Made with little oil and ready to eat in 30 minutes, these super crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are a healthier (but equally tasty) way to enjoy your favorite bar food! Try them tossed in your choice of sauce for your next tailgating party and fall in love with how easy they are!
I’m not usually a wing person. They’re not my favorite food by any means.
Actually, finger foods in general are just not really my jam. If I have to use a wet wipe to clean my hands AT THE TABLE…I usually pass.
Does that make me weird? Well, weirder than I already am?
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
So hear me out.
These air fryer chicken wings are going to be a life changer. We are normally a smoked chicken wings kind of couple, but sometimes you’ve just gotta hand the job over to your air fryer
Whether you’re wanting to eat healthier, need to make an easy recipe for game day, or just want deliciously crispy chicken wings, you need this wing recipe!
The whole family with love these air fryer chicken wings – especially if you like extra-crispy skin!
(That’s one of my favorite things about these wings.)
Anyway, I think I’ve turned a corner in this wing indifference of mine. I used to be a drummette girl because they were so much cleaner and easier to eat.
Abe, like the monster he is, strips the damn bones when he eats wings – cartilage, gristle, and all.
I, obvs, leave those parts for the trash can. Ugh. The texture gets me.
Turns out when you eat flats? Very little cartilage!
Imagine my delight when I discovered this, eating these homemade Garlic Parmesan wings in front of my computer.
They were SO cheesy and buttery and garlicky and oh my. Abe preferred the Teriyaki wings, but to each his own.
That’s why we’ve got 3 WAYS WITH WINGS in this post today! PLUS all the tips in the world that you need to get the crispiest, tastiest air fryer chicken wings of your life.
How to season chicken wings
Make wings for every occasion and all taste buds!
- Salt & Pepper dry rub, straight from the air fryer (basic, crispy, and delish) – great if you follow a low carb diet and want to make the crispiest wings!
- Garlic Parmesan (recipe is below in the card!)
- Sticky Pineapple Teriyaki (I used a bottle of this
but if you’re feeling adventurous – make my homemade teriyaki sauce recipe)
but if you’re feeling adventurous – make my 
Wait…What Is An Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small kitchen appliance that uses convection heat (like an oven) to circulate air (and a bit of oil) around food, cooking it quickly.
If you’re a fan of deep fried food, but are trying to cut out some fat from your diet – or you just hate the way the oil smell lingers in your house for days after using your deep fryer – an air fryer may be for you!
My personal favorite air fryer recipes include air fryer chicken legs, chicken breasts, and fried shrimp. French fries, roasted garlic, and fried green plantains (aka tostones) also come together super quickly! The cooking time is SO much faster, plus you aren’t heating up the house by firing up the oven – a bonus in the summer!
You can also fry burgers, cookies, pork chops, meatballs – just about anything you can imagine.
There are many different types of Air Fryers, and I actually have three!
- Hamilton Beach 2.5 Liter Digital Air Fryer
- NuWave Bravo XL Smart Oven (a Christmas gift that has 9 functions)
- Mealthy CrispLid Air Fryer Lid
I use them all interchangeably, and I love them all – but my new go-to is the CrispLid!
The Mealthy CrispLid
I have my Instant Pot on my counter all the time, and this little gadget fits on ANY 6- or 8-QUART ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER with a stainless steel pot. It simply uses the pressure cooker pot to trap the heat it conducts, and to catch al the grease that drips from the food.
Super convenient, right?! The one drawback is the amount of food that fits in a layer, which is about equivalent to a standard air fryer. But if you’re not making a huge amount of food, or don’t mind waiting, the results are delicious!
Here’s where it gets exciting – the CrispLid can also be used to broil food cooked in your pressure cooker! Want a crunchy topping on your mac and cheese? A melty cheese layer on your pasta or Buffalo Chicken Dip? Unplug your pressure cooker, pop the CrispLid on, and broil away!
The Mealthy Crisp Lid combined with your Instant Pot makes the best Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Wings!
Tips for Making Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- For best results, pat the wings dry with a paper towel before seasoning them. Remove excess moisture from the skin helps in the crisping process.
- Spray the air fryer basket AND the wings with a bit of cooking spray before frying. This step prevents sticking and helps crisp the chicken.
- You do NOT need baking powder to get crispy air fryer wings! The oil and heat do the job by themselves.
- There is also no need to preheat your air fryer. It heats quickly, so simply turn it on and get frying.
- Fry the wings at a lower temperature for most of the cook time, then increase the temperature for an additional 5 minutes to make them extra crispy.
- Don’t fail to flip the wigs at the halfway point! Both sides need to face the heat source for an even amount of time in order to brown and crisp evenly.
How To Cut Whole Chicken Wings
Fresh chicken wings are usually sold as whole wings, and in three parts – the drummette, flat, and tip. It is fine to fry them that way, but to cut them down to traditional appetizer wings size:
- Use your fingers to locate where the two joints connect.
- Carefully, using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut through the center of both joints to separate the 3 parts of the wing.
- Discard the tips (or use for chicken stock), and fry the drummettes and flats.
FAQ
Can you cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer?
If you precut and freeze your wings, or buy frozen wings from the store, you can make air fryer frozen chicken wings! Simply add an extra 10 minutes of cook time at 350 degrees F to thaw them, then toss the basket, increase air fryer temperature to 380, and follow the recipe below.
How long to cook chicken wings in the air fryer
Traditional oven-baked wings takes 45-60 minutes. Using an air fryer cuts that time in half!
Chicken wings take 24 minutes to cook in the air fryer. Extra crispy wings take 30 minutes.
How to reheat
Before reheating, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Fry at 400-degrees for 5-10 minutes, until the wings are heated through.
What To Serve With Chicken Wings
Traditionally, chicken wings are tossed IN a sauce and therefore not served with a dipping sauce. Your tastes, and what you toss yours in, will determine your sauce. Buffalo chicken wings, for example, are tossed in buffalo sauce but still come with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing to cool off the heat.
When it comes to sides, carrot and celery sticks, and/or baskets of French fries are commonly paired, though any kind of bar food would be a great companion to air fried wings. Kettle chips, onion rings, or mozzarella sticks also make a great side dish for any kind of Chicken Wings.
With the salt and pepper wings you may want to dip them into BBQ sauce or your favorite dipping sauce
How To Make Instant Pot Air Fryer Wings
Air fried chicken wings are not only a great party appetizer, they also make a satisfying weeknight dinner. It’s a great recipe with simple steps that anyone can follow.
- Separate the three parts of the wing, discarding the tips. Pat the wings dry with paper towels, then season them generously with salt and pepper. These should be about room temperature by the time you’re done cutting them.
- Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with a bit of cooking oil. Place the wings in a single layer in the basket, spraying them lightly as well.
- Set the temperature to 380 degrees F and cook for 12 minutes. Flip the wings, again lightly spraying with cooking oil, and cook another 12 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, increase the temperature to 400 degrees F. Air fry at least 5 minutes until the skin is crispy and the wings are nicely browned.
- Transfer the wings to a bowl and toss in your desired sauce. You can even return them to the air fryer if you’d like them sticky (in the case of Teriyaki or barbecue).
Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS FOR MAKING AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS:
- Avocado Oil Cooking Spray (high smoke point)
- Sharp Knife Set
- Kitchen Shears
- Mixing Bowls
(high smoke point)
LOOKING FOR MORE APPETIZER RECIPES?
If you loved this easy recipe, check out these other great appetizers!
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Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings flats and drummettes
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Separate wings into their three parts – the drummettes, flats, and tips; discard tips. Pat wings dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place wings in basket, spritzing them with the cooking spray as well.
- Set air fryer to 380 degrees F and cook for 12 minutes. Flip wings, spritz with cooking spray, then cook another 12 minutes. When cook time is up, increase temperature to 400 degrees F and cook an additional 5 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Transfer cooked wings to a large bowl and toss in sauce of choice until coated.
- If desired, return wings to the air fryer and cook 4-5 minutes until sauce is sticky. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish as desired before serving.
Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce
- In a large bowl, stir together HOT melted butter, garlic, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes. Add wings and toss until completely coated. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.
wendy says
For the CrispLid, the temperatures are only in increments of 25 degrees F so you can not turn it on to 380 degrees F. Does your recipe times work at 375 degrees F?
Susen says
Wings are the only reason I am struggling to loose fat, Lol! And this recipe is pinching me to get moving to prepare – going to try and will definitely give a feedback.