ sauce: A crowd favorite, BBQ sauce adds a smoky, tangy flavor to your wings. Plus, with so many BBQ sauce options on the market, you can cater to your flavor preferences, whether you enjoy sweet, spicy, or smoky flavors.
Classic buffalo sauce: This tangy and spicy sauce is a blend of hot sauce, melted butter, and a splash of vinegar. It’s a must for heat lovers.
Lemon pepper butter: Melt butter with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, then toss it with a sprinkle of pepper for a sauce that’s light yet full of flavor.
Honey sriracha: Love spicy wings but want to veer off the traditional buffalo sauce path? Try this sweet and spicy twist by mixing honey with sriracha sauce. This combination creates a sticky glaze with a balance of heat and sweet that’s hard to resist.

Ingredients Needed

Before you jump into the steps to make crispy air fryer wings, learn what ingredients you’ll need.

For the Air Fryer Wings

The most important thing to remember when making air fryer chicken wings is that you ideally want the outside of the wings to get the same kind of crisp they’d get on the grill or in the oven. Baking powder is the key to making it happen. Baking powder draws moisture from the chicken wings and brings it to the surface, and that moisture helps them crisp in the air fryer, along with the help of a small amount of oil. Here’s what you need to make your wings:

1 pound of chicken wings split into drummettes and flats
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tbsp baking powder

For Tossing

As we mentioned, there are lots of different ways to make your air fryer wings unique, like seasoning and sauce variations. Whatever you’d like to use to toss your wings in after they’re cooked, get it ready while your wings cook. That way, once you pull the wings from the air fryer, you’ll be ready to go.

Here’s a homemade buffalo sauce recipe to get you started:

½ cup of your favorite hot sauce
½ cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp white vinegar
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently. Allow the butter to melt and the mixture to boil for about one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat; stir. Toss the wings in the sauce after cooking them.

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Let’s make some air-fried chicken wings!

Step 1: Prepare the Wings and Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 380°F and spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Split the wings into drummettes and flats if they aren’t already. Pat the wings completely dry.

Step 2: Season the Chicken Wings

Spread a light layer of olive oil on both sides of the chicken wings. Mix together the baking soda, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl. Add the wings to a food storage bag, and pour the baking soda mixture into the bag. Close the bag and shake it until all the wings are coated in the seasoning mixture.

Step 3: Air Fry the Wings

Place the wings in the air fryer so that they each have space between them. This might require you to work in batches to ensure even cooking. Spray the tops of the wings with a light layer of cooking spray to help them crisp.

Every 5-6 minutes, pause the air fryer and shake the basket to turn the wings. Cook for a total of 16 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 400°F to cook for another 2-4 minutes until fully cooked. The wings should reach a temperature of 165°F.

Step 4: Toss the Wings

Allow the wings to cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, toss them into a bowl with the buffalo sauce. Use tongs to move the wings around to coat with the sauce evenly on all sides. Serve immediately.

How to Store and Reheat Air Fried Chicken Wings

Leftover chicken wings are safe to store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep them in an airtight food storage bag or container and store them away from any raw meats in your fridge.

When you’re ready to eat them again, reheat them in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F and cook for 3-4 minutes until they’re heated all the way through. Use a thermometer to check that the thickest part of the wing reads 165°F.

Conclusion: Air Fryer Chicken Wings

The air fryer makes cooking chicken wings more convenient (and less messy) than ever before, giving you a similar crispiness to what you can achieve with a grill or oven but in a shorter amount of time. And, you can use whatever seasonings and sauces you want, just like you would with traditional grilled or baked wings.

Want to learn other ways to use your air fryer? Here are a few articles to read: