Air Fryer Hot Wings: Timing For Spicy Perfection

How Long Do You Cook Wings in an Air Fryer?

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings are a quick and easy way to make delicious wings at home. The cooking time for Air Fryer Chicken Wings varies depending on the size of the wings and the desired level of crispiness. On average, it takes around 20 minutes to cook chicken wings in an air fryer, but this can range from 16 to 30 minutes.

- Pat the chicken wings dry before seasoning and cooking. This helps remove excess moisture and ensures crispy skin.

- Season the chicken wings generously with salt and other desired seasonings.

- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Leave space between the wings to allow for air circulation, which is crucial for crispy skin. Cook in batches if needed.

- Shake or flip the wings during cooking to ensure even cooking and browning.

- For extra crispy wings, increase the air fryer temperature to 390-400°F for the last few minutes of cooking.

- Toss the cooked wings in your favorite sauce, such as buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or honey garlic sauce.

Air Fryer Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken wings (drums and flats)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for serving

Method

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
• Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• In a bowl, season the chicken wings with salt, white pepper, baking powder, and neutral oil. Mix until the wings are evenly coated.
• Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not overlapping.
• Air fry the wings for 10 minutes at 400°F.
• Flip the wings and air fry for another 8-12 minutes at 400°F, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
• Meanwhile, mix the hot sauce and melted butter in a large bowl.
• Toss the cooked wings in the sauce until coated.
• Serve immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side.

Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 lbs chicken wings (drums and flats)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• First, prep the chicken wings. If they are full wings, separate them into drums and flats. Make sure they are defrosted.
• Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This step is important to ensure the wings get crispy.
• Place the wings into a bowl and add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the wings evenly with the seasoning.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes.
• Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• After 10 minutes, open the air fryer and carefully flip over the chicken wings.
• Close the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for another 8 minutes.
• Remove the chicken wings from the air fryer and serve with your favorite dips and sides.

Tips:

• For extra crispiness, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the seasoning mix. The baking powder reacts with the chicken skin to create a crispy coating.
• If your air fryer is large enough, you can double the recipe. However, you may need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes to ensure the wings are crispy.
• For a saucy option, toss the cooked wings in a mixture of melted butter and hot sauce before serving.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Lemon Pepper

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Lemon Pepper Dipping Sauce:

• 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from half the zested lemon)
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

Method:

Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and place them in a mixing bowl. Toss the wings with the oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt.

Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through or shaking and tossing the basket every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.

While the chicken wings are cooking, prepare the lemon pepper sauce by stirring together the warm butter, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt in a small bowl.

Serve the chicken wings with the dipping sauce. Alternatively, you can toss the chicken wings in a little sauce before serving.

Tips:

• Use fresh chicken wings for the juiciest and most tender results.
• Pat the chicken dry so that the seasoning sticks better to the wings.
• For maximum crispiness, chill the wings uncovered in the fridge for about 2 hours before seasoning.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken wings (drums and flats)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Ranch dressing, for serving

Method:

• First, prep the chicken wings. If the wings are full, separate them into drums and flats. Make sure they are defrosted. Pat them dry completely – this is important so they get crispy.
• Place the wings into a bowl and add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the wings evenly.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for a few minutes.
• Add the wings to the air fryer in a single layer, making sure they are not touching. Cook for 10 minutes at 400°F.
• After 10 minutes, open the air fryer and carefully flip over the chicken wings. Close the air fryer and cook at 400°F for another 8 minutes.
• Remove the chicken wings from the air fryer and serve with ranch dressing on the side.

Tips:

• For extra crispy wings, make sure the wings are completely dry before adding the oil and seasonings.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer – cook the wings in batches if necessary.
• If you like your wings spicy, try adding some cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix, or toss the cooked wings in your favorite hot sauce.
• For a healthier option, serve the wings with celery and carrot sticks on the side instead of ranch dressing.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings with BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken wings (drums and flats) (defrosted if frozen)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cups barbecue sauce, plus more if needed

Method:

First, prep the chicken wings. If they are full wings, separate them into drums and flats. Make sure they are defrosted. Pat them dry completely—this will help them get crispy.

Place the wings into a bowl and add olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the wings. Feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend.

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes. Add the wings in a single layer to the air fryer (they should not be touching) and cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the timer goes off, open the air fryer and carefully flip over the chicken wings. Close the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes.

Remove the chicken wings and transfer them to a clean bowl. Pour 2/3 cups of barbecue sauce onto the wings and mix until all the wings are coated.

Place the chicken coated in barbecue sauce back into the air fryer and heat for an additional 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve immediately. If you want extra saucy wings, place the wings back into the bowl and top with 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce.

Tips:

• Pat the wings dry before seasoning. This will help achieve extra crispy, flavorful chicken wings.
• Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Place the wings in a single layer with space in between each so the wings cook properly.
• Air fry the wings with the sauce to keep them crispy and give them a sticky, finger-licking flavor.
• Make them extra saucy if you like. After air frying the wings with the sauce, toss them in a bit more sauce if you prefer.
• Make them spicy or sweet. Add your favorite hot sauce to the barbecue sauce or add honey to your barbecue sauce for honey BBQ chicken wings.

Frequently asked questions