Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings are so crispy and delicious without using any extra oil! Cooking Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer instead of deep frying them makes them healthier and clean up easier. They are ready in only 30 minutes and so easy to make!
Air Fryer Wings are extra crispy without any added oil, baking powder, or potato starch! To make this easy recipe you just need two ingredients, fresh (or frozen) chicken wings and your favorite sauce. The air fried wings are so crispy on the outside but still juicy and tender on the inside. You’ll never believe these weren’t cooked in a deep fryer!
Cooking wings in an Air Fryer saves calories because you don’t need to add any oil and all the excess oil from the wings drips into the pan but the wings taste as good as deep fried. Baking wings in the oven often makes them dry or adds extra steps like tossing with baking powder to get them crispy, making them in an Air Fryer results in super crispy but still juicy wings without the hassle.
These air fried chicken wings will probably be the simplest and most amazing wings you’ll ever make! Perfect for Game Day Parties or any day.
Tips and Tricks for making Air Fried Crispy Chicken Wings
- Cooking the wings for 26 minutes at a lower temperature allows the fat under the skin to slowly break apart, the last 6 minutes at a higher temperature crisp up skin for extra crunch.
- You don’t need to use baking powder when using an Air Fryer. The wings will get crispy without it!
- Toss the wings in your favorite sauce! Because the sauce is added after the wings are completely cooked you can add different sauces. My hubby likes it spicy so we always toss one part of the wings in Buffalo sauce and the other with a mild BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Rays.
- Food with a high fat content like chicken wings can make your Philips Air Fryer start to develop white smoke. This happens when splatters hit the heating element, it doesn’t harm your Air Fryer or the food that’s inside but it is annoying. To minimize the smoking stop the air fryer when it starts to smoke, take out the basket, and use paper towels to soak up the oil that’s in the pan then start the cooking process again.
Can you cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen wings in an Air Fryer. Just cook the wings 5 minutes longer at 390°F, before increasing the temperature for the last 6 minutes.
How long to air fry chicken wings
Chicken Wings take about 30 minutes to prepare in the Air Fryer.
How to cut Chicken Wings
- Using your fingers, locate where the two joints connect.
- Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife cut through the center of both joints to separate the drumette, flat, and tip.
- Use the drumettes and flats in your recipe, discard the tip.
What to serve with Chicken Wings
Serve chicken wings tossed in Buffalo Sauce with Blue Cheese dipping sauce and fresh celery on the side. Coleslaw, fries, onion rings, chips, and fried mozzarella sticks also make a great side dish for any kind of Chicken Wings.
How to reheat chicken wings in the Air Fryer
Reheat fried chicken wings at 350°F for 5 minutes, then increase temperature to 400°F and cook for 3-5 more minutes until reheated and crispy.
Looking for more Appetizer Recipes?
- AirFryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Gorgonzola Cream Cheese Spread
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Cheesy Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip
- Bacon & Cheese Puff Pastry Twists
Tools used for making this Recipe:
Air Fryer:
This is the Air Fryer I have. It has a big basket and is easy to clean.
Buffalo Wings Sauce:
To make Buffalo Chicken Wings toss the cooked wings with this sauce. So tasty! My husband loves this sauce. No need to add butter.
BBQ Sauce:
This is my favorite BBQ sauce, it is not too spicy with a little bit of smoke and brown sugar flavor. Tastes great on wings!
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
- 1/2 cup BBQ or wing sauce
Instructions
- Place the chicken wings in the basket and insert into the air fryer.
- Cook for 24 minutes at 380°F (190°). Turn the wings after 13 minutes with tongs.
- When the time is up, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for 6 more minutes until the skin is browned and crisp.
- Transfer to a bowl, add toss with BBQ or wing sauce.
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Yummy! My go to chicken wings from now on!!
First wings in my new air fryer and they were perfection! Had no difficulty with available temperatures but mine is a very small air fryer. Would have to prepare in batches for more than one person. The recipe’s a definite keeper! Thank you!
Thank you! these were so good!! I dipped mine in ranch mixed with hot sauce. I also left the wing tips on. This will be my go to wings recipe!
Well Julia! This was oh so very YUMMY! I had a slight problem in that my airfryer does not go to 400 degrees, only 380 – but no problem after all! I just followed your directions, but when I was supposed to turn it up to 400, I just continued at 380 for the additional 6 minutes and they were so PERFECT!!!! I sprayed them first with PAM-like olive oil and dusted with salt and cayenne. Then for sauce I used 2 TB melted butter and about the same about of Franks Hot Sauce mixed together with 1TB of white wine vinegar – spicy, but not over the top…. The wings were totally crispy just as if they had been deep fried and the sauce just gave that little kick! Thanks for the instructions!!!!!
OMG I was worried about cooking these wings from frozen with such an easy recipe. Cooked exactly the way you suggested,these wings are perfect with ranch, blue cheese, & any dressing of choice along with celery sticks. My only regret is that I have a small fryer for one& had to cook in batches. They didn’t last til the next batch was done . You get a thumbs up 👍 & a 5. Tried & true to perfection.
Thank you so much for your comment, Francina! So happy you liked the wings!
Just got my Airfryer yesterday and tried this recipe. The wings turned out amazing, I used 5 wings (cut into 10 pieces) and at the bottom of the air fryer I got roughly 1 tablespoon of oil that was originally inside of the chicken skin. I couldn’t love this recipe more! Thank you so much for your amazing creation.
I can’t wait to try these but want the barbecued wings. If adding sauce after cooking how do they stay hot?
They stay hot even after adding the sauce. Just serve them right away. But you could also warm up the BBQ sauce in the microwave.
I have an emerald airfryer and had to up the cooking time at those temps. Still came out really good. And will make them again! Made garlic parm (coated before I cooked) and korean bbq. Amazing for the first outing
Quick Question – for frozen wings – can you clarify the instructions? It says “just cook the wings 5 minutes longer at 390°F, before increasing the temperature for the last 6 minutes.” When I looked at the actual recipe (below) I’m not sure in what step I make this modification. Can you please help? Thanks!!
Instructions:
1. Place the chicken wings in the basket and insert into the air fryer.
2. Cook for 24 minutes at 380°F (190°). Turn the wings after 13 minutes with tongs.
3. When the time is up, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for 6 more minutes until the skin is browned and crisp.
4. Transfer to a bowl, add toss with BBQ or wing sauce.
You add 6 minutes in step 2. So you cook them 30 min at 380 degrees then increase to 400 degrees.
OMG thank you so much for your recipe!!! I was making it for myself but my mom saw how crispy and delicious the wings are and now we’re making a second batch hahha
Can you use one of the liners they sell in the basket while cooking these instead of stopping to clean the fryer if it smokes?
I have never seen liners for the Air Fryer, so I’m not sure. My new Philips AirFryer that has the Turbostar technology doesn’t have the smoking problem.
I have a Breville Air. To set on “air fry,” it automatically goes to 400. In the past, I have used the baking powder (1Tab) to 1 Tab of Kosher salt. I would like to try yours as you don’t use either. Do you know how how I would cook them, please, using the Breville Air w/o salt and BP? Thanks.
I make these in my Breville Air. I put the wire rack on position 4, and put the wings in the broiler pan (with the rack inside). I don’t use the air fry basket because the fat will drip and make a mess. You can adjust the temperature of the Air Fry mode by turning the temp knob. You can even press the select button in to turn on the “Rotate Remind” to remind you to flip the wings halfway through that first 24 minute cooking time. Then I turn the temp back up to 400 and air fry the last 6 minutes, according to the recipe. I do use the salt and BP but I’m sure it would also turn out great without!
These are the BEST chicken wings!! We just got an air fryer and have been craving crispy chicken but without breading. I am so happy to have found this recipe! We only wish we had a larger air fryer!
I love hearing that Kristel! Another reader posted this tip a few days ago: You can make a bigger batch (they don’t need to be in a single layer) and just up the time at 380 degrees F for a few more minutes until they are cooked, then do the shorter 400 degrees F crisping on smaller batches. Perfect for people that don’t have a large air fryer!
THANK YOU for posting this technique. I was only considering an air fryer because of seeing comments online about how well they did wings….I used to live next door to the original Zaxby’s and those were the first wings I’d ever had and fell in love. Then I watched some videos of the air fryer I was considering (NuWave Brio 10qt, $99 at Costco) and to me the wings they did came out looking baked which is a sin. The pics from your article convinced me to go ahead and buy it, and my first batch was awesome. One thing I did differently was to spray them with butter flavor Pam before cooking which is a trick I picked up and do with all of my skin-on meats when smoking, and I also sprinkled on a little cayenne and Himalayan pink salt. They were great plain or tossed in sauce, and cost a third of what restaurant wings do now. WATCH OUT CHICKENS!
I am from Buffalo, and like my wings so hot my eyes water and lips go numb ! First recipe sever That can duplicate the taste and crispness of deep fryer. I used to short order cook as a teen and 5hese are awesome. THANKS !
The wings turned out to be great !!! I don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen so I was uncertain about the outcome. Also, it was my first time using an air fryer. This recipe is so simple. I can’t wait to pass it along to my friends and use it when I host my next event.
Thank you!!!
These are DELICIOUS! I love them just plain…no sauce. I like them saucy, too…but plain is my jam!
If you were to do legs like this, how much longer do you think it would take? I don’t want to add breading…just salt and pepper…
I think they would cook for longer than the wings, but no idea how much longer. I want them crispy like the wings, though. Aaaaaaand I’m rambling
So happy you like my recipe, Kelly! You could try my recipe for Chicken Drumsticks and just skip the breading.
Just got our air fryer yesterday. Made these wings for my husband. He LOVED them and he is picky about his wings. Served them with homemade BBQ sauce. Times were perfect. Thank you!
these were quite tasty. I air fried them up according to directions and then I tossed them in old Bay seasoning. Didn’t use barbecue or Buffalo sauce. Came out crispy yet tender.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! Cooking at these temperatures made the absolute PERFECT wing!! Super delicious!
Amazing!!!!!! Everyone loved them!
I found this recipe yesterday and had to try it out today. I had a partial bag of frozen wings that I put in the basket and followed the directions for adding 5 minutes @ 380 degrees. I had picked up a bottle of mild buffalo sauce and a bottle of parmesan garlic sauce at Walmart this morning. Tossed a couple wings in the buffalo sauce and the rest in the other. They were awesome! I have always oven baked my wings before adding any sauce (usually honey/soy sauce combo) and they are good, but i loved the crunchiness of the air fried wings! Only problem is I’ll have to air fry them in batches to make enough for my whole family. Today was a test run…making them again tomorrow for the Super Bowl! Thanks for the recipe!
Same here on batch size but someone turned me onto a trick…..You can put in as many as your fryer will hold and cook them according to the time needed at 380 to get them cooked, then do the shorter 400 degree crisping on smaller batches. This way if your fryer will hold say 15 in a layer, instead of taking 60+ minutes to do 30 wings it only takes 36-40 minutes.
Great tip! I made a big batch myself over the weekend with a similar approach to test if it works and they came out perfect. I shook the basket every 5-10 minutes and increased the time at 380 degrees F by about 5 minutes then crisped them up at 400 F for a few minutes longer, keeping an eye on them and taking them out when they felt as crispy as I wanted them to be.
My first wings in my new air fryer … The wings were amazing – crispy and juicy … The recipe was great, good for frozen or thawed wings. I ate them without sauce, using blue cheese dresssing for dipping – They were DELICIOUS!.
It looks yummy I will try them this weekend but I need an airfryer first. Can you suggest me a good airfryer at low cost. Thank You.
Hi, did you put the wings directly into the airfryer basket, or did you put it on a rack? I see a picture of the wings on the rack so I wanted to confirm. Thanks!
I put them directly in the basket but you could use a rack so you have a second layer and make for chicken wings.
Made these tonight. Absolutely amazed at how well they turned out. I CRAVE buffalo wings frequently and am often let down when out to eat. I have a few select restaurants that I know are delicious, but I think these might be the BEST EVER!
Timing was perfect. This is going to be my new favorite homemade cheat meal. So easy! Thank you!
I never thought we’d be able to include chicken wings into our healthful meals and thought they’d always be a treat. You’ve proven me wrong!! My husband orders his wings “extra crispy” so I wasn’t sure if these would make the grade, but we both loved them. We might try brining them next time to see how that affects the flavor profile. Looks like wings are back on the menu, boys!
The wings came out PERFECT!!! THANK YOU!
Denise
I’ve had an air fryer for about a year, but never tried wings. I got a Ninja Foodi for Christmas and I just tried your recipe last night. Well, these were a HUGE hit. My husband asked “How hard were these to make?” I guess he wants me to make them more often. Thanks for the recipe and cooking instructions to make them extra crispy. The Foodi has a rack that let me make them all at once. So amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
just a quick question as i plan to try this recipe in 2 days when i get snowed in, my basket in my air fryer isn’t large enough for 2lbs of wings without them sitting on top of each other, is that okay? (the wings that is)
They might not get as crispy but if you shake the basket every few minutes it should be ok. My new AirFryer is a bit smaller than my last one but it comes with a rack so you have two layers, perhaps you find something similar somewhere in your kitchen. – Julia
Discard the wing tip??? NEVER!!! I use them (and chicken feet or “paws”) to make my chicken soup or a broth for fricassee. The cooked tips and other bony parts of the chicken from the soup not used elsewhere go into the most savory, flavory, chicken fricassee that I learned to make at my bubbe’s side. Don’t waste it, baste it!!!
The white “smoke” is steam vapor.
My air fryer doesn’t have a basket, but rather two trays that slide inside. Regardless, I followed these instructions and they turned out perfect. Thanks so much for sharing.!
Are the wings thawed? I’m sure it’s a silly question, but most are bought frozen. THANKS!
The recipe is for fresh/thawed wings but there are also instructions to modify the recipe for cooking frozen wings in the post (above the recipe card).
We used the instructions as written above for frozen wings and it was spot on! Five minutes extra for frozen wings was perfect. Layer in a single layer in the basket; cook at 380 for 15 minutes; flip, set time for another 15 minutes at 380; flip and turn the heat to 400 for six minutes. Done! Thank you for the instructions!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I didn’t even think to use my air fryer to make wings. I don’t think I’ll ever oil fry my wings again. Being on a ketogenic diet, I try to come up with ways to up my fat intake, so I made a lemon pepper and ghee “sauce”. Incredibly crispy and juicy. Thank you!
Do you batter the wings or do you put them from package to air fryer?
I don’t batter the wings. I use fresh, unseasoned chicken wings.
Do these go into oven frozen or thawed?
You can put frozen wings in the Air Fryer. Just cook the wings 5 minutes longer at 380°F, before increasing the temperature for the last 6 minutes.
Great recipe! The wings were so crispy after 26 minutes (13 each side) that I didn’t need to increase the temp to finish. My family loves Frank’s on ½ the wings and BBQ or Yoshida’s on the other half. We never have any wings left.
Wow!!! Spot on and crispy like we like them. I tossed them in the sauce after the 24 minutes and then tossed them in the sauce again at the end. Perfect for Sunday Football games! Thanks!
My husband normally gets BWW for Sunday football but he can’t eat food not made at home and I made these today the only problem is I can’t make the fast enough lol great recipe thanks
Can I place a bunch of wings in my rotating basket? I just bought my fryer because of this thread! I got the big 7qt oven/air fryer.
That’s what I did and they came out great! I bought the large bag of frozen wings at Food Lion and cooked them all at the same time. I just had the rotation going the entire cook time and they were evenly cooked.
Excellent! Terrific! Awesome! Best wings we’ve ever had.
Trying this right now! I’ve had my Philips air fryer at for a week now and totally loving it,
So glad I found your article the wings came out great without adding additional oil or flour like so many other recipes called for.
I canNOT believe how good this recipe is! No frying…. no finishing it under the broiler… no extra oil… DELISH! My 15-year-old daughter said it’s as good as any restaurant. And I love controlling the quality of ingredients used. THANK YOU. We will make this again and again. All your directions were spot on. My air fryer only goes up to 390 but it still came out perfect!
I have the first generation Philips air fryer that only goes to 390 I believe. Any suggestions? You mentioned in your post you also have a Philips air fryer, which one do you have that goes to 400?
I did 360 and 390 on the Philips XL for the same times and they were perfect. I didn’t even flip them.
Turned out perfect. I like my wings a little less sloppy, so after coating them with Frank’s RedHot sauce I placed them back in the air fryer @ 400 degrees for another two minutes. This is definitely my new favorite wing recipe. Thanks much.
If I am making several pounds for a party can I put the cooked wings into a crockpot to keep warm or will they lose their crispness?
I don’t think they will stay crispy if you keep them warm in a crockpot. But you could try putting the air fried wings on a rack placed over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven until you have air fried all batches and then serve them immediately after the last batch is done. – Julia
Would a dry rub work in the air fryer? Just got the Ninja Foodi and am so excited to try this recipe!!! 😁😁
I followed your instructions exactly and my wings were AWESOME!!
I’ll never need to get deep fried wings again.
Thank you SO SO much for this recipe!!
Amazing! I can’t believe I didn’t try these sooner. Only thing I couldn’t do is fit 2 lbs in my fryer. Did you layer them? I figured they needed to be separated to cook properly.
Made these tonight, could not believe how crunchy they were! Definitely a hit, will make again.
Hi just got my airfyer wanted to try crispy wings is it fine to add garlic salt or salt before airfrying the wings my kids wants their wings dry
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work!
My wife and I tried this recipe for the first time tonight. Unfortunately I have some bad news; Buffalo Wild Wings just lost a customer, because these were amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much. Your timing was dead on. My previous way of doing wings this good took two days and several hours (brining, flour and spices, twice coated with a hour in between and then deep frying). Not wanting to do that very often I was stopping at Wingstop a couple times a month at $20 a stop. After air frying with your recipe I merely toss in a bowl with 50/50 Franks and butter. About as good as wings I’ve had anywhere. Looking forward to doing some experimenting with things like tossing them with some spices before frying. Thank you for sharing.
I want seasoned wings can I put on seasoning before I cook them?We prefer not to dip them.
The timing was perfect! Felt like I was at my favorite Wing restaurant. I did a dry rub on half and naked on the other half for buffalo sauce and dang!!!!!!! Homemade slaw made the perfect cheat/not cheat meal! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Julia,
I soaked the (fresh/not frozen) wings in franks before I read your recipe….will they still be ok to cook with the sauce already on?
Thank you
Kelley
I haven’t tried it this way but I think it will be fine. Let me know how it goes!
This was my first recipe using my air fryer. I was incredibly impressed with how tasty and crispy these wings turned out.
These are so amazing! Quick, easy, and CRISPY! Thank you so much for posting this. :)S
I’m among your wings now and I’m so excited. It’s the first thing I’m making in my new air fryer:)
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us.
Carrie
Hi Sam! The times and temperature are listed in the recipe card at the end of the post. I hope you enjoy the wings!
O! M! G!
My 16 year old son and I agree that these are amazing!!
My husband always tries to make wings in the oven (super gross!!).
So, he went to Germany on a business trip—and I went to Kohl’s to buy an air fryer!!
We made a bunch of stuff today—air fried Oreos, fries, sweet potato fries, fried pickles (they were good too!!)…but nothing turned out as awesome as these wings!!! ❤️
Thank you so much for this recipe!!
(My husband will be getting some delish wings when he gets back!!)
Absolutely perfect! Thanks for the recipe. Ot will be a staple!
LOVED THESE!!! They turned out perfectly crispy and ohhhhhh soooooo yummy!
These are AMAZING!!! I made them from frozen and the times were perfect!
THANK YOU!!!
I made wings this weekend using your simple recipe. We loved them and your temps and times were spot on. They were crispy outside and moist inside. I’m tossing that recipe from the cooking magazine that has you shaking the wings in baking powder. Ugh…they were gritty and had a horrible taste. Thank you!
Awesome ! If anyone has an air fryer and wings then try this amazing recipe ! It’s a perfect marriage of greatness ! Thank you so much for this wonderful wing knowledge !
Great recipe! Single layer works best. Times and temps were spot on. Thanks for a great recipe.
Do the wings need to be in a single layer or can you stack them?
I try to put them in a single layer into the basket because I find they get the crispiest when they don’t touch. – Julia
How much oil do you use ?
None ? You don’t need oil for this recipe. The chicken wings will get super crispy without added oil.
Amazing. I did cook my wings about 4 mins longer to get extra crispy. But other then that was right on.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Crystal!
Hey Julia,
I had been browsing for a simple air fryer ? recipe and came across yours. It was perfect. My wings were frozen and average size, I followed your instructions then added my own touch with my special sauce……..was better than any restaurant……….thank you?
That makes me very happy! You are very welcome, CB!
My 15 year old (who just broke his leg needed comfort food) was craving chicken wings,and I wanted to try out the new air-fryer . I came across this recipe from .Pinteres, it looked so good!. I was just amazing tasty that my son (the baby of the bunch who doesn’t know how to make anything other than scrambled eggs and sandwiches) wanted me to teach him how to make this! Wow- highest praise for a recipe ever, someone wants to learn to cook so he can make them whenever the whim hits him. Thank you!
Your comment made my day, Lorraine! I hope your son’s leg heals quickly and he isn’t in pain! – Julia
These cooking times seem a bit too long. I’ve been doing wings for a couple years in the air fryer and I do 13 mins at 200C, (flip them) followed by 13 more mins at 170C. I guess trial and error.
Side note: My buffalo wing sauce- 50/50 (ish depending on taste) Franks hot sauce and butter. Real butter tastes best, but margarine is a bit more healthy (or a combination of both).
Thank you
Chris H. I agree on your sauce recipe (Frank’s and butter, 50/50) but I wouldn’t say margarine is ever healthier than butter! That old food pyramid in your pediatrician’s office from 1970? It’s still spot-on.
real butter is healthier than margarine…. back when we thought that margarine was the healthy choice we didn’t know the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol and we didn’t know the dangers of trans-fatty acids.
Cup of Franks
Several splashes of any hot tabsco sauce
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
Tablespoon of sugar
Tablespoon of salt
Three shakes of garlic powder
Simmer low stirring frequently. Keep lid on. Remove from heat until ready to use.
Toss sauce and wings into covered bowl and gently swish clockwise then counterclockwise.
Use tings to place wings on paper towel or plate.
And yes, born, raised and lives in Buffalo, NY.
How long on simmer, how many does it coat, and do you cook again after?
Delicious! The cook times were perfect. I made these for Lunch and tossed them in some Jack Daniels Old #7. They were such a hit that we’re having a rerun for supper. YUM!!
So happy you liked them, Kelly!
This looks incredible!!! I’m dying to get an air-fryer but I wouldn’t know where to store it!! I think I’ll have to sell the bed and buy a big cupboard instead, hahahaha.
Exactly! I built a storage cabinet under steps to store big appliances when not in use. Bread maker, deep fryer, air fryer, crock pot, electric skillet, coffee maker, etc…. Makes kitchen more pleasant to work in.
Bought a Chefman Air freyer. I have no cabinet space either.
Just used it about 30 minutes ago. Made frogen wings added absolutely nothing to them.bwashed and popped in. It took 24 minutes at 380. Then upped to 400 for 7 to make crispy. Worked. I am totally happy with my wings. Want to try Pork Chops next.
On this machine I give it a 10 fir the wings.
I bought the toaster oven with the airfryer….. It is great
I absolutely love using the air fryer. Thanks for sharing.