Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Chicken Wings have ultra crispy skin, super tender meat, and are much healthier for you than a traditional recipe!  Learn how easy it is to cook wings in an air fryer with a few simple tricks.  Once you master the basic technique, you can serve them with your seasonings of choice, too.  Parmesan Garlic & Herb, an Asian Teriyaki Sauce, or a classic Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe

Brace yourself.  Your mind is going to be BLOWN by how crispy these wings are.

Honestly, I had grown quite fond of baking wings in the oven (like these Parmesan Garlic Wings, Thai Chicken Wings, and Lemon Pepper Wings.)

I really didn’t think they could get much better or crispier without deep frying them in a bunch of oil.

But guys… don’t just settle for oven-baked wings.  Cooking your chicken wings in the air fryer is the WAY of the 21st century.

Ok, I admit, I may be a little enthusiastic here, but it’s not without reason.

Since making the first batch of air fryer wings we have since prepared them with many different seasoning and sauce variations.

All three of which I will go over with you below.

Ingredients

Wings – You’ll need a pound and a half of wings or wing portions for this recipe.  Read below for more information about the different types you can buy.

Oil – Just a little bit goes a long way when air frying!  Either olive or avocado oil will work well for this recipe.

Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder may also be substituted.

Salt and Pepper – Add the lesser amount and adjust to taste after cooking.

Whole Wings, Wingettes and Drummettes

You can either buy whole chicken wings or ones that have already been cut into portions.  (Also known as wingettes and drummettes.)

Buying the pre-cut kind will save you a good bit of time so buy these if you can.

Choosing between wingettes or drumettes is also up to you.  We like to mix-and-match ours so I’ll do half wingettes and half drummettes.

If you happen to buy the whole wings, you can learn how to cut chicken wings into portions.

How to Make

Once you’ve got your ingredients, it’s time to start air frying.  A quick reminder – it’s best if you heat your air fryer for at least 3 minutes before adding in your food.

1. Whisk together oil, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. (step 1 above)
2. Add wing portions and toss until well coated. (step 2 above)
3. Sprinkle wings with starch. (step 3 above)
4. Toss again until they’re completely coated. (step 4 above)
5. Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, tryingnot to overcrowd them.  If using less than a 6-quart model, you may need to cook the wings in 2 batches in order to do this. (step 1 above)
6. Cook wings for 24 minutes, flipping wings or shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes. (step 2 above)
7. For extra crispy wings: Increase the air fryer temperature to 400°F and return the wings to the fryer for an additional 1-2 minutes.

3 Different Wing Sauces

At this point you can either serve the chicken wings as is, or you can toss them in one of these sauces or seasoning mixes:

• Parmesan Garlic Wings:  Drizzle wings with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley.  Toss until well coated.

• Buffalo Wings: Toss wings in Buffalo Wing Sauce and serve with finely chopped fresh green onions.

• Teriyaki Wings: Toss wings in Teriyaki Sauce and serve with finely chopped fresh cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Tips for Crispy Wings

Starch Coating.  Using some type of starch gives the wings a super crispy coating that you just won’t get without it.  Some other recipes call for using baking soda.  You can substitute 1 tablespoon of this for the starch if you’d like.

Not Overcrowding.  Placing the wings in a single layer in the air fryer ensures every part of the skin is exposed to the hot air.

Shaking and Flipping.  Since the heat from an air fryer only comes from the top, it’s best if you shake and flip the wings around.  This helps every part of the wing to get exposed to the high heat and get extra crispy.

Quick Broil at End.  Increasing the air fryer temperature and cooking the wings for a couple more minutes gives them a chance to really crisp up fully.

Toss in Sauce after Air Frying.  If you add the sauce to the wings before air frying, they will have too much moisture on the skin and won’t have a chance to fully crisp up.

FAQs

What temperature do I air fry chicken wings?

Chicken wings are best when air fried at 375 °F and then cooked for an additional 1-2 minutes at 400 °F.

How long to cook wings in air fryer?

Chicken wingettes and drummettes take 23-25 minutes to cook in an air fryer.

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe

Air Fryer Chicken Wings have ultra crispy skin, super tender meat, and are much healthier for you than a traditional recipe!  Learn how easy it is to cook wings in an air fryer with a few simple tricks.  Once you master the basic technique, you can serve them with your seasonings of choice, too: Parmesan Garlic & Herbs, an Asian Teriyaki Sauce, or a classic Buffalo Wing Sauce.

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Course Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, easy, healthy, low-carb

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 16 wings

Calories 42 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. wing portions wingettes or drummettes
• 1 ½ Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp. salt to taste
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca starch

Parmesan Garlic Wings:

• 1 Tbsp. butter melted
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, divided
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley finely chopped

Buffalo Wings:

• ¾ cup buffalo wing sauce homemade or store bought
• Green onions finely chopped

Teriyaki Wings:

• ¾ cup teriyaki sauce homemade or store bought
• Cilantro finely chopped
• Roasted peanuts finely chopped

Instructions

1. Heat Air Fryer to 375°F for at least 3 minutes.

2. Whisk together oil, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add wing portions and toss until well coated.
4. Sprinkle wings with starch and toss again until they’re completely coated.
5. Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, trying not to overcrowd them. If using less than a 6-quart model, you may need to cook the wings in 2 batches in order to do this.
6. Cook wings for 24 minutes, flipping wings or shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes.

7. Increase the air fryer temperature to 400°F and return the wings to the fryer for an additional 1-2 minutes for extra crispy wings.

8. Parmesan Garlic Wings: Drizzle wings with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley.  Toss until well coated.

9. Buffalo Wings: Toss wings in buffalo wing sauce and serve with finely chopped fresh green onions.

10. Teriyaki Wings: Toss wings in Teriyaki sauce and serve with finely chopped fresh cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Recipe Notes

• Nutritional information is based on the Parmesan Garlic Wings version.

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 42 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 1015mg44%

Potassium 43mg1%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 191IU4%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.