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
These are amazing. I made 4 lbs for Super Bowl Party and every single one was gone. I did two lbs at a time in my Instant Vortex rotating basket for about 28 min. Got so many compliments.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Making now in my new Vortex using 2 racks, switching racks & turning over halfway through. Thank you for the comment tho as I had them set for 22 minutes.
If my wings are frozen can I pressure cook them and then use this recipe to crisp in the air fryer? Should I just watch for the desired crispness since they would already be cooked through? Or would that dry them out? Thanks!
Hi Maggie, I think that should work – I haven’t tested it that way but I don’t see why not.
I made these a couple months ago and LOVED them! So easy and really are crispy and tasteful. Planning to make again for Super Bowl Sunday.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us Pam! These will be perfect for Super Bowl Sunday.
I just finished making the Air Fryer Chicken Wings! They are fabulous! I just changed the cook time, adding a few extra minutes because we all like them extra crispy! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Valerie! Thank you for stopping by & sharing that with us.
Mine took almost 3x as long as yours did. I have an air fryer with multiple levels. I had to keep changing the racks. It has a basket but I think it would sit way to low to cook like mine did on the racks. Should have used my other brand air fryer! But they taste fantastic! They took just long enough for my home made ranch to meld together! Thank you, I love your recipes!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Dorie!
Love this wing recipe! I’m new to using an air fryer and this was my 1st time baking wings… ever. Very flavorful recipe. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed that.
I got the Breville for Christmas but am leery of getting chicken grease all over the bottom of the oven from dripping through the basket. Anyone have a suggestion? Would love to make these!
I have a Breville oven and I use parchment paper on the basket no mess.
That’s so great!
If your have a tray that captures the drippings, cover the tray with aluminum foil. Replay the aluminum foil after each use. Also, spray the fryer basket.
That is a great tip for cleaning up the air fryer. Thank you Thomas!
Hi,
I am not getting garlic salt & lemon pepper in the local shops. Is it possible to make it at home?
Hi Deb, garlic salt is just equal parts of garlic powder and salt with a little bit of dried parsley in it. You might need to search online for a homemade lemon pepper. I haven’t tried making it but I have seen many recipes for it on google.
I have a 24 in. double oven. The top oven has convection capability. Will I be able to air fry foods, I made the Dijon/garlic salmon traditionally and it was superb. Are air baskets available?
HI Art, I have air-fried my baked salmon with garlic and dijon and it was amazing! Our air fryer came with a basket and that is what we use but that probably varies by the model you have. I would search online to check if the one you own has a basket available if it didn’t come with one.
Thanks. My oven is not a counter-top but a regular size built-in double oven with upper oven convection capable. I bought a set of air fry pans on line. Will try tonight.
Love your site
I hope you love the chicken wings!
I just tried these wings in my air fryer with a Cilantro Avocado Yogurt dressing for the dip and they were fantastic! I will definitely be making them again, however, I’ll need to pay attention to the lemon pepper which also contained salt. Had I read that I might have used garlic powder.
Love your recipes!!! 😀
These sound amazing with that dip! Yes, the lemon pepper does add an extra tangy/salty flavor to these.
Absolutely scrumptious!
Oh my! This recipe is wonderful! I have tried for years to make good wings. Always a failure…until now. I am fairly new to the air fryer so I was a little skeptical. This will be my go-to recipe from now on! Yummo!
I’m so glad you found a favorite on our blog, LeAnn! Thank you for that awesome feedback.
WAY too salty. I imagine just using 1 tsp of garlic salt would have been just fine. 🙁
Hi Natalie, since garlic salt is half salt and half garlic powder, this is a common amount for this much chicken but you can definitely add to taste.
Just a note to let you know not all lemon pepper is the same. The one I bought is a grinder and when I checked, the first ingredient listed is salt. So the grinder contains, salt, pepper and lemon. So, I used garlic powder instead of garlic salt to prevent it from becoming too salty. I wonder if other people who said it was too salty had a similar issue.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
You make cooking fun with easy to follow techniques.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
I absolutely love all your recipes Natasha… But I absolutely love watching your videos on “ How to make them” you make it so easy to make. I also love your personality.. You make it fun. Thanks.. Keep them coming.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipes.
I have tried many of your recipes… every one was delicious
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
I would like to know where you all buy chicken, all I buy at supermarket are not fit to eat?????
Hi Debby, I bought these chicken wings at Costco and they were organic wings.
I haven’t made these yet and have the Cuisinart Air Fryer – did you cook them on top shelf or bottom shelf? thanks you
Hi Nancy, I keep them on the top shelf which is actually in the center of my air fryer. There is a lower shelf and a center shelf.
Thank you so much for such a quick response! I made these last night! Crispy and delicious! A keeper recipe for sure!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that was helpful!
I’ve heard about air fryers but don’t have one…do you like yours beyond this (yummy looking) recipe? Does the food taste crispy as if it was fried?Thanks!
We love it, Christine! The chicken wings were definitely crispy!
These wings are probably the best thing I’ve made in the air fryer! Most foods will be crispy, maybe not to the extent of deep frying but that’s the point. My air fryer is also a second oven since it is a multi purpose fryer. I don’t think you will be disappointed if you invest in an air fryer
Thank you for sharing that with us, Nancy!
Bought an air fryer and this was the first recipe that I tried. Bravo! These will be made weekly, especially with football season around the corner.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Jake!
Hi Natasha, I’m from Niagara falls,Ontario, Canada I just purchased Betty Crocker 1.5l air fryer, there are only two of us. I found this recipe for wings. I’m so excited to try them, just not overly crispy I hope. it’s all trial ad error ever for me now LoL. Thank you somuch for the rip, I’ll lt yu know how thy turn out.
You’re very welcome, Sue! I hope you love this recipe.
hi Natasha Made the wings. first batch had very chewy skin. 2nd batch I did 10 minutes each side, absolutely perfect. my air fryer is a 1.5L. I sent the recipe to my sister
she 5 has a monster size of air fryer hr her test is next lol
I’m so happy that worked for you and you enjoyed that! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!