Air Fryer Chicken Wings
When you’re craving wings, these Air Fryer Chicken Wings are sure to satisfy! Deliciously seasoned, these chicken wings are fast to prep and cook up perfectly crispy.
When it comes to game day snacks, wings are a classic. Whether you like them with spicy Buffalo Sauce or cool and creamy Ranch Dressing, these air fried chicken wings are completely addictive!
As soon as I got my air fryer, it quickly became one of my most used kitchen appliances. The air fryer is a genius at making foods crispy with less oil, thanks to the hot air that circulates around the food as it cooks. Air frying makes our chicken wings, Air Fryer Drumsticks, Air Fryer Fried Chicken and Air Fryer Chicken Tenders irresistibly crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Compared to baking wings in the oven, these air fryer chicken wings cook and crisp up so much faster. They’re one of our best air fryer recipes!
Enjoy these air fryer chicken wings as an appetizer, snack or simple meal. They’re sure to disappear quickly!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients that you likely already have on hand to make these air fryer wings.
- Chicken Wings: You can double or halve the recipe to cook more or less chicken wings, but you’ll need to air fry in batches if cooking a lot of wings. See my notes below about what to do if your wings are frozen.
- Olive Oil: We need just a little bit of oil to help the seasonings to stick to the meat.
- Seasonings: I use a variation on a classic wing seasoning mix: garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
You are going to love how simple this recipe is! And the results are truly delicious. If you’re new to air fryer cooking, see my guide on How to Use an Air Fryer.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F for 5 minutes.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Drizzle olive oil over the wings and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle on the seasonings. Toss until the meat is evenly coated.
- Put the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400° F for 8 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side for 8-10 minutes, until wings are crispy and cooked through.
- Serve immediately, with your favorite dipping sauces!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Tips
- Use paper towels to pat the wings completely dry before adding the oil and seasonings. Removing all moisture helps them to crisp up as they cook.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. Make sure the wings are in a single layer with a bit of space in between them so that the air can circulate around each piece while air frying.
- Preheat the air fryer so that the skin starts crisping up as soon as it hits the hot basket.
- While chicken is safe to eat at 165° F, to make air fryer chicken wings extra crispy you’ll likely have to cook them a few minutes past this temperature.
- To make buffalo wings, toss the wings in buffalo sauce after they finish cooking and then serve.
Can You Cook Frozen Wings in the Air Fryer?
You can cook frozen wings in the air fryer, but for best results I recommend thawing the wings first. Frozen wings won’t get as crispy because of the extra moisture, and the seasonings won’t stick as well to frozen meat. If you do decide to cook your wings from frozen, make sure the pieces are separated and add 5-7 minutes to the cook time.
Can You Bake Wings in the Oven?
Yes, if you don’t have an air fryer you can bake the wings in the oven. They will take longer to cook in the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. For crispier wings, you can place an oven safe rack on top of the foil and cook the wings on the rack. Be sure to spray the rack to prevent the wings from sticking. Bake at 400° F for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-25 more minutes, or until crispy.
What to Serve with Wings
A good dipping sauce elevates air fryer wings from good to great. Buffalo Sauce is a classic, but we also love serving wings with Ranch Dressing, BBQ Sauce, Honey Mustard or blue cheese dressing.
Wings are a favorite appetizer for game day, so they’re perfect for serving with other game day snacks. Round out your spread with a few of these easy recipes:
- Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Tortilla chips with Salsa or Guacamole
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400° F for 5 minutes.
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken wings completely dry and place them in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle on the garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir to evenly coat the wings with the seasonings.
- Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer with a little bit of room in between each piece. (Cook in batches as needed.) Air fry at 400° F for 8 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook on the second side for 8-10 minutes, until wings are cooked through and crispy
- Serve immediately, with buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or other dipping sauces as desired.
Notes
- If your wings are not already split into drumettes and wingettes with the wing tips removed, you can cut them yourself or leave them as is.
- You can cook frozen wings in the air fryer, but for best results I recommend thawing the wings first. Frozen wings won’t get as crispy because of the extra moisture, and the seasonings won’t stick as well to frozen meat. If you do decide to cook your wings from frozen, make sure pieces are separated and add 5-7 minutes to the cook time.
- To bake wings in the oven, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. For crispier wings, you can place an oven safe rack on top of the foil-lined baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and cook the wings on the rack. Bake at 400° F for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-25 more minutes, or until crispy.
