Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings are so crispy without any added oil! Cooking wings in an Air Fryer only takes 30 min, and you can toss them in your favorite sauce.
These wings are a reader favorite and always get rave reviews because they are exactly what they claim to be: Extra crispy without being deep-fried! We originally posted this recipe back in January 2018. The method stays the same, but we’ve added some updated instructions, a video, and some new photos!
Our Air Fryer Wings are extra crispy without any added oil, baking powder, or potato starch! You only need two ingredients to make this easy recipe: fresh (or frozen) chicken wings and your favorite sauce.
The wings are so crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. You’ll never believe these weren’t cooked in a deep fryer! Cooking wings in an Air Fryer is a great way to save some calories because you don’t need to add any extra oil, and all the excess fat from the wings drips off into the pan, but the wings taste as delicious as deep-fried.
Why this Recipe works
- 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 the skin. Cooking them at a high temperature for the whole time would make the cooking time shorter but also dry out the wings and make them chewy.
- You don’t need to use baking powder when using an Air Fryer. The wings will get crispy without it! This recipe is as easy as it can be!
- Toss the wings in your favorite sauce! Because you add the sauce after the wings are cooked, you can add different sauces like Buffalo Sauce, BBQ sauce, or even a dry rub so everyone is happy! This way, you can also make Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings!
If you’re looking for more Air Fryer recipes while you’re here, try out our Air Fryer Potato Wedges or our reader favorite, Air Fryer Donuts. These made-from-scratch donuts taste so much better than baked donuts and the easy donut glaze makes them even more delicious!
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
How to Air Fry Chicken Wings
This EASY recipe makes crispy wings without all the extra oil and hassle of deep-frying them!
- Place the chicken wings in the basket and insert it into the air fryer.
- Cook for 24 minutes at a lower temperature, shaking the basket every 10 minutes.
- Increase the temperature and air fry for 6 more minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and toss with your favorite sauce.
How long to fry them
Chicken Wings take about 30 minutes in the Air Fryer, shaking the basket every 10 minutes, so the wings crisp up evenly. Cooking the wings at a lower temperature first and then increasing the heat for the last few minutes ensures juicy wings with crispy skin because this allows the fat to render out, so the skin gets extra crispy. This method results in the BEST Chicken Wings!
How to make a bigger batch
Frying the Wings in a single layer or separated by a double layer rack works best but you can make a bigger batch by taking some of the wings out before increasing the temperature and crisping them up in smaller batches. Just make sure not to overcrowd the basket so the air can still circulate. Watch the video below to see how I make a bigger batch in my smallest Air Fryer!
Can you cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen wings in an Air Fryer! If you are using frozen wings, air fry them 5 minutes longer at 380°F (29 minutes total), before increasing the temperature for the last 6 minutes to crisp them up. Don’t worry if the frozen wings stick together at the beginning; just make sure to shake the basket after a few minutes, so they get separated.
Sauces and Seasonings for Wings
After air frying the wings, they get tossed with your favorite sauce or seasoning. That way, everyone can customize their serving of wings. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Buffalo Sauce: You can buy this sauce or make your own with just two ingredients (recipe in the recipe card)
- Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce
- Honey Garlic Sauce
- Lemon Pepper
- Teriyaki Sauce: Salty and Sweet!
- Cajun Seasoning
- BBQ Sauce: Add as much sauce as you like and toss the wings!
- Old Bay Sauce: Melt 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, add 2 tsp old bay seasoning, and 2 tsp lemon juice. Toss wings in sauce and dust with more old bay seasoning.
What to serve with Chicken Wings
Serve chicken wings (especially those tossed in Buffalo Sauce) with Blue Cheese or Ranch dipping sauce and fresh celery and baby carrots on the side. Chicken wings are a classic appetizer that also goes well with coleslaw, fries, onion rings, chips, and fried mozzarella sticks. Perfect for a game day party!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do I have to pat dry the wings before cooking? In my experience, it is not necessary. If the wings are especially wet, then I pat them dry but not thoroughly.
- Air Fryers with different Temperature Scales: If your Air Fryer doesn’t go up to 400 degrees F, keep cooking them at the highest temperature for the last 6 minutes to crisp up; according to readers, this method works well. If your Air Fryer doesn’t have the exact temperature available the recipe calls for, use the setting that’s closest to it.
- Can I use a dry rub before cooking them? Yes, some readers tried this, and it worked out well!
- Can chicken drumsticks be used instead of wings? I don’t recommend using drumsticks for this recipe because they take longer to bake. But the Air Fryer also makes delicious juicy drumsticks check out my recipe for Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
- Can I make these wings in the oven? Yes, but it will take a lot longer to get the wings as crispy as in the air fryer. To make them in the oven, bake them in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 45-55 min, flipping them once after 25 minutes.
- How to store leftover chicken wings? You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- How to reheat chicken wings in the Air Fryer? Reheat fried chicken wings at 350°F for 5 minutes, then increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for 3-5 more minutes until reheated and crispy.
- How to cut Chicken Wings? Using your fingers, locate where the two joints connect. Then cut through the center of both joints with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to separate the drumette, flat, and tip.
What is the BEST Air Fryer?
For this recipe, the bigger the basket, the better because it gives you more cooking surface so you can make more wings. I prefer Basket-Style Air Fryers over Toaster-Oven-Style Air Fryers because I found that the toaster-oven-style ones didn’t air fry as well, food was less crispy, and it was not much different to using a convection oven.
My favorite Air Fryer (and I own a few) is the Ninja Foodi Grill, which is an Indoor Grill and Air Fryer in one; it can also dehydrate, bake, and roast. What I like most about it is that the basket is huge, which makes it perfect for preparing steaks, pork chops, and big batches of wings, and it air fries even better than my trusty Philips Air Fryer.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
For the Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your Air Fryer if recommended in the manual. Place the chicken wings in the basket and insert it into the air fryer.
- Cook the wings for 24 minutes at 380°F (190°C). Shake the basket every 10 minutes, so they cook evenly.
- When the time is up, shake the basket, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and cook for 6 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Depending on the size of your Air Fryer crisp the wings up in batches.
- Transfer wings to a bowl and toss with your favorite BBQ or our easy buffalo wing sauce.
To make Buffalo Sauce (optional)
- Whisk melted butter and hot sauce together in a bowl.
This is a great recipe for air fried wings!
Very crisp and easy to make Buffalo wings.
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
Thank you for the instructions on how to reheat the wings in an air fryer. They came out perfectly!
Air fried wings were the best! Better then oil fried! QUESTION: Making batches for a large group, how do you keep the wings hot? I was thinking not to sauce them and to put the batches in a crock pot, then sauce them at the party? Any other suggestions?
Have you ever tried marinating them first? We love Uncle Dougies marinated wings. The spice is awesome and they come out super tender. They are marinated for 15 mins then an hour in the oven in the marinade then on the grill to crisp up.
No, I haven’t but it sounds very delicious. I think you could marinate them and then cook in the Air Fryer according to the instructions and the result would be similar. Let me know if you give it a try, would love to know how they come out!
What is the serving size to know How many calories? Protein, fat, and carbs?
these turned out fantastic!!! this was my first time to use my new air fryer!!! I will be trying many more of your recipes, thank you so much!!!
I’ve put off making wings in my air fryer because I didn’t want to screw then up. This was the perfect recipe for a first timer – the wings were crispy and tasted amazing. Highly recommend! Won’t be waiting so long to make the next batch.
These were incredible. I’ve never had wings as good of these and I’ve been eating them for 25 years. I only wish I had a bigger air fryer so I could make more each time. I used buffalo wing sauce and these put Buffalo Wild Wings to shame. Such a simple process but so good.
Turned out great, nice and crispy
Do you cook all 2 pounds of wings at the same time, or do you need to do it in 2 separate batches so that the wings are only in a single layer?
It depends on the size of your Air Fryer basket. A single layer works best, but you can also make a bigger batch and shake the basket frequently, they might not be as crispy but we didn’t see a big difference. A tip from another reader was to start with a big batch and cook it for 24 minutes and then crisp up smaller batches individually for 6-10 minutes. I hope that helps!
Can I use boneless wings and is cook time same in air fryer?
Question – You don’t mention patting your wings dry before frying. Do you not think it’s necessary? Have you tried them both ways for comparison? I hate the process of patting dry b/c it’s time consuming and messy. Thoughts? I’ve been experimenting with different approaches to air fried wings and can’t wait to try this one!
What wattage fryer are you using?
Thanks!
Have you tried smoking wings first and then air frying them to crisp up before? I smoke wings and eat them as is, they’re great. Many BBQ’rs recommend deep frying after the smoke for ~3 minutes to crisp the skin more – but I don’t want the oil. Not sure how air frying would be, but thought I’d ask. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it because we don’t have a smoker but I think it would definitely work! I would transfer the hot wings from the smoker to the air fryer and air fry them for 6 minutes at 400 F. Check if they are crispy enough and if not add a few more minutes at 400 F. Let me know how it worked out if you try it!
These were excellent! Followed the recipe exactly and used sweet baby rays bbq sauce to coat them when done. Crispy and tasty. Perfectly cooked. Will make again and again…..
These wings and sauce are awesome. Even though I rarely get Buffalo sauce on my wings, I thought it would give this recipe a try. For me, this is a game-changer. They are every bit as good as you stated and then some. Thank you for your hard work and kitchen skills. Bryan
These are simple and delicious. We had them with carrot,celery sticks and blue cheese sauce.
Wings were definitely very crispy and definitely felt so much healthier than oil-fried ones. I saw a ton of oil left on the bottom of my air fryer basket. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Wings turned out just right!
The best all purpose air fryer wings I’ve tried and the easiest They came out crispy and juicy. We like different sauces (black pepper, bbq, teriyaki, buffalo, etc.) so I air fry the wings just lightly seasoned with salt and let everyone dip/paste in their personal favorite sauce(s). Thank you for sharing this recipe.
OMG! These were so delicious! I’ll never go out for wings again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Excellent wings! All i did was salt and pepper them . Great flavor and crispy . Deleting all my other wing recipes from Pinterest and keeping only this one .
Absolutely loved them! This was my first time using my Ninja Air Fryer and they turned out amazing! My fryer does not have a 380 setting, so I think next time I will either try it at 375 or cook is a shorter amount of time at 390.
These were excellent!
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!