Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Posted by admin on Jun 11, 2021

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

If my husband tells you his favorite food is anything other than Buffalo wings, he’s fibbing. Fortunately, should I ever need to bribe him, Air Fryer Chicken Wings are easy to make, have a fabulously crispy outside and juicy inside, and (my favorite part) require exactly zero deep frying.

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As much as I adore cooking and—like anyone else with tastebuds—find crispy fried food addictive, I draw the line at deep frying in my own kitchen.

A fryer is a hot mess to clean.

Plus, foods cooked in a fryer are something I prefer to indulge in when I am eating out, versus a more nutritious meal that I’d cook at home.

The air fryer (this is the model I have) changes the game and brings “fried” food into the realm of everyday enjoyment.

A super-powered convection oven, the air fryer creates healthy versions of foods that are typically deep-fried, like Air Fryer French Fries and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.

Air fryer chicken wings are our next bar-food makeover.

As it turns out Buffalo chicken wings cook in an air fryer so successfully, they might just be the best of all of my air fryer recipes so far.

At least that’s what Ben—who would happily dip even Lemon Pepper Wings (and anything else) in Buffalo sauce, would say!

The Best Way to Cook Wings in the Air Fryer

Of all of the cuts of chicken, wings have the highest skin-to-meat ratio.

This makes wings ideal for air frying, because all of that skin can become deliciously crisp.

The tricky part of making crispy chicken wings in an air fryer is ensuring that the fat can fully render (a.k.a. cook out). If it doesn’t, the wings will be soggy and greasy.

While some recipes call for making air fryer chicken wings with flour or air fryer chicken wings with baking soda to crisp them, I found this step tedious and messy.

Adding baking soda or flour also doesn’t avoid the grease-factor. Here’s what does…

crispy buffalo chicken wings in blue cheese sauce

The Secret to Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

To ensure the fat renders and the wings crisp, we air fry them at two separate temperatures.

First, air fryer the chicken wings at 360 degrees F for 24 minutes, turning once halfway through. This step renders the fat.
Then, turn up the heat to 390 degrees F. This high temperature crisps the outsides of the wings, leaving the interior meat moist.

The two-temperature approach is easy, less messy than baking soda, and not only can you put raw chicken in an air fryer, this method works for frozen air fryer chicken wings too.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings

In total, air fryer chicken wings need roughly 30 minutes in the air fryer.

If your wings are especially large or small, you may need to adjust the time by a few minutes in either direction.
If your chicken wings are frozen, you’ll need to cook them for 35 minutes.

Once the wings are air fried, you can toss them in any sauce of your choosing.

As indicated by the cult following of this Slow Cooker Healthy Buffalo Chicken and the Buffalo Chicken Burgers in my cookbook, the penultimate fan favorite is Buffalo sauce.

Tip!

Buffalo sauce is hot sauce that has been doctored up with melted butter and garlic. These simple ingredients create wing magic.

The Ingredients

Chicken Wings. This recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of chicken wings, which is the max amount that I can comfortably fit in a single layer in my air fryer. If you are cooking more, you’ll need to air fry them in batches.

Ingredient Note

This recipe is for air fried split chicken wings, meaning that the flat side of the wing has been cut away from the “drumette.” I also like to remove the tip, though you can leave it if you like. This is easy to do at home. See tips below.
You also can use this recipe to make whole chicken wings in the air fryer: place the wings in a single layer (you’ll be able to fit about 3 whole wings at a time). Air fry at 250 degrees F for 15 minutes, then increase the heat to high and air fry at 400 degrees F for another 15 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway through each cooking time.

Hot Sauce. Frank’s RedHot Original is my go-to, though you can use a similar mildish hot sauce you prefer (something like Tabasco would be too spicy).
Garlic. Minced garlic gives the sauce extra zip that’s a step above garlic powder. It’s worth it for these air fried chicken wings.
Vinegar. A small splash helps cut the richness of the wings and balance the sauce.
Butter. What makes the wings finger-lickin’ delish.

Dietary Note

To make these wings dairy free, swap the butter for coconut oil.

The Fixings. Blue cheese sauce (the Greek-yogurt based one in my cookbook is perfection), Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, and celery sticks bring the bar experience home to you.

The Directions

Cut away the wing tips and split the “drumette” side of each wing from the flat side.

Place the wings in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 360 degrees F.

air fryer chicken wings spread in basket

Flip the wings halfway through.

After the first stage of cooking, flip the wings again, and increase the temperate to 390 degrees F. Flip halfway through.

Stir the melted butter, hot sauce, garlic, and vinegar to make homemade buffalo sauce.

mix buffalo sauce on crispy chicken wings

Toss the crispy chicken wings in the buffalo sauce.

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Wings

Baked French Fries. Because air fryer chicken wings and fries are a match made in comfort food heaven. You can plan these recipes so that both are ready at the same time.
Sweet Potato Fries. Another tasty option in the fry department.
Air Fryer Broccoli. This quick-cooking air fryer side can be ready shortly after you finish up the wings. Or try oven Roasted Broccoli.

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate leftover chicken wings for up to 3 days.
To Reheat. Let the wings come to room temperature. Mist with water to help make them juicy, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Storage Tips

For max flavor, toss the reheated wings in a fresh batch of Buffalo sauce.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Knife Block Set. Ergonomic and with a broader blade curve for easy rocking cutting, this knife set is worth every penny!
Kitchen Tongs. These 16-inch tongs easily reach deep into the air fryer’s basket.
Glass Mixing Bowls. With 10 different stackable sizes and easy to wash, they’re ideal for tossing or dipping chicken wings in any type of sauce.

The Best Air Fryer

Enjoy crispy proteins and vegetables with significantly less oil than traditional frying. Plus, this cooks food even faster than other airy fryer models.

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Crispy, spicy, juicy, and messy: exactly what Buffalo chicken wings should be!