If there is one dinner idea that everyone in your family can get on board with, it's these crispy air fryer chicken wings.
With simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, you can have a delicious meal ready and on the table in 30 minutes!
Kids will love how tasty and fun they are to eat, and you'll love how easy they are to make.
Table of Contents
Recipe Video
Why This Recipe Works
With such simple ingredients, this recipe becomes incredibly versatile. Once they are cooked, you can serve them naked, toss them in your favorite wing sauce, or you can serve them with a selection of dipping sauces on the side.
Plus, you get non-greasy, crispy, tender wings every time with this air fryer chicken wings recipe. This is excellent news for anyone who is concerned with their cholesterol intake, as there is no deep frying required.
Ingredients
Chicken - For these crispy air fryer chicken wings, frozen or fresh wings will do. However, if you only have boneless chicken breasts on hand, that will work too. Chop your chicken into wing-sized pieces (roughly 2" wide and 3" long) and follow the same recipe.
Olive Oil - for a heart-healthy option here, try avocado oil.
Onion Powder - If you don't have onion powder on hand, a good substitute is to finely grate some fresh onion, scallion, or shallot.
Garlic Powder - Likewise, if you don't have garlic powder, diced or grated garlic will work just as well.
Paprika - Paprika is optional. If you have people who are sensitive to spice at your dinner table, you might consider replacing it with dried thyme or rosemary or just leaving the paprika out altogether.
Salt - You always want to be generous when with the salt on raw meats. Salt helps keep your meat tender and draws out the flavor during cooking.
Pepper - Pepper is equally important as your salt. In fact, salt and pepper are the most important seasonings in just about any meal but especially when it comes to meat. If all you have on hand for seasonings is salt and pepper, you can absolutely make a flavorful meal.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Step One: Begin by adding your olive oil to the chicken wings. Make sure you toss them to ensure each wing is evenly coated with oil.
Step Two: Add in your onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step Three: Toss to coat your wings in the seasonings.
Step Four: Place your wings in the air fryer basket. Cook for 20 minutes at 360 °F, then flip the wings and cook for another 10 minutes at 360 °F.
Step Five: Remove your crispy air fryer chicken wings from the basket and serve with your favorite wing sauces or top with some grated parmesan and chopped fresh parsley for something different.
Serve and enjoy 🙂
Tips For Perfect Wings
- Dry Rubs: Mix your seasonings together in a separate bowl before adding them to your chicken wings. Premixing dry ingredients in any recipe creates a more even distribution of those ingredients, and it helps to eliminate clumps. When working with meat, mixing your seasonings together makes a dry rub that you can massage into the meat, helping tenderize it and draw out the natural flavors.
- Double the Deliciousness: If you need more, simply double this air fryer chicken wings recipe.
- The Power of Marinating: For a more flavorful fall-off-the-bone wing, let your chicken marinate anywhere from 2 hours to overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. The longer, the better, really, but if you don't have that kind of time, this recipe is just as great on the fly.
- Pat The Wings Dry: Before seasoning and cooking, pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. This will help the seasonings adhere better and promote a crispier skin.
- Season Well: Season the wings generously with your preferred spice rub, seasoning, or sauce. Make sure to coat the wings evenly for maximum flavor.
- Flip the wings: Halfway through the cooking time, flip the wings to ensure even browning and crispiness on both sides.
- Allow wings to rest: After cooking, let the wings rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. This will ensure juicy and tender wings.
What to Serve With Chicken Wings
These air fryer chicken wings are great all on their own, but they also pair well with many other things. You can serve them pub style with carrots, celery, and blue cheese or one of these chicken wing side dishes that you can whip up in your air fryer or in the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid. Some ideas:
Need more options? Check out What To Serve With Chicken Wings for 23 delicious side dishes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I store and reheat these chicken wings?
Absolutely! You can store leftover air fryer chicken wings in the fridge for up to two days and in the freezer for as many as two weeks. Take them out whenever you need a quick snack or meal idea. Crisp them up in the oven or simply heat them in the microwave.
Can I make chicken wings without an air fryer?
You won't be able to make crispy chicken wings air fryer style without the air fryer, but you can make delicious Instant Pot BBQ chicken wings that everyone will love.
You can even deep fry or bake your wings at 400F for 40-45 minutes.
Is there a vegan-friendly alternative to chicken wings?
Yes! Instead of making chicken wings, try this vegan crispy tofu recipe instead. The seasonings in this recipe are Asian-inspired, which would lend nicely to a honey garlic wing sauce, or you can season your air fryer tofu wings with the same dry rub that I used in the chicken wing recipe. Then simply toss in your favorite wing sauce and enjoy!
More Chicken
If you love all things chicken, you're not alone. Here are some of my favorite chicken recipes.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken Wings
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Clean and dry chicken wings
- Coat wings in olive oil
- Add in your seasonings. Toss to coat.
- Lay your wings in the air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes at 360F.
- Flip wings and cook for an additional 10 minutes at 360F.
- Remove wings from the air fryer basket.
- Serve while hot, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Notes
- Mix your seasonings together in a separate bowl before adding them to your chicken wings. Premixing dry ingredients in any recipe creates a more even distribution of those ingredients, and it helps to eliminate clumps. When working with meat, mixing your seasonings together makes a dry rub that you can massage into the meat, helping tenderize it and draw out the natural flavors.
- If you need more, simply double this air fryer chicken wings recipe.
- For a more flavorful fall-off-the-bone wing, let your chicken marinate anywhere from 2 hours to overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. The longer, the better, really, but if you don't have that kind of time, this recipe is just as great on the fly.
Looks like the wings were coated with mustard but there is no mustard in recipe?? Thank you.
Its probably the paprika that gives the golden color.
Sounds yummy and quick. I will definitely try these out.
I don't have an airfyer can these be done in the oven?
Yes of course 🙂