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
Hi Natasha, I am so glad to see the photo of your setup to use the Cuisinart AirFryer for the wings. I used the wing recipe and instructions from Cuisinart recipe booklet and didn’t care for it. The Cuisinart recipe booklet states to “Place the AirFryer Basket onto the baking pan.” in all their AF recipes. You have the basket on the rack and the oven pan w/foil below. Is this how you do all AirFry? Can’t wait to try out wings per your setup and recipe.
Hi Susan, this is how I do all Air Fry so the air circulates around the food and crisps it on all sides.
These air fryer wings have become a family favorite. We use Penzey’s Florida Seasoned Pepper, which is basically lemon pepper with added orange peel. Look for the 2.5 pound bags of Bell & Evans frozen chicken wings. They’re perfect for this recipe.
Hello Susan. So nice to read your great comments and feedback, thank you for sharing that with us! I hope this becomes a favorite for you all.
There’s no way the wings were done in 16 minutes, more like twice that.
I agree, 20 minutes each side at least.
Hi. Its true. Did 10 wings in 16 minutes. Did 20 in 20 mins last night. Cuisinart unit like hers, we got for Christmas.
My new stove has a convection oven and an air fryer feature. I have not used it yet. Could I use this recipe?
I bet that could work Kathy! I hope you love this recipe!
Excellent recipe! We tossed ours in hot sauce right before serving, and they were fantastic. Did even use the dip!
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
This is my air fryer (love it!) and this recipe is perfect. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
At 87 yrs.old I find that usin g my oven is my best option. Can I make this rescipe in my oven? and if so how do i do them.
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.
depends on what kind of Air fryer. Mine is real fast & wings are awesome. We just use oil, johnny’s dock seasoning & garlic seasonings & they are awesome. Just like yours Natasha
You forgot to mention the Actifry air fryer!!!!!!! They are an excellent choice. The revolving paddle (removable)makes sure the food is evenly cooked and no need to flip food over.
Hi Natasha – I’m loving you recipes, they are great! I have a question on the new air fryers. I’m very much interested in the Cuisinart you’ve recommended. What I’d like to know is: does it smell like oil cooking in the house? I have an Acting’s-fry and I usually cook with that, either in the garage or outside on warm days, as I don’t like the smell of the oil cooking. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Hi Mitch, it works like a toaster oven would, so if you have a food that is fragrant (like bacon), it would smell like bacon. It really depends on what you are “air frying” since it’s not actually frying in oil.
Mitch, I use my Cuisinart all the time. One of my favorite recipes is Chicken Wings. I have not used this recipe yet but it is very close to what I do. The house has never smelled like oil cooking. If you don’t change the aluminum foul on the drip pan yes you with get a oily smell. I have had mine for over a year and love it. Some of the newer ones clam to cook more food, don’t know. A rotisserie would be nice but I still love mine.
Thank you for sharing that with us JR.
Do you have recipes for air fryer other than chicken wings. Bought one and used it once
Hi Michele, I have a link at the very top of this post to all of our Air Fryer Recipes. I hope you find many new favorites.
The only recipe for Air Fryer is Wings. No others listed that I can find.
I absolutely love your recipes…you are my go to!
Hi Patricia, here are the air fryer recipes.
I could only find frozen chicken wings 😫. Would I cook them the same way?
Hi Linda, I would make sure they are fully thawed before using them.
One thing I’ve noticed on air fryers is that the temp/time for cooking can practically be like night and day, depending which on you have. How can I apply the proper temp/time if you have a NuWave airfryer? Thx!
Hi Keith, without owning and testing with that, I could only guess. You might check the manufacturer’s website and see what their recommendations are.
Hi Natasha, can heat up leftovers in the air fryer again For lunch?
Hello Sally, yes that should work!
I received my Cuisinart AF for Christmas and after first use the bottom tray is all brown. It won’t clean and I don’t want to scrub it and ruin any coating. I tried baking soda and white vinegar separately but no luck. Any suggestions?
Hi Helen, we line the bottom tray with a sheet of foil to catch drips to prevent that.
Hi Natasha!
Your recipes are always an amazing success… and these were fabulous!!! I will definitely make these again.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Hi Natasha, made this with small chicken drum sticks and I didn’t believe that they would be so delicious, but they were so simple and moist. Will definitely make this way. New to your site and loving it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
How long did you cook the chicken drumsticks? I have the Nuwave airfryer right now.
I follow you ,love almostall of them thanks for giving us your time
Thank you so much!
How much is a serving (for the calories/nutrition information)?
Hi! We have that towards the bottom of the printable recipe card. Click “Jump to Recip” at the top of the post.
Hi, I have the Cuisinart oven style air fryer. Did you have the wings on the bottom or the top rack?
Thanks!
Hi Julie, in our air fryer oven (as you can see in the photo), the wings are on the top and the drip pan is on the bottom.
Natasha, you say the basket in the number 2 position on top, for the pan, are you saying to put the pan in the number 1 position or underneath the basket in the number 2 slot? I’m just starting to use the air fryer and I have the Cuisinart. Today I’m following your directions for the Salmon recipe. I’ve made it twice in the oven and it was fabulous so I’m going to try it in the air fryer today.
I’m checking out your other air fryer recipes also. Thank you so much.
Hi Thressa, take a look at the photo above which is a visual of how I had it set up.
What air fryer do you use. I have the T-Fal active fry original. Has a basket also but it’s not big enough For a lot of wings. I do follow a lot of your recipes and they’re really good I made the meatloaf last week and it was amazing. Cold meatloaf sandwiches the next daymmmmmm
HI Linda, I have a link to the Cuisinart model that we have in the post above, but it is great because it replaces the toaster oven.
These are easy and delicious!!
Thank you for your good feedback Carolyn!