Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Name: Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken wings, (frozen wings need to be completely thawed); 1½ tablespoons olive oil, (extra virgin); 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper; ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder, (or cayenne pepper (optional))

These air fryer chicken wings take no time at all to cook and come out of the air fryer flavorful and crispy.

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Table of Contents

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How to Make This Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
How To Serve
Storing Air Fryer Wings
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These air fryer chicken wings are so good you’ll never want to make them any other way again. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the wings are lightly seasoned with a simple spice rub and ready in a flash.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients

Air Fryer Chicken Wings raw ingredients that are labeled

Air fryer chicken wings are an absolute delight! The savory, succulent flavor of these crispy wings makes them hard to resist, while the golden-brown color they achieve when cooked in an air fryer is enough to make any food lover start salivating.

The exterior has the right amount of crunch, and the meat inside is juicy and tender. And did we mention how easy it is to make a batch?

All in all, air fryer chicken wings turn out great every single time, making them a must-have for your next meal!

You’ll need:

2 pounds of chicken wings (frozen wings need to be completely thawed)
1½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon of ground chipotle powder – or – cayenne pepper (optional)

Substitutions And Additions

WINGS: If you can find a package of mixed pieces (flat wings and drumettes), you can certainly use that for this easy recipe. You just want a total of 2 pounds. This will yield approximately 10-18 pieces. Be careful that if your grocery store sells a bag that is just labeled as “chicken wings”, they have split the two parts in half for you already. My grocery store packages them as one solid piece that I have to separate if I buy them labeled that way.

How to Make This Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe

Preparing the wings to be air fried is a fairly straightforward process. Coat them in the flavorful spice mix – using a Ziploc bag is the best way to do this as it is mess-free, and you can give them a good shake to make sure they are well seasoned.

Once ready, pop them in the air fryer and follow our instructions below for the cooking time and temperature.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can also bake the wings in the oven at 400°F for 30-35 minutes.

STEP ONE: Use a sharp knife to remove the small wing tip. Then carefully separate the drumette and wingette (the flat part of the wing).

STEP TWO: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

STEP THREE: Place the chicken in a large bowl or a gallon-size ziplock bag.

STEP FOUR: Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder over the chicken.

onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder sprinkled over the chicken in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Use tongs or your hands to mix the chicken, oil, and spices. If you are using a ziplock bag, seal the bag and either gently shake or squish the chicken until well coated.

PRO TIP:

If you are using your hands to coat the wings, I recommend wearing disposable gloves while handling the raw meat.

chicken, oil, and spices mixed in a bowl using hands or tongs

STEP SIX: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (depending on which type of air fryer you have, 5 to 7 minutes is sufficient enough time for preheating).

STEP SEVEN: You can lightly spray the inner basket, but most baskets are nonstick, so it is up to you. Place the drumettes into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turn and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes.

drumettes placed into a air fryer basket

STEP EIGHT: Next, cook the wingettes for 8 to 9 minutes, and turn and cook for another 8 to 9 minutes (again, different models cook differently. 9 minutes per side was the perfect amount of cooking time). Serve while warm.

PRO TIP:

You can coat the wings in BBQ sauce for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

How To Serve

If you’re hosting a party or any special gathering with friends and family, the main course should be deliciously crunchy air fryer chicken wings!

Serve these flavorful wings with creamy ranch dressing and a side of homemade coleslaw for a combination that will make all your guests drool.

You can serve the batch of wings with another favorite dipping sauce instead, such as BBQ sauce, hot sauce, Caesar dressing, or blue cheese dressing. Add fresh celery sticks and carrot sticks. These also make a great appetizer, along with our cucumber bites.

For more delicious chicken wing recipes, try our lemon pepper wings and Instant Pot chicken wings.

MORE APPETIZER RECIPES

Side Dishes

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Air Fryer

Not Fried Home Fries

Storing Air Fryer Wings

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of these crispy wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the cooked wings for up to 1 month. Allow the wings to thaw overnight before reheating in the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes to re-crisp the wings.

Store the wing in an airtight container and make sure to label it with the best-by date.

close up shot of Air Fryer Chicken Wings on a plate

Air fryer chicken wings take a fraction of the time compared to cooking in a traditional oven. Using a handful of simple ingredients, you will have flavorful wings with crispy skin and juicy meat that make a perfect appetizer or game-day meal.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use frozen chicken wings?

For this crispy air fryer chicken wings recipe, you can use frozen or fresh chicken wings. Just make sure to thaw the frozen chicken wings first.

Can I freeze the leftover chicken wings?

This recipe for wings can be frozen for up to a month.

Can I use a different spice mix for these wings?

You can change up the spice rub for these chicken wings if you’d like.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

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These air fryer chicken wings take no time at all to cook and come out of the air fryer flavorful and crispy.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

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Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, frozen wings need to be completely thawed
1½ tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder, or cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Use a sharp knife to remove the small wing tip. Then carefully separate the drumette and wingette (the flat part of the wing).
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl or a gallon-size ziplock bag.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder over the chicken.
Use tongs or your hands to mix the chicken, oil, and spices. If you are using a ziplock bag, seal the bag and either gently shake or squish the chicken until well coated.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (depending on which brand/model air fryer you have, 5 to 7 minutes is sufficient enough time for preheating)
You can lightly spray the inner basket, but most baskets are nonstick, so it is up to you. Place the drumettes into the basket. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turn and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. (Again, different models cook differently. 9 minutes per side was the perfect amount of time).
Cook the wingettes for 8 to 9 minutes, turn and cook for another 8 to 9 minutes. Serve while warm.

Notes

You can also bake the wings in the oven at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
If you are using your hands to coat the wings, I recommend wearing disposable gloves while handling the raw meat.
You can coat the wings in BBQ sauce for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!