Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These crispy air fryer chicken wings are the easiest way to get juicy, golden wings without deep frying. With just three pantry spices and 25 minutes, you’ll learn how to air fry chicken wings that come out perfectly crisp every single time (no oil needed)! Great for gatherings, game day, or even a weeknight dinner.
Excellent crispy chicken wings. Simple but it really works. I use this recipe for the superbowl weekend. And it’s perfect.
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Chicken Wings
I used to avoid making chicken wings at home because of the oil splatter and mess of deep frying. Then I figured out the trick to perfectly crispy chicken wings in the air fryer, and it completely changed my game-day spread.
This is the only air fryer wings recipe you’ll need, whether you’re serving them plain, tossing them in buffalo sauce, or piling them on a platter for the Super Bowl. I love to serve them with spicy mayo and cilantro lime sauce, but I also love this Old Bay sauce! You honestly can’t go wrong here!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Wings: You’ll need about 2.5 lbs of wings and drumettes. I don’t recommend using frozen wings unless you thaw them first and pat them dry completely.
- Seasonings: I use a simple combination of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, but feel free to season with additional herbs and spices if you like.
Recipe Variations
- Air fryer chicken breasts: If you prefer chicken breasts over wings, the air fryer still produces the juiciest results! You’ll just want to add a few extra spices.
- If you can’t already tell, I love chicken wings. If you’re looking for other options to add to your spread, try my zesty air fryer lemon pepper wings, these tangy, buttery air fryer buffalo wings, or these Cosmic Jerry air fryer wings for some variety!
How to Air Fry Chicken Wings
Follow these step-by-step instructions for easy, crispy chicken wings every time. If you’re new to the air fryer, check out my Air Fryer 101 post for all my air fryer tips, tricks, and hacks!
- Step 1: Season the wings. Place the chicken wings on a cookie sheet and season.
- Step 2: Place wings in air fryer basket. Make sure to arrange in a single layer.
- Step 3: Cook wings. Air fryer at 400 F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Step 4: Serve. Serve plain or with your sauce of choice, like homemade BBQ sauce.
How Long to Cook Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Cook the chicken wings in the air fryer at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The exact timing depends on the size of your wings and the model of your air fryer, but here’s a guide to help you out:
| Wing Type | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh wings (small, 1–2 oz) | 400°F | 22–25 minutes |
| Fresh wings (large, 2–3 oz) | 400°F | 25–30 minutes |
| Reheating cooked wings | 350°F | 4–5 minutes |
The wings are done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F, and the skin is golden brown and crispy. Always flip wings halfway through so both sides get equal contact with the hot air. This is the #1 reason people end up with soggy wings on one side!
Tips for the Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid before seasoning.
- Toss the wings in about 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder before air frying to make the skin even crispier.
- Make sure to arrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This ensures they’ll be crispy. You may have to do several batches if you have a smaller air fryer.
- Do not use frozen chicken wings! Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge and pat them completely dry with a paper towel before using.
- To sauce or not to sauce? It’s really up to you! My personal favorite dipping sauces are spicy mayo and cilantro lime sauce, but I also love this Old Bay sauce.
- If you’re looking for a saucy wing, I highly recommend these honey Old Bay wings or these crispy, sticky air fryer Asian wings as well!
Recipe FAQs
One main reason this happens is because of overcrowding. The wings need a little bit of space around them for the air to properly circulate. If your wings overlap in the air fryer basket, you may need to cook them in separate batches.
Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it if you want the crispiest results. Frozen chicken wings release excess moisture as they cook, which steams the skin instead of crisping it. You’ll end up with rubbery, pale wings instead of the golden, crackly skin you’re after.
For the crispiest results, reheat your wings in the air fryer at 350F for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs chicken wings
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400° F. Place wings on baking sheets and season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder.2.5 lbs chicken wings, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- Place seasoned wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook the wings for 10-15 minutes, then turn them and continue cooking 10-15 minutes or until wings are golden brown.
- Remove from air fryer and serve with sauce of your choice.
Notes
-
- Use paper towels to blot any moisture off the wings before adding seasoning.
- Lightly coat the wings with around ½ teaspoon of baking powder—this helps the skin get extra crispy in the air fryer.
- Lay the wings out in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Don’t stack or crowd them. If your air fryer is on the smaller side, work in batches.
- Skip the frozen wings. Air fryers don’t handle frozen meat well—it can cook unevenly and stay raw inside. Defrost your wings ahead of time by tossing them in the fridge the night before. No extra steps—just let them sit overnight.
Some of my favorite wing sauces:
Truff Hot Sauce, Buffalo and BBQ Assortment, Medium Buffalo Sauce, and Asian Zing Sauce all make great dipping sauces for wings!Nutrition
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I followed your instructions, for the most part, and the wings came out amazing. The big changes I did was to use frozen wings instead of fresh and also cooked for 25 minutes at 380°, turning them over at the halfway point. If I can plan far enough ahead, I’ll try fresh wings as you suggest and see how they do. I have to say, using frozen wings is very convenient.
Thanks for the feedback, Brian! Love to hear how you made this recipe work for you.
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I just put them in a bowl and seasoned. Added a drizzle of olive oil. The seasoning combination is on point. I did set them at 400 to 10 minutes and watched at that point. My first batch had bigger wings so I did 15 minutes each side. Second batch were smaller and then I did 10 minutes each side. So good and crispy. Thank you for sharing. ***** Five stars !!
I don’t know what I did wrong but I put my air fryer at 400 degrees, prepped the wings as instructed, put them in for the first of two 15-min sessions and they all burned. Bummed out.
Yikes! What kind of air fryer do you have, and did you change anything in the recipe (additional seasonings, etc) or did you make it exactly as it’s written?
Don’t preheat your air fryer and if you are using thawed wings, 30 minutes is way too long at 400 F. Put them in at 400 F and flip every 5 minutes so you can keep an eye on them and use a meat thermometer so you know when they are at 165 F internal temp. By the way, there is nothing wrong with using frozen wings. I use them all the time. i throw them in and flip every 5 minutes. It usually takes about 25 minutes to cook from frozen. I always use a meat thermometer though to make sure they are completely cooked.
Thanks for your feedback, Janice! Cook time can vary depending on the size of wings you are using, type of air fryer you have, and how crispy you like your wings.
Not into wings at all but these come out perfect every single time! Great recipe!
Great recipe, super easy and my boyfriend’s favorite 🙂
Love that!!
My wings never turn this brown and crispy, and the stick.
What kind of air fryer are you using? Do you preheat it first?
These are hands down the best wings I have ever made in the air fryer. Delicious!
thank you!!
Whenever I make wings, either baked, fried, or now air fryer, they come out nice and crispy and then the skin gets soggy as soon as I put on the sauce. What am
I doing wrong? I Have tried double trying after the sauce coating, less sauce, etc. nothing seems to work. I feel like I am doing something wrong.
I like to toss them in sauce or brush the sauce over them towards the end of their cook time (2-5 minutes) I also find that if you place them in the oven at about 250 F while you are cooking the other batches, it helps them to stay crispy. Check out the instructions on this post: https://jz-eats.com/air-fryer-buffalo-wings/
You need to let the wings rest before adding sauce.
This recipe was my first recipe as I tried my air fryer for the first time. They came out so crispy and juicy inside. I used a cilantro, lime seasoning salt. My husband loved them too. Easy and quick. Its a keeper!! Thank you. Pinned!
Thank you! That sounds delicious!
These came out delicious! Love no fuss crispy wings. Will make these again!
I love this recipe! It’s so quick and easy to make – perfect for lunch!
These are so simple but awesome in the air fryer!
Love how crispy and delicious these wings are! Just as good as a restaurant and obviously way healthier!
Thank you!
I’m using my mom’s old GoWise air fryer. (She never read the instructions so didn’t use it much) and this recipe for wings was perfect! I ended up cooking the batches about 25 mins, 15 mins first before flipping them for the last 10. They came out perfectly crispy and cooked the whole way through. I’ll need to put a bit more salt for my own taste. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing that!
SO delicious – they worked so well in the air fryer! Really easy recipe too – thanks!
I love the recipe but how many wings are a serving? Maybe I overlooked it but it’s really important for my diet.
Hi! There are 8 servings in this recipe, and the recipe calls for 2.5 pounds. There are roughly 4-5 wings in a pound so a serving would be about 2 wings. If you are following a strict diet, I recommend double checking with the nutrition calculator you use on a daily basis because these nutrition facts are approximate. Hope this helps!