These crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings take 5 minutes to prep with basic pantry seasonings. They can be cooked from fresh or frozen and have multiple different sauce options.
Air Fryer Wings are the easiest!
Air Fryer Wings are the easiest!Really though, Air Fryer Chicken Wings are a MUST on game day! I do still love my original crispy baked chicken wings but I love how air fryer wings effortlessly achieve the crisp we want and only take 5 minutes to prep.
Toss them up in any wing sauce you want; it’s fun to have a few different flavors! My wing sauce recipe is a sweet and spicy buffalo sauce, but we also love them with Hot honey, BBQ sauce, and Ranch.
Check out all of my appetizers like Popcorn Chicken, Ham and Cheese Sliders, BBQ Meatballs, and Pulled Pork Nachos!
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Wings:
Dry and Season: Pat wings dry with paper towels. This step is essential for the wings to be crispy. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder (has to be aluminum free baking powder) in a small bowl then sprinkle it over the wings. Toss the wings so they all get evenly coated in the seasoning.
Air Fry: Place wings in the air fryer basket, skin side up. Turn them every 5 minutes during cooking time, until they are crispy and browned (15-20 minutes). Remove from air fryer and rest for 5 minutes before tossing in your favorite sauce. Try the buffalo sauce down in the recipe card or Honey BBQ, BBQ, or Ranch!
For Perfectly Crispy Wings:
- Pat them Dry. Use paper towels and get the wings as dry as you can before you add seasonings.
- Use aluminum-free Baking Powder. This will help the chicken wings have that perfectly brown crispy coating we love. I like to use the red label Rumford brand. Aluminum free is essential or the flavor will be off.
- Don’t Stack the Wings. When you arrange the wings in the air fryer, make sure they are in a single layer and have a little space between.
Recipes Variations:
- Baked Chicken Wings.
- Frozen Chicken Wings: Follow the recipe to prep and season the wings then cook them in the air fryer frozen. Add on about 10 additional minutes, until they are cooked and crispy.
Serve With:
- Fresh Veggies and Homemade Ranch
- Other finger foods or game-day appetizers, like:
- French Fries
- Potato Wedges
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Rice Pilaf
- Buttermilk Cornbread
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings , halved at joints, wing tips discarded
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder (aluminum free)*
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Buffalo Sauce:
- 1/3 cup Frank's Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Dry wings with paper towels. This is essential to getting a crispy coating.
- Season: Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl then sprinkle seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat.
- Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the fry basket with cooking spray. Arrange wings in an even layer, skin side up. Spray the top of the wings with cooking spray and air fry, turning the wings every 5 minutes for about 15 minutes or until crispy. Total cook time will depend on the size of the wings and air fryer but may take up to 20 minutes.
- Sauce: Remove from air fryer allow to rest for 5 minutes before tossing in desired sauce.
- Buffalo wing sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together all sauce ingredients. Mix well until sugar has dissolved.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe April 2021. Updated December 2023 and January 2025.
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I have been addicted to these wings I have made them probably 10 times in last 3 months and once for my dad and brother and they loved them. I am new to cooking and these actually were the very first wings I made so i have since tried garlic parm ones and was not successful but these are amazing
Probably used too much backing soda. But will not try again.
Honey thats where you went wrong do not use baking soda. Use baking powder but it must be aluminum free baking powder. Try it again and I’m sure it’ll come out all Tasty!
UNREAL!!! Had I not cooked them myself, I would have said there is NO WAY that was not deep fried! Wife who does not eat bone-in wings LOVED IT! That coating is AMAZING! I use Franks RedHot Buffalo by itself. as I love it, but honest to God, I only covered two wings just to try it. The seasoning on its own, and how juicy the wings turned out are DELECIOUS by themselves! I am diabetic, and I have found unbraided wings will drop my sugar level quite a bit. This is the only way I will ever make them again. Only regret? Having to clean the air fryer after eating them, and that I only made 8 (and got to eat 7) Thank you so much for this!!
Good seasoning, and air fryer instructions, but the sauce is WAY too sweet. I used 1/3 the sugar, and it was still too sweet for my taste.
Great in the oven, even better in the air fryer!!