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 absolutely adore your recipes. I have saved your videos and printed so many of your recipes . im finding that daily im cooking food or baking something sweet of yours. Im very finicky of the herbs n seasonings used in cooking n i find that your recipes are up to my standards of cooking n baking. Im european n i cant tell you how much i love your cheesecake recipe n your clam seasoning n your salad recipes ! I cant name them all but you are literally a damn good cook natasha ! Thank you. I also share your recipes with my grown up daughters. Love you. stay safe. R. P.
I’m so happy you love our recipes! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
All recipes are incredibly simple and tasty. This is one of them.
She is awesome!
Hello Lilia, thank you so much!
I usually love Natashas recipes but these were way too salty for me!
Hi Angela, I’m not sure if this was the case, but using a different seasoning can make all the difference. Some brands can be saltier than others.
I found it to be too salty for me, too. I’ll make it again but will cut the salt in half.
Just got an Airfryer and made the wings following your recipe, best wings ever, my family’s favourite. Thank you! Make a lot of your recipes and they all are amazing
You are very welcome! That makes me happy knowing that you’ve been loving my recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Going to try this air dryer chicken wings. I can never get them crispy so hopefully this will work. Love all your recipes.
I hope this becomes your new favorite, Lesley!
Spot on 🙂
Soooo good!! I never made chicken wings before and this was a hit! So easy too. I have the visionary air fryer and followed someone’s suggestion. Set temp at 400 degrees and set to Air Fry. Did 10 minutes per side as I had 1.5 lbs of chicken. Delish
Thank you!
I’m not sure how to post my photo.
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that Mj! Thank you for sharing that with us. You are welcome to share your photo on social media and tag #natashaskitchen
Hi Natasha. All of your recipes that I have tried have been spectacular. I just bought a 7 qt. Power XL air fryer and an Instant Pot 8qt. Duo Nova pressure cooker. Both for different recipes, but do you have a recipe for air fried Buffalo chicken wings? Mild please. 🙂 Thanks.
I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes, Ray. I don’t have a recipe for that yet but thanks for the idea and suggestion. Hopefully I can try this in the future!
I made your meatloaf tonight…its in my regular rotation….and tomorrow I’m doing your Lasagna roll ups…Love that one!! I love how fun u make it, to cook!!
Wow, sounds great! I hope you love every recipe that you try, Tina.
All I have is a cheap jet stream oven, but I’m giving them a shot, finished in some Buffalo sauce. I like the heat. Maybe some parmesan too. Thanks, Natasha, enjoy your recipes.
You’re welcome! I hope this becomes your new favorite, Gary.
I love you ! Your recipes are always for something I can do. You are funny and light hearted. I want to see you on Food Network.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Louise! you’re so nice!
Hi Natasha so I just made this wings. They are a life changing they came out nice and crispy. Salty too but that’s ok thank you. Next time I want to do the chicken sandwich and the BLT sandwich thanks for all that you do. Love Margarita
I’m so happy you enjoeyd this recipe, Margarita! I hope you love those sandwich recipes! They’re our favorite!
I get the lemon /pepper shake.
But the level of sodium you list.
Obviously connected to that brand of garlic salt.
Is INSANE.
LOOKS PRETTY.
But so what . If you’re calling
911 a couple hours later because your BP numbers are shooting thru the roof.
And you’re experiencing symptoms of a STROKE if you’re over the age of 29.
Why don’t you look somewhere else for recipes? Why just ost to be rude? Any cooking show that is on TV always uses salt. I’m 65 and still kicking.
So rude and unnecessary. This recipe is perfection!
Obviously to most, you could just use garlic powder to reduce the salt.
Hi Natasha, my sister and I made these chicken wings two weeks ago. They were so good! Our family loved it! We tore them up. Definitely our go to recipe for chicken wings. Thanks for the recipe Natasha 🙂
Yay, love it! Thank you for sharing your good experience with us. I’m glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
fist time using my air fryer productively! Next time I will add more garlic 🙂 My pcs were not small so I had to add a few more minutes. I did a double layer on wire racks and it took 20+ mins with turning as well as rotating the top rack to the bottom and bottom up. Will do again. The second batch was don’t in a single layer and OMG were they beautiful and tasty. Pics next time!
typo – second batch WAS in a single layer off 6 pcs.
Sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing that with us, Christine. Please share some photos next time, you may share them on our Facebook page or group so others can also see them.
Made these today! It was just as simple as you showed in your video and explained in the blog. There are 8 people in my family. I tripled the recipe and used my convection oven because…tripled the recipe! They were devoured. Served them with celery, radishes, ranch dressing and Frank’s hot sauce. This will be on repeat! Thank you!
Fantastic, so great to hear that! Thanks for sharing that with us, Michelle.
Do the wings have to be thawed. Is there a way to do them frozen.
Yes, you will have to thaw the wings first.
Please add the fiber and carbohydrates to your recipe nutrition facts. I eat in a way that balances protein, fiber and carbs, at each meal, as well as limiting overall fat intake to deal with insulin resistance and improve my health.
Thanks Natasha! I love watching you cook!
Judy
Thanks for your suggestion, Judy.
I rarely leave comments on recipes, but this one was so perfect, I just had to! I already love the garlic salt/lemon pepper combination (it’s what I regularly use when I’m oven roasting broccoli, baby carrots, and sweet potatoes), and it’s perfect for wings! I was a little concerned that the cooking time wouldn’t be enough, but they came out perfectly cooked! Nice and crispy on the outside, very juicy on the inside. This is now my go-to recipe for cooking wings in the air fryer. Thank you!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Love all your recipes. Of all the people I follow, your recipes are the ones I make the most often- usually 2-4 times/week.
Thank you so much for trusting my recipes, Ruben. Appreciate it!