Crispy air fryer chicken wings are the perfect appetizer for anything from a night on the couch watching Netflix to large parties for the big game. Since you can cook up a big batch of them, and customize the flavors, they’re a huge crowd-pleaser.
One of the best things about these wings is that they take a fraction of the time that they would in a conventional oven. Plus, since the heat inside the air fryer can reach all parts of the chicken pieces, you wind up with the crispiest wings every time.
And as for that customization? You can make this recipe just as it is or you can toss them in sauce for Buffalo chicken wings. You can also change up the seasonings in the rub entirely so you can make flavors like garlic parmesan or lemon pepper wings.
Plus, you can serve them with any kind of sauce so guests can choose what they like best!
Try serving these easy chicken wings at your next party — they’re sure to be a hit.
Common Questions about Air Fryer Chicken Wings
How can I make sure my chicken wings are crispy?
Ensuring that the chicken pieces are not overlapping is crucial so that you wind up with crispy chicken wings.
Do I need to put flour on my wings before frying?
To get that crispy coating it’s ideal to use some sort of starch on the wings before air frying them. In this recipe we use cornstarch.
To make it keto-friendly, try coating them in unflavored egg white protein powder instead of corn starch.
If I want to use sauce, when do I put it on the wings?
While we use a dry rub in this recipe, it is common to use sauces, too. If you choose to use a sauce (like hot sauce for Buffalo wings), toss the chicken in it after air frying to avoid it burning in the fryer.
Making Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer Ahead of Time
While chicken wings are best served fresh out of the fryer (or a warm oven), you can prepare them for frying ahead of time. Toss them with the rub and then refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Storage
You can store wings in the freezer or the refrigerator. However, if your preference after cooking is to toss them with your favorite wing sauce, you’ll want to refrain from doing that when freezing.
Refrigerator – Store wings in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing – Place wings in a single layer in a freezer-friendly container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. To make freezing easier, you can place them on a baking sheet and flash-freeze them for 30 minutes before transferring to the storage container.
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings
This chicken wing recipe is so easy that your wings will likely come out perfectly every time. But there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure they’re amazing.
- While it may seem tedious, drying the chicken wings is crucial to getting the perfect crispiness on the chicken skin. It’s worth the couple of minutes to pat them dry before coating with the rub.
- Be sure to allow space in between the wings. The key to perfectly air fried food is that the forced circulating hot air in the fryer is able to reach all sides of the food being cooked — this is another key to getting crispy skin on the wings.
- Keep the wings warm by placing cooked wings in a single layer on a baking sheet in an oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that you can serve the wings at the right temperature when all of the batches are done.
Ingredients
The great thing about this recipe is that you’ll likely have most of the ingredients on hand already!
- Fresh chicken wings
- Olive oil
Dry Rub
- Cornstarch
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need
Just a few simple supplies are necessary for these wildly easy wings.
- Air Fryer
- Sharp knife
- Paper towels
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Meat thermometer
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
This is such an easy recipe for wings you’ll want to make them all the time!
- To prepare the whole chicken wings for frying, first use a sharp knife to chop off the wing tips.
- Then separate the drumette from the wingettes by splitting them apart.
- Break the joint of the wing.
- Use the sharp knife to cut through and fully separate them.
- Using paper towels, pat the chicken to remove all of the excess moisture.
- Once the pieces are dry, place them into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the rub.
- After the rub ingredients are completely combined, sprinkle the mixture on the chicken.
- Then, toss the chicken so that all of the pieces are completely coated.
- Place the first batch of the chicken wings into the air fryer basket (or on the tray) ensuring that the wings do not overlap.
- Place the basket into the preheated air fryer.
- Halfway through cooking, turn the wings over.
- The chicken will be ready to be removed from the air fryer when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The juices should run clear.
- Continue to cook the remainder of the wings in batches.
- Serve warm.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Sauce – Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, Buffalo sauce, and even ketchup work well as a dip for these wings but you can use your own favorite dipping sauce from teriyaki sauce or sweet Thai chile sauce to a lemon garlic butter dip or blue cheese dressing.
- Salads – Simple deli salads are a perfect pairing with wings. Try potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad, or broccoli salad.
- Dippable snacks – Serve wings with other dipping-style appetizers. Potato chips and veggies with dip are a great option or try tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole.
- Fries – Whether they’re classic french fries or sweet potato fries, this starch will go well with wings.
- Mac and cheese – All of the heat from the wings can be perfectly balanced with a side of creamy macaroni and cheese.
- Veggie sticks – A classic accompaniment for spicy wings is fresh celery sticks but you can also try carrot sticks.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Easy – After just a few minutes of hands-on prep time, the air fryer does all the rest of the work.
- Affordable – You can feed a crowd with these wings and likely only need to purchase the chicken at the grocery store.
- Popular – Wings are always a hit at parties and on game day.
- Customizable – You can serve these with so many different sauces — they’re perfect for any palate.
Variations and Add-ins
- Coating – If you have your own favorite rub, either homemade or store-bought, you can easily use that instead.
- Oil – Any oil with a high smoke point will work in this recipe. Avocado, peanut, and sesame oil are all good options.
- Heat – If you want to dial up the heat in the rub, add more chili pepper or try using cayenne. You can also add a little bit of black pepper for added flavor.
- Sauce – After cooking, toss the wings in your favorite sauce.
If you love this recipe – You might also love my air frying cookbook too!
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two also makes everything fast and easy. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less and they’re designed with simple prep and minimal clean-up in mind. Nutritional information, serving size descriptions, and recipes for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free are also included. There’s so much to savor.
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two
Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthier Fried Favorites
If you love this easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe, you’re going to love these other air-fried snacks too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Other Air Fryer Dishes
Ham and Cheese Sliders – Air Fryer
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dry Rub
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cumin
Instructions
- Chop the wing tips and discard them, then split the drumette from the wingettes, as shown in the pictures. The tip section is thinner, so a sharp knife is enough to cut it.
- Next, break the joint of the wing and then cut all the way through to separate the sections apart.
- Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Then, place chicken pieces in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
- Then combine the rub ingredients (cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin) in a small bowl.
- Once mixed, sprinkle it over the oiled chicken in the bowl and then toss the chicken to coat.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F.
- Next, arrange the first batch of wings in the basket or on the tray. They should NOT overlap.
- Cook the wings for 15 minutes, turning them over after 7 minutes. Make sure to cook until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees and juices run clear before serving.
- Continue with the rest of the wings until they have all been cooked.
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Freshly made chicken wings have a crispier texture than leftovers.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to five days. Reheat them in a preheated oven at 350F for 6-8 minutes – OR air fry again until hot.
- Dipping sauce recommendations for this recipe: ketchup, BBQ sauce, and ranch dressing.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nancy says
Recipe calls for 1 tablespoon olive oil; when is this added? Is it sprayed on top before air frying?
Gina Kleinworth says
My apologies – I have it shown in the photos but missed that in the instructions – I have added it to the recipe. Please toss prior to adding seasonings.