Air Fryer Boneless Wings: A Quick, Crispy Treat

Air fryers are a great way to cook boneless chicken wings, making them crispy without the extra calories of deep-frying. To make boneless wings in an air fryer, you'll need to cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, dunk them in egg wash, then coat them in a flour mixture. Next, spritz the air fryer with cooking spray and lay the wings in a single layer, with space around each piece for the air to circulate. Spray the wings with cooking spray or olive oil and cook for around 12-14 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

How to prepare the chicken

Firstly, clean the chicken and pat it dry. Cut the chicken into even, bite-sized pieces.

Next, set up an assembly line with the cubed chicken, eggs, and flour mixture. Dunk the chicken pieces into the egg wash, then into the dry flour mixture. Lay the battered pieces on a clean piece of parchment paper.

Spritz the air fryer with cooking spray and lay the boneless wings in the air fryer in a single layer, with a little bit of space between them to allow the air to circulate. Spray the chicken with cooking spray or olive oil spray.

How to cook the chicken

To cook boneless chicken wings in an air fryer, start by cleaning the chicken and patting it dry. Cut the chicken into even, bite-sized pieces. Next, set up three bowls: one with cubed chicken, one with whisked eggs, and one with a dry flour mixture. Dunk the chicken pieces into the egg wash, then into the flour mixture. Lay the battered pieces on a clean piece of parchment paper. Spritz the air fryer with cooking spray and lay the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure there's space around each piece for the air to circulate. Spray the chicken with cooking spray or olive oil spray.

Cooking times vary depending on the source and the size of your chicken pieces. One source recommends cooking at 400°F for 4 minutes, flipping the chicken, spraying with cooking spray, and cooking for another 4 minutes. Another source recommends cooking at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, checking the chicken before eating. A third source recommends cooking for 5 minutes, flipping the chicken, spraying with oil, and cooking until the chicken is golden brown, checking after a total of 10 minutes.

After cooking, toss the hot boneless wings in a sauce mixture of your choice.

How to make the chicken crispy

To make the chicken crispy, it's important to leave a little bit of space between each piece of chicken in the air fryer basket. This allows the air to circulate around the chicken, helping to make it crispy. You can also spritz the chicken with cooking spray or olive oil spray before cooking, and flip the chicken halfway through cooking, spraying again with oil. This will help to build crispness.

To prepare the chicken, clean and pat dry the chicken, then slice into even, bite-sized pieces. Set up an assembly line with cubed chicken, eggs, and flour mixture. Dunk the chicken pieces into the egg wash, then into the dry flour mixture. Lay the battered pieces on a clean piece of parchment paper.

The cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces, but generally, you should cook the chicken for 10-14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown.

How to make a sauce

To make a sauce for your boneless wings, you can prepare a buffalo sauce in a small saucepan while the wings are in the air fryer. Melt some butter, add the wing sauce until combined, then add a squeeze of lemon juice. You can also add almond flour, tapioca flour, chilli powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the wings in the sauce immediately after they come out of the air fryer, as the longer you wait, the less crispy the chicken batter will be.

How to cook the chicken in the oven

To cook chicken in the oven, preheat your oven to 375ºF. Clean the chicken and pat it dry. Cut the chicken into even, bite-sized pieces. Set up an assembly line with cubed chicken, eggs, and a flour mixture. Dunk the chicken pieces into the egg wash, then into the dry flour mixture. Lay the battered pieces on a clean piece of parchment paper. Place the pieces of breaded chicken on a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 17-18 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on your oven, so be sure to check the chicken before eating.

You can also mix the barbecue and buffalo sauce together with water in a large mixing bowl. Immediately toss the hot boneless wings in the sauce mixture or sauce of choice.

For a healthier option, use almond flour, tapioca flour, chilli powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper for the flour mixture.

Frequently asked questions