Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings have the taste and texture of deep-fried wings with no oil needed. These chicken wings are so crispy, that you will be amazed. My son loves wings! So we make these chicken wings in our air fryer every week, so we’ve mastered the technique that we find works best using frozen, bone-in chicken wings and we think they are the best air fryer chicken wings. What’s even better? We’re starting with frozen chicken wings, making this recipe not only delicious but super convenient too!
Frozen Wings in the Air Fryer?
You can pull your frozen chicken wings from the freezer and in 45 minutes have these delicious wings tossed in buffalo sauce ready in 45 minutes.
If you love crispy wings but want an easier and healthier way to make them, then the air fryer is the perfect option! The hot air from air frying creates great crispy chicken wings.
They are healthier too! No need to mess with hot oil and keep the right oil temperature, plus you’re cutting down on fat too, making this air fryer chicken wings recipe much healthier.
Easy Ingredients
The way we make our chicken wings is so simple and only takes a few ingredients.
- frozen chicken wings
- salt
- pepper
- favorite buffalo wing sauce
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Wings In An Air Fryer?
So for this recipe, I cook frozen chicken wings at 380 degrees F for 30 minutes, and then 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
How to Make Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
The first step with using an air fryer is preheating it. Air Fryers heat up super quickly compared to an oven or oil. Follow the directions for your air fryer. For my mine, I push the air fryer button and then I can select the time and temperature. To make these wings I start the air fryer at 380 degrees for 30 minutes.
To create the best chicken wings, I’ve found that cooking the wings and two separate temperatures works best. So once the air fryer has preheated I remove my air fryer basket and place it on my stovetop or a potholder (it’s hot). Then I place a parchment liner for air fryers on the bottom on top of the grate base of my air fryer. These parchment papers are SO amazing!!! They make cleaning your air fryer so much easier after cooking wings, mozzarella sticks, taquitos, etc… anything that is on the messy side.
Here are the items I love!!
Affiliate links are provided for your convenience.
Then I place a single layer of frozen, bone-in chicken wings on top of the parchment paper liner. Then I do a quick spray of nonstick cooking spray onto the chicken wings, followed by a light dusting of salt and pepper.
Place your air fryer basket back into the air fryer and cook.
When the cooking time is about to end, I up the temperature to 400 and put 10 minutes more on the air fryer. The higher heat gives the chicken skin that crispness that you want on your wings.
Once they finish cooking, use tongs to put the wings into a large bowl. Then I pour our favorite wing sauce over the cooked wings and then it’s tossing time. I use the tongs to toss the wings in the sauce. Now saucing our wings is a completely personal event. My son loves a super saucy wing, others prefer their wings to just be lightly coated. You can do as you like to get that flavor you prefer.
If you don’t want buffalo sauce you could easily use bbq sauce or teriyaki sauce on your wings. Serve your wings with some celery sticks and carrots with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
If you want to make a lot of wings you can make them in batches. I’ve also used a metal trivet to create a second layer in my air fryer so that I can make wings at a time.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken wings frozen, bone-in
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
- ½-1 cup buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees.
- Once your air fryer has preheated, carefully add the parchment liner to the tray (the sides are hot). If you don't have parchment liners just spray the tray well with nonstick spray before adding the wings.
- Add the frozen chicken wings and spray the tops with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the tops of the wings with salt and pepper.
- Place the air fryer basket back into the air fryer and cook for 30 minutes at 380 degrees.
- Just before the air fryer is about to finish, bump the temperature to 400 and up the time to 10 minutes.
- When the air fryer has finished cooking, remove the wings with tongs and place them in a bowl.
- Top with your favorite buffalo sauce. Toss to coat.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Tips for Perfect Wings:
- Don’t Overcrowd: To ensure crispy wings, make sure they have space around them in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding can lead to uneven cooking.
- Check for Temperature: For food safety, make sure the internal temperature of the wings reaches at least 165°F (74°C).
- Get Creative with Seasonings: Experiment with different seasoning blends like garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, or even a BBQ rub for a flavor boost.
Cooking frozen chicken wings in the air fryer is not only easy but results in crispy, juicy wings that rival your favorite restaurant’s. Whether you’re whipping up a quick dinner or hosting a gathering, this recipe is sure to be a hit.
