Air Fryer Chicken Wings

In my book, it's not really a Super Bowl party without chicken wings. Crispy wings drenched in an irresistible sauce (or flavorful dry rub) is the perfect snack to power me through any game day. While I love our classic buffalo wings, sometimes I just don't have the patience (or time) to turn the oven on. The solution? The air fryer. If you're short on time (or want to avoid a messy kitchen), making this party staple in the air fryer is faster, less-involved, and results in extra-crispy wings ready to be drenched in your favorite sauces and seasonings.

Keep reading down below for all of my tips on how to make the crispiest wings possible in everyone's favorite kitchen gadget:

What People Are Saying:
“Been making these wings this exact way for a couple of years now. Tried and true recipe.” - PurpleBucket

“These were the easiest wings I have ever made! My family loved them.” - BlueBeer

How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Wings: Wondering how many wings are needed to feed all your party people? 2 lbs. should feed around 4 people, and 1 lb. more feeds around 2 more people, so calculate how many pounds based on how big your crew is. Not buying by the pound? 3-4 wings per person works too. Keep in mind that you’ll have to cook in batches to ensure your wings get crispy.
• Cooking Spray: To ensure the chicken wing skin doesn’t stick to the air fryer, give the inside a spray of nonstick cooking spray.
• Hot Sauce: You can choose any hot sauce you please, but Frank’s Red Hot is a personal favorite. Not feeling Buffalo? Use one of our other wing sauce recipes.
• Butter: Melted butter adds that body and richness to our Buffalo sauce.
• Worcestershire Sauce: A little bit of Worcestershire sauce adds a tangy, savory flavor to our Buffalo sauce. We don’t always add this to our Buffalo sauces, so if you don’t have it you can leave it out, but it really adds another layer of flavor that I can’t get enough of.
• Garlic Powder: Instead of adding garlic powder to our chicken wings, I’m adding some into the Buffalo sauce for another layer of savory flavor.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Add your wings to a bowl, and season them well with kosher salt and pepper. Then, give them a toss to make sure they are coated evenly. Next, spray the inside of your air fryer with nonstick cooking spray to prevent any sticking.

Add your wings in an even layer in the air fryer (don’t be tempted to crowd the basket!), and cook at 380° for around 12 minutes. Flip the wings, then cook for 12 more minutes. Increase the heat to 400°, then cook for 5 minutes more to lock in that crispy exterior.

While they’re cooking, make your Buffalo sauce by combining melted butter, Buffalo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Once your wings are done, add them to the bowl, and toss to fully coat. Serve with your desired sauce, and get to dipping!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How to make crispy wings in the air fryer. For the crispiest possible wings, pat your chicken wings completely dry with paper towels before seasoning. Even better, let your wings chill uncovered in the refrigerator for an hour or two beforehand. My second tip for extra-crispy wings? Cook your wings in a single layer in the air fryer. Crowding you basket will result in wings that aren’t as crisp or evenly cooked, and nobody wants that.
• How long should I cook my wings in the air fryer? Overall, my wings took around 30 minutes to cook. I first set the air fryer to 380° and cooked the wings for 12 minutes before flipping, then cooked for 12 minutes more. I then increase the heat to 400° and cook for a final 5 minutes for perfectly crisp wings.
• Dipping sauces. Blue cheese is always a great option, but if you’re a ranch fan, I would be remiss if I didn't suggest you try making your own ranch dressing. The cooling tartness of buttermilk + lots of fresh herbs perfectly compliments these wings.
  

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Variations

This recipe is a great base for all kinds of wings. Of course, you can keep it classic with buffalo sauce, but you can also switch it up with any of your favorite flavors and sauces. Our ranch wings, apricot glazed wings, or garlic-Parmesan wings would all be great here.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, pop them in the air fryer or oven to crisp them back up.