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How to make chicken wings in air fryer – a simple way to make crispy wings with minimal amount of oil in the Air Fryer. Ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for an appetizer, game day or family gathering. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, bbq sauce, sweet and spicy sauce, honey, or make your own garlic Parmesan wings.
Whole chicken wings with a nice, crispy skin, juicy and perfectly cooked on the inside. Low carb and Keto friendly, just make sure you serve them with the right sauces and sides.
Whole chicken wings
You may be able to tell by just looking at the photos that I used whole chicken wings (the tip + the wingette + the joint + drumette). Chicken wings are usually sold broken down into a drumette and wingette. Drumettes generally have more meat than the flat parts (wingettes). Most stores in the US sell packages of frozen chicken wings with just the drumettes (wing drumsticks). Most people I know prefer these, because of the amount of meat.
I’ve recently found a great butcher shop locally and only buy whole drumsticks. I can break the down by myself if I need to.
It is quite simple to do. You need to locate the joint and cut through it with a sharp knife. Now you have separated your wings.
Chicken wing seasoning
What seasoning should you use on chicken wings?
You can just season them with salt and black pepper and lightly spray with vegetable or olive oil, just like I did today. Then after air frying, I coated the wings in my favorite buffalo sauce, mixed with some melted butter.
Other seasonings you could use on wings are:
- Any dry rub of your choice (check my St Louis Ribs recipe to see what dry rub I use). Most dry rubs are made with a mix of herbs and rubbed into the meat before cooking. You could make or purchase jerk seasoning, Curries, Old Bay or Southwest dry rubs.
- Grill seasoning – store bought or homemade – these often contain dried spices and herbs, dehydrated onions and peppers.
- Lemon pepper
- Chili powder
Using baking powder (+ salt) for baked and air fried chicken wings
This is usually done to achieve crispy skin or air fried chicken.
I personally don’t think it is necessary, especially if you use a good quality Air Fryer. The hot air circulating in this appliance is more than enough to ensure that you get a crispy skin.
Baking powder (not baking soda), is a leavening agent usually used in baked goods.
It’s a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar and cornstarch. When baking powder is mixed with salt and coated on chicken it dries out the skin, leaving it crisp and crunchy.
How long to cook chicken wings in the Air Fryer for?
Air fry chicken wings at 400 ( 200 C) for 15-18 minutes, depending on the size of the wings, Turn the wings at least once. Spraying with a cooking spray (oil spray), while cooking is optional, since these wings contain some fat under the skin and it will help it get nice and crispy and prevent burning and drying out.
There is no need to check temperature and doneness. Wings cooked for the time recommended will be safe to eat.
You do not need to preheat the Air Fryer.
If working in batches, your second (or even third) batch will cook a little faster than the first.
Baking chicken wings instead of air frying
Most of my chicken wings recipes are oven baked. In fact, I’ve never made wings deep fried at home. It is just too messy in my opinion and I just prefer them baked or since I got an Air fryer – “Air Fried”.
These can be made in a traditional oven or an oven with a fan. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 30-40 minutes, flipping once at the 25-30 minute mark.
Can you double the recipe?
Yes, you can double the ingredients, but cooking of the chicken wings in the Air Fryer should be done in a single layer, to ensure the skin is crispy and the inside it properly cooked.
What to serve these air fryer chicken wings with?
As I mentioned above, these make a great Game Day appetizer. What to serve them with?
- Oven Fries
- Cucumber Salad
- Blue cheese dipping sauce
- Veggies – carrots, celery, cucumbers
More wing recipes
- Crispy oven baked Buffalo wings
- These Keto Chicken Wings from Cassidy’s Craveable Creations are crispy, easy to make, and are also gluten-free, paleo, & whole30-friendly! Plus, they’re customizable to your taste buds and are great as a snack, appetizer, or meal!
- Oven baked Beijing wings
- Baked Spicy Chicken Wings
Air fryer chicken wings
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken wings
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp Oil
- Oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Pat dry the wings with paper towel.
- Brush with oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
- Cook at 400 F (180 C) for 7-8 minutes per side, until the chicken is fully cooked on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- 165 F (75 C) is considered a safe temperature in order for the meat to be consumed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
No special techniques or breading! These turned so. good!
My daughter cooked some and they were delicious