These Air Fryer Chicken Wings have crisp, salty skin and a tender, juicy center. They’re tossed with a simple savory spice rub and a surprising ingredient that helps create irresistible crispiness. They take less than 20 minutes to cook, and there’s no marinating time required. You can use this recipe with a variety of sauces to coat or dip the wings.
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings Video
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Cooking Chicken wings in the air fryer is brilliant, and you will make wings way more often if you try this air fryer method. Cooking chicken wings in the air fryer is one of the fastest ways to get crisp skin and juicy meat. Baking powder helps dry the skin without adding flavor, while the circulating hot air makes the wings blistered and crisp. Did I mention this method is super FAST?
The air fryer cook time is three times faster than my Baked Chicken Wings, Baked Buffalo Wings, or Lemon Pepper Wings when cooked in a traditional oven. There’s no need to preheat the air fryer, which saves you prep time and makes this the fastest crispy chicken wings recipe. All you need is your favorite wing sauce for dipping (more on that below).
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chicken Wings – cut into flats and drummettes. I love the big packs of organic chicken wings from Costco.
- Oil – helps the spices stick to the wings and helps with browning.
- Spice Rub – the best and most versatile chicken seasoning, all you need is salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Baking powder – my secret ingredient to make the wings extra crispy because it dries out the chicken skin.
How to Split Chicken Wings
If your chicken wings are sold whole (and they are less expensive this way), you will need to cut them for even crisping. To cut a chicken wing, locate the joint between the wing tip, the middle section (drumette), and the end section (the flat). Use a sharp knife to cut into the joint between these sections to create three pieces. You’ll only use the drumettes and flats. Wing tips don’t have any meat and tend to burn, so save those for chicken stock or discard them.
How to Air Fry Chicken Wings
- Prep Wings – Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and set into a large bowl. This is the key to extra crispy chicken wings.
- Drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
- Season – In a small bowl, stir together the seasonings and baking powder (if using), then toss the wings to evenly coat.
- Air Fry – Arrange the wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry right away. You can let them marinate if you’re making them ahead, but there’s no need to pre-marinate chicken wings. Air Fry at 400˚F for 8 minutes, then shake the basket to flip and air fry for another 8-12 minutes. They should be crispy and golden brown when ready.
How Long to Cook Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Air fry chicken wings at 400˚F for 16 to 20 minutes, flipping or shaking the basket halfway through. Smaller wings may be done closer to 16 minutes, while larger wings may need the full 20 minutes. The wings are ready when the skin is crisp and golden, and the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer. If you let them reach 175˚F to 185˚F, they will have even more flavor and texture.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Wings
- Pat dry to remove excess moisture, so the skins get crisp instead of steaming.
- Let Air Circulate – leave some space between the wings and air fry in a single layer for optimal crispiness on all sides.
- Use a little baking powder – for extra crispy wings, about 1 tsp per pound of wings helps dry out and blister the skin for an extra golden and crispy skin. I also did this with my crispy Baked Chicken Wings.
- Sauce after cooking: wait until the wings are cooked to add any sauce. If you add sauce too early, the wings lose crispiness.
What to Serve with Air-Fried Chicken Wings
I love serving this restaurant style. My husband used to work at a Chilis restaurant, and they served their wings tossed in Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce paired with fresh celery and blue cheese dressing – classic! They also pair really well with these dips and sides:
- Ranch Dressing or Avocado Ranch
- Veggie Dip
- Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Coleslaw or Caesar Salad
- Corn on the Cob
- Baked Potatoes
We love crispy chicken like my Chicken Schnitzel, Popcorn Chicken or General Tso’s Chicken, but the air fryer is our new best friend for chicken wings because it’s so much faster, requires less oil, and is memorably crispy!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drummettes*
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or add to taste*
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp baking powder, optional (do not use baking soda)
Instructions
- Thoroughly pat dry chicken wings with paper towels and place in a mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
- Season – In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and baking powder (if using), then sprinkle over the chicken and toss to evenly coat wings with seasoning.
- Air Fry – Place in air frying basket, spacing evenly, and air fry at 400˚F for 16-20 minutes, flipping halfway. Air-fry until chicken wings are crisp and golden brown on the outside. They should reach 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer, and they will taste even better if you let them reach 175˚F to 185˚F.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you’re looking for quick and simple meal ideas, you’ll love these air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Crispy Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Easy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Air Fried Pork Chops
- Crispy Air Fryer Bacon (my fave method!)
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
I made these tonight in my Instant Vortex rotating basket. They turned out soooo good. Cooked them about 25 min to get them crispy. And the Avocado Ranch dip was delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I have a air fryer that doesn’t have the temp setting available on it just timers. Suggestions on how long to cook the wings.
Hi Mary, I’m not sure how to advise on that type of air fryer. You might check the manual on it to see what the temperature settings correspond to in terms of degrees.
Way too salty for us. I reduced the garlic salt by half and they came out perfect !
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I use Gaelic powder. Salting can be done at the table if needed.
Finally a perfect recipe for my new air fryer. Sheesh I’ve been trying everything and this is the best and the easiest too. Now I need to conquer potato and sweet potato fries for my hypo allergic daughter and also apple chips. Any ideas about how to do those. So far all the recipes I’ve tried aren’t coming out crispy enough. Love your website and will continue to try all your recipes over time, also love your humor cuz thats the best cure for mistakes and everything else. Thank you for the Wings now I an be an angel too, albeit an old one at 80 + years.
Hi Judy! I’m so happy you tried this recipe! I haven’t tried it with that so I cannot advise but thank you for that awesome suggestion. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I wanted to like them 🙁
They were crispy but I guess the flavour didn’t wow me.
Thank you for that feedback Bex. Since there is no marinating required, be sure to adequately season with the garlic salt and also use lemon pepper rather than plain pepper for more flavor.
How many carbs
Hi Rhonda, we have nutritional information posted towards the bottom of the printable recipe.
Do you have to use lemon? What else can you use?
Hi Barbara, the lemon pepper adds really great flavor but you could just use pepper although the flavor wouldn’t be the same.
Can chicken drumsticks be used instead of wings?
Hi Maria, I haven’t tested that with drumsticks but it sounds like a great experiment! I imagine the cook time will need to be adjusted.
Thank you… I used this recipe with drumsticks & extended the cooking time. Delicious… the whole family loved them! 😊
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that feedback with me Maria! I’m so happy you all enjoyed that!
I love all of your recipes. Thank You.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Donald!
Is your model of air fryer stainless steel inside and the trays. I do not like buying products with non stick coatings
Hi Elisabeth, The basket does not appear to be coated with anything and they don’t claim that the baking pan (that I use as the drip pan) is non-stick or coated with anything. Although they do say the interior of the machine (the walls) is non-stick for easy cleaning. You might contact the manufacturer to be sure.
What about if the wings are frozen?
Can I use the frozen wings.I have a new fryer and love the receipes
Hi Barbara, I haven’t tested this with frozen wings but I have read it is possible! If you experiment please let me know how you like that with this recipe!
Hey Natasha, I have done frozen wings, just put them in the basket frozen and i cooked them at 160 c for 30 mins came out perfect
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that Ann!
Thanks for a recipe for the air fryer! I love to use mine for things like french fries, but don’t have a lot of recipes for meals. Please continue to provide more!
I am on it!! Keep checking back. I’m completely smitten with my air fryer 🙂
Hi
I may buy one someday, could you tell me if my clay baker would fit in one of these? It is 7 inches tall, and 14 inches long, and about 9 inches wide. Love all your recipes, thanks so much,
Sheri
Hi Sheri, the rack is 10.5×10.5 and the height clearance is only about 4″ so it would not fit into this model.
Do you leave the skin on the wings? This recipe seems so simple. I hope it turns out well. Thank you!
Hi Mrs Ali, yes we left the skin on
The perfect amount of crispy! Yum!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Taylor!
These are perfect! Love how easy and delicious they turn out.
So delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love how crispy that get on the outside in the air fryer!
The perfect amount of crisp! Thank you Suzy!
I got an Air Fryer for Christmas, this is the first recipe I made….the wings were perfect…it did take longer time than stated to crisp up, but were perfect when taken out.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
How easy and delicious! I seriously love the Air Fryer because regular frying is too messy!
Yes! Exactly! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me Trang!
I bought 4 lbs of wings and usually I just multiply all the ingredients. But 8 tsp of garlic salt seemed excessive, so I only did 5 tsp. It was over salted. Like…a lot. Otherwise was great. I did in the oven and didn’t marinate. Will definitely do in future with less salt.
So I always think that garlic salt is overly salty also. I cut my garlic salt with garlic powder. It cuts the salt in half and amps up the garlic flavor.
Wings are the best!! Love them! I love how easy these look to make as well! I’ll have to try them in the air fryer!
So easy to make! I hope you love this recipe!
Have my Cuisinart for over a year! Perfect wings! Thank you. Hope to see more conversions for air frying!
I have some delicious air fryer recipes in the works! I’d also love to hear YOUR favorite things to make in the air fryer!
I haven’t purchased an air fryer yet, though I have been considering it. I just haven’t justified getting yet another appliance for only a couple recipes. As others have said, I’m also looking forward to more recipes. Thanks!
You’re so welcome Liz!
I have a Cuisinart and followed this recipe….my wings weren’t even almost done after the 16 minutes. Nor were they done after another 15 minutes. I eventually had to put them on the oven setting to finish them off. I don’t understand what happened and reading everyone’s reviews, I’m even more confused.
Hi Stephanie, is your Cuisinart an air fryer or a toaster oven? If it is only a toaster oven, you would have to use the regular baking instructions. If you have it set to the “Air Fryer” Mode, the air frying instructions should work as directed unless you are using much larger wings.
I have the same air fryer. Would love to see more of your air fryer recipes!
That’s so great! I’m excited to create more recipes with this air fryer!
My new stove has a convection oven and an air fryer feature. I have not used it yet. Could I use this recipe?
Hello Natasha, I am considering getting an airfrier, but also would need it to be a toaster, may I ask why you chose this air frier instead of the one by Breville? … that one looks more high tech and the dimensions are larger? … thanks for advice,
Olga
Hi Olga, it was mostly a “yes, they have an air fryer at Costco” decision. The Breville one is definitely more spendy but has great reviews. If you have a larger family, I would go with a larger one.