Air Fryer Chicken Wings

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Looking for the ultimate crispy chicken wing recipe? These Air Fryer Chicken Wings are your go-to for quick, easy, and incredibly tasty results! With just four simple ingredients and no breading, they’re perfect for keto and gluten-free diets, all while delivering that irresistible crunch and juicy bite everyone loves.

This simple air fryer chicken wing recipe is totally foolproof! With minimal prep time, these wings are ready to serve in half an hour and come out perfectly crispy and juicy every single time!

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Chicken Wings

  • Perfectly Crispy Every Time: The air fryer ensures the skin turns out golden and crunchy, just like deep-fried wings, but with way less oil.
  • Healthier Option: These wings are cooked with minimal butter and no breading, making them keto-friendly, gluten-free, and low-carb.
  • Quick and Easy: With only 5 minutes of prep and simple steps, you’ll have a batch of delicious wings ready in under 30 minutes.
  • Customizable Flavor: Whether you love them plain, spicy, or tangy, you can easily add your favorite seasonings or sauces.
  • No Mess Cooking: Forget about dealing with pots of oil or messy pans; the air fryer does all the work with minimal cleanup.

Have you made wings in your air fryer yet? Oh my gosh, they are the best! They are so simple and easy to make and the results are out of this world! The skin is so wonderfully browned and crispy and the meat is so wonderfully plump and juicy. You’ll never cook wings any other way!

If you don’t own an air fryer yet, click here for the model I recommend.

These wings aren’t breaded, so they are gluten-free as well as being low carb and keto friendly. Compared to traditional deep frying, they use a lot less oil, so are a great healthier choice.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients

These simple wings only require 4 ingredients, so you have no excuse not to try them!

  • Chicken Wings – The star of the dish, delivering juicy and tender meat.
  • Butter – Adds richness and helps create that golden crispy skin.
  • Salt and Pepper – The perfect simple seasoning duo to enhance the natural flavors of the wings.

For exact measurements of the ingredients, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article.

Kitchen Tools You Need To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings

  • Air Fryer – The key appliance for achieving crispy, perfectly cooked wings without deep frying.
  • Mixing Bowl – Essential for tossing the wings with butter and seasonings.
  • Tongs – Handy for flipping the wings halfway through cooking and removing them from the air fryer.
  • Measuring Spoons – Ensures precise measurement of salt, pepper, and butter for consistent flavor.

Cooked wings in the air fryer

How To Make Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer

It’s so quick and easy to make these wings. It requires just 5 minutes prep and the cooking is pretty much hands off.

Put chicken wings in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with melted butter and toss with your hands until the wings are evenly coated with butter and salt and pepper.
Put wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Wings n the air fryer before cooking

Cook at 390F for 25 minutes, flipping the wings with tongs after 15 minutes so they evenly brown on both sides.

Taking teh wings out of the air fryer with tongs

What do you serve with chicken wings?

These chicken wings are great to serve as an appetizer alongside some ranch or buffalo dip and some celery sticks. My Sriracha Chili Dipping Sauce is also a great addition!

You can also serve these wings as a main alongside a fresh salad or fries. Try them with:

Taking the basket out of the air fryer

Why make wings in the air fryer?

These wings taste just like they are deep fried, but without the need for all that oil. Other than flipping the wings halfway through cooking, the method is pretty hands off, leaving you to get on with other things. They crisp up so well and they are super juicy and succulent. I love not having to mess around with a pot of hot oil!

Tips For Success

  • Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: Arrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Overlapping them can cause steaming instead of crisping. If you have a large batch, cook in multiple batches for the best results.
  • Pat Wings Dry: Before seasoning, pat the wings dry with paper towels. Removing excess moisture helps them crisp up more effectively in the air fryer.
  • Flip for Even Cooking: Use tongs to flip the wings halfway through cooking. This ensures they brown evenly and stay juicy.
  • Season Generously: Don’t skimp on salt and pepper! These simple ingredients bring out the best in the chicken. Feel free to add spices like garlic powder, paprika, or cayenne for extra flavor.
  • Preheat the Air Fryer (Optional): While not always necessary, preheating your air fryer for a couple of minutes can help achieve maximum crispiness.

air fryer chicken wings on a white plate

Variations and Substitutions

  • Spicy Buffalo Wings: Toss the cooked wings in Buffalo sauce or your favorite hot sauce for a fiery kick. For extra heat, add a sprinkle of cayenne or chili powder to the butter mixture before cooking.
  • Garlic Parmesan Wings: After cooking, toss the wings in a mixture of melted butter, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese for a rich, savory twist.
  • Lemon Pepper Wings: Add lemon zest and a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning to the wings before cooking for a zesty flavor.
  • Herb-Infused Wings: Sprinkle dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano onto the wings for a fragrant and earthy flavor.
  • Saucy BBQ Wings: Brush your wings with barbecue sauce after they are cooked and return them to the air fryer for a couple of minutes to caramelize.

Storing and reheating air fried chicken wings

Wings, of course, are best served as soon as they are cooked so that the skin is crispy. But, if you have leftovers, don’t fret, as they are easy to reheat!

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge (click here for my favorite containers). They will keep well for up to 3 days.

Reheat the cooked wings in an pre heated air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes. They will come out wonderfully crispy like they have just been cooked!  Of course you can also reheat the wing in the microwave as well.

The air fryer wings in a basket

Can you cook frozen wings in an air fryer?

I find that the best results are from fresh wings, if you have frozen I would suggest that you defrost them in the fridge the night before you want to make this recipe. If you are in a hurry, you can cook wings straight from frozen, they will take about 30 to 35 minutes to cook and you will need to flip them every 5 to 7 minutes. You can then toss the wings in your favorite sauce.

The wings in an air fryer basket on a red background

Chicken wings rub

The rub for these wings is really simple, just some melted butter, salt and pepper. The butter helps to get the wings really nice and crispy. If you like, you can add other seasonings to the rub, like dried herbs, chili flakes or paprika.

I love these wings just as they are, but if you prefer your wings saucy, once they come out of the air fryer you can toss them in a little buffalo sauce to serve.

Holding a chicken wing

Can you double this wing recipe?

Yes, you can double this recipe, but be aware that the chicken wings should be placed in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If the basket is crowded, the chicken wings can create steam and they won’t crisp up as well.

Picking up a chicken wing from a plate

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

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Air Fryer Chicken Wings

These air fryer chicken wings are amazing! Perfectly crispy wings, so quick and easy to make in the air fryer! Air fried wings for the win!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer wings, chicken wings, crispy wings
Cooking Method: Air Fryer
Diet: Gluten-Free, Keto / Low-Carb, Paleo
Servings: 4
Calories: 161kcal

Recipe Video

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken wings
  • 1 tbsp butter melted
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Recommended Kitchen Tools (click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe)

Instructions

  • Put chicken wings in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with melted butter and toss with your hands until the wings are evenly coated with butter and salt and pepper.
  • Put wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping the wings with tongs halfway through the cooking time so they evenly brown on both sides.

Notes

Make these wings into Buffalo wings by brushing them with my homemade Buffalo sauce recipe before cooking :)
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Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 96mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love the idea of pairing them with ranch or buffalo dip, and the Sriracha Chili Dipping Sauce. It’s 👌

5 from 3 votes

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