Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Extra Crispy!)

These Air Fryer Chicken Wings have crisp, salty skin with plenty of garlic and lemon pepper flavor in every bite. These are seasoned to perfection and cook so fast with no marinating required!

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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 Recipe

Cooking Chicken wings in the air fryer is brilliant and you will make chicken way more often if you try them in the air fryer. The forced circulating hot air makes the skin super crisp, which is difficult to achieve in a conventional oven, and the center is perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy.

The cook time for air-fried chicken wings is just 16 minutes. It’s three times faster than our Baked Buffalo Wings or Lemon Pepper Wings when cooked in a traditional oven! P.S. Yes, you can totally make those variations in the air fryer and toss them with lemon pepper sauce or buffalo sauce!

Also, there’s no need to preheat an 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

The rub for these chicken wings is simple with our go-to spices for baked, sautéed or air-fried chicken. All you need is 3 ingredients: oil, garlic salt and lemon pepper.

How to Cut 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. Trim off any excess skin.

You’ll use the drumettes and flats. You can save the wing tips for stock or discard them.

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Wings

• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and set into a large bowl.
• Drizzle with oil, sprinkle on the seasonings, and then toss to combine.

2. Air Fry – Arrange the wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer, and you can bake right away – you can let them marinate if you prefer, 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 minutes. They should be crispy and golden brown when ready.

Can I Double the Recipe?

For all-around crispy chicken wings, it’s best to keep the wings in a single layer, so if you are using a smaller basket-style air fryer, you may need to air fry in 2 batches.

If you have a larger air toaster oven-style air fryer, you can double everything. When doubling, air fry for 18-22 minutes or until the skin is crisp, flipping the wings halfway. Bake time will vary based on the surface area of your air fryer basket.

Can I Bake These in a Traditional Oven?

It takes significantly longer to achieve crispy chicken wings in the oven. To bake these chicken wings in a conventional oven, preheat oven to 400˚F and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until crispy, flipping the wings after 30 minutes.

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 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
• Corn on the Cob

These Air Fryer Chicken Wings have a crisp, salty skin with a tender, flavorful center. Let the snacking begin!

Storing and Reheating Chicken Wings

Once the chicken wings are cooled to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. You can re-crisp them in the air fryer at 400˚F for 4 to 5 minutes.

More 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 Wings

4.99 from 1010 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Air Fryer Chicken Wings have crisp salty skin with a hint of garlic and lemon pepper in every bite. These are seasoned to perfection and cook so fast with no marinating required!

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Prep Time: 4 minutes mins

Cook Time: 16 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 4 people

• 1 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drummettes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic salt, or add to taste*
• 1 tsp lemon pepper

Instructions

• Thoroughly pat dry chicken wings with paper towels and place in a mixing bowl.
• Coat in 1 Tbsp oil then sprinkle on 2 tsp garlic salt and 1 tsp lemon pepper. Toss to evenly coat with seasoning.
• Place on air frying basket, spacing evenly and air fry at 400˚F for 8 minutes, then flip and air fry another 8 minutes for a total of 16 minutes, or until chicken wings are crisp and golden brown on the outside.

Notes

*Seasoning tip: If you love a salty skin, add 1 1/2 tsp of garlic salt. You can also substitute 1 tsp of garlic salt with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

*If Doubling the recipe: If your air fryer basket is too small to hold the chicken wings in a single layer, cook in batches. For a large air fryer, you can double the recipe and air fry for 18-22 minutes, or until the skin is crisp, flipping the wings halfway. 

Nutrition Per Serving

168kcal Calories0.3g Carbs11g Protein13g Fat3g Saturated Fat2g Polyunsaturated Fat6g Monounsaturated Fat0.1g Trans Fat47mg Cholesterol626mg Sodium102mg Potassium0.1g Fiber0.003g Sugar93IU Vitamin A0.4mg Vitamin C10mg Calcium1mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Amount per Serving

Calories

168

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Cholesterol

 

47

mg

16

%

Sodium

 

626

mg

27

%

Potassium

 

102

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

0.3

g

0

%

Fiber

 

0.1

g

0

%

Sugar

 

0.003

g

0

%

Protein

 

11

g

22

%

Vitamin A

 

93

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

0.4

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

10

mg

1

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

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

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken wings

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 168