Best air fryer recipe for chicken wings

When planning a menu of appetizers for any great party, chicken wings always come to mind! Whether they're coated in lemon-pepper seasoning, dredged with garlic and parmesan, roasted in the oven or fried…one fact stays the same: People. Love. Chicken Wings.

The air fryer makes faster and just-as-crispy chicken wings as traditional recipes with one big bonus—way less clean-up! This air fryer chicken wings recipe starts with a well-seasoned spice rub which coats the wings before cooking. They come straight out of the air fryer ready to eat, or can be tossed in a sauce for extra layers of flavor. A sweet BBQ sauce compliments the subtle spice of the wings, but if you're a next-level spicy kind of wing eater, go ahead and toss them with Buffalo sauce!

How long does it take to cook wings in an air fryer?

One pound of wings takes about 30 minutes to cook in the air fryer. The wings cook best in two stages. First, cook them at a lower temperature to slowly render some of the fat from the skin and retain the moisture of the chicken. Then, finish the wings at a higher temperature to crisp up the skin for that just-out-of-the-fryer finish. This recipe calls to cook 2 pounds of wings in two batches,  so you can devour the first batch and then go back for seconds!

How do you crisp wings in an air fryer?

For the crispiest wings, use a two-stage method of cooking—first at a lower temperature, then at a higher temperature.  Additionally, it's important to not overcrowd the air fryer basket. This recipe calls to cook two pounds of wings in two batches, with a little bit of space left between each wing. This allows the air to flow freely through the air fryer and to crisp up all sides of the wings. Flipping frequently throughout cooking also helps the wings get nice and crispy. 

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Directions

• 1. Step 1If the wing tips remain, trim them from the flat part of the wings and discard. Pat the wings all over with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
  2. Step 2In a large mixing bowl, mix together the seasoned salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Add the wings and toss well to coat with the spice mixture.
  3. Step 3Spray the basket of an air fryer well with nonstick cooking spray. Place one half of the wings in a single layer in the basket, with some space in between each wing. Cook at 370° for 10 minutes. Flip each of the wings and return them to the air fryer for another 10 minutes. Flip the wings once again, increase heat of the air fryer to 400° and cook for 8-10 more minutes until the skin is crispy. Repeat with the remaining chicken wings.
  4. Step 4Serve the wings immediately out of the air fryer, or toss with Buffalo or BBQ sauce before serving alongside ranch or blue cheese dressing, if you like.

Erin Merhar is a professionally trained chef, food stylist, and recipe developer. When she is not coming up with the next great dish for ThePioneerWoman.com, you can find her at the farmers' market or making pizza for friends. 

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Air Fryer Wings are crispy, juicy, seasoned to perfection, and totally addicting—they'll fly off the plate! This method makes the best chicken wings EVER.

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Today we’re talking Air Fryer Wings, otherwise known as the most irresistible game-day snack you can get your hands on. I actually had no idea you could cook chicken wings in an air fryer until Ben started “frying” these bad boys up. One bite and I was hooked — or I guess I should say WE were hooked.

My entire family, including my kids, LOVE these wings!

My air fryer chicken wings recipe delivers impossibly crispy, perfectly juicy wings, and there’s no deep fat frying required—nor do you need to coat the wings with baking powder or cornstarch or whatever you supposedly have to do when baking them.

All you need for this irresistible appetizer recipe is chicken wings, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and lemon pepper seasoning. Yes! No need for a special dry rub – lemon pepper wings are where it’s AT. The flavor is so, so good.

(If you love chicken wing recipes as much as we do, be sure to check out my Smoked Chicken Wings too!)

How Long Do You Cook Wings in an Air Fryer?

Two pounds of chicken wings take 23-24 minutes to cook in a large air fryer. I start cooking them at 360ºF to render the fat and skin, then finish the wings at 390ºF to ensure they’re tender on the inside, and crispy and sizzling on the outside.

Can You Put Raw Chicken in an Air Fryer?

Yes! Although we usually use our Air Fryer to heat frozen foods like chicken nuggets or french fries, or to cook fresh vegetables, you absolutely can cook raw chicken in an air fryer. Chicken breasts also cook fabulously in an air fryer. Just think of it as a mini oven or grill.

Ingredients Needed

For as impressive as Air Fryer Wings taste, they are made with just a handful of everyday, simple ingredients. Truly they’re one of the more easy air fryer recipes. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the air fryer wings:

• Chicken wings – I recommend purchasing chicken wings that are already broken down into drumettes and wingettes. That said, you can also buy whole chicken wings, which are a little less expensive, and break them down yourself.
• Lemon pepper seasoning – This may seem out of left field for air fryer wings, but trust and believe: it is perfection. I use Tone’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend.
• Extra virgin olive oil – A drizzle of olive oil is how you get audibly crispy chicken wings. The oil helps the chicken skin start to crisp up faster than it would on its own.
• Salt – An extra pinch of salt ensures the chicken wings are perfectly seasoned when they come out of the Air Fryer.

For tossing and dipping:

• Buffalo wing sauce – You can’t go wrong with a classic. Use store-bought, or make your own with hot sauce, butter, and garlic powder.
• Thai sweet chili sauce – A great choice if you want to give your air fryer wings Asian-inspired flair.
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing – More classic dippers that I can’t get enough of!
• BBQ sauce – Another classic pairing, and great for kids.
• Hot honey – This is a relatively new sauce for me personally, but I think it’d be terrific drizzled over these wings.

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Who’s ready to make some crispy restaurant-style wings at home! Ok I see your hand in the air. PERFECT. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Step 1: Prepare.

Start by preheating your air fryer to 360ºF. If you don’t have the exact model I do, set the temperature to as close as 360 as possible.

Step 2: Season the Chicken Wings

Place the chicken wings into a gallon-size Ziplock bag – no need to pat off excess moisture with paper towels first – then drizzle with roughly a Tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt, then seal the bag, keeping the air inside. Give the bag a good shake-shake-shake to evenly coat the wings. 

Alternatively you could season the chicken wings in a large bowl.

Step 3: Air Fry the Wings

Add the wings to the air fryer basket sprayed with nonstick cooking spray then arrange in a single layer so they’re not overlapping – touching is fine. 

Air fry the wings for 18 minutes, shaking the basket every 6 minutes, or until the chicken wings are golden brown. No need to flip as the shaking will ensure the wings cook evenly.

Increase the heat to 390ºF then cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the basket every 2 minutes, until the wings are brown and crispy.

That’s it! Serve with the dippers of your choice and don’t forget the carrots and celery sticks. ;)

Why are my Air Fryer Wings Not Crispy?

Sad, soggy wings? Say it isn’t so! Here are my best tips for getting sizzling, crispy Air Fryer wings, every time:

• Don’t overlap the wings. Air fryers make foods crispy by circulating air around them, so if there’s no room for air to circulate, the wings aren’t going to crisp up. That said, you may need to Air Fry in two batches. If some of the wings are bigger than others I like to group them by size so they’re done at the same time.
• Be flexible with the cooking time. Speaking of chicken wing sizes, wings come in various sizes so if your 2 pounds of chicken wings contains less than 20 wings (meaning they’re quite large), you might need to increase cooking time at 360ºF to render the fat and cook the wings all the way through. Similarly, if they’re smaller, you may need less time at 360ºF.
• To sauce or not. I know a lot of people like their wings tossed in sauce, particularly buffalo sauce, prior to serving, but for the crispiest skin ever – dunk your wings in the sauce of your choice vs tossing them in sauce in a bowl.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

You can store any leftover air fryer wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. I recommend reheating in the Air Fryer at 360 degrees. 

More Snacks and Apps You’ll Love

• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Gluten Free Pizza Breadsticks
• Herb & Garlic Marinated Olives
• Fig & Prosciutto Goat Cheese Dip
• Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Pepper Poppers

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Air Fryer Wings are crispy, juicy, seasoned to perfection, and totally addicting—they'll fly off the plate! This method makes the best chicken wings EVER.

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I’m a Midwestern wife and Mama, and after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013 I began sharing delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Welcome!

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