Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings: A Quick, Crispy Treat

Cooking frozen boneless chicken wings in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a tasty snack or meal. There are a few simple steps to follow to ensure your chicken wings are cooked to perfection. First, preheat your air fryer to 375–400°F. Then, prepare your chicken wings by cutting them into bite-sized pieces and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Next, place the chicken wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not overcrowded. Spray the chicken wings with olive oil or avocado oil and cook for 13–25 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken wings, so it's important to use a meat thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Once your chicken wings are cooked, you can toss them in your favorite sauce, such as buffalo, barbecue, or honey buffalo sauce. Serve with carrot and celery sticks and a dipping sauce like blue cheese or ranch dressing.

How to Make Frozen Boneless Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer

How to cook frozen boneless chicken wings in an air fryer

Cooking frozen boneless chicken wings in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a tasty snack or meal. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you achieve the best results.

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Firstly, cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. You can also use chicken tenders for this recipe. If your chicken pieces are frozen together, you may need to microwave them for around 30 seconds to separate them.

Step 2: Bread the Chicken (optional)

For an extra crispy coating, you can bread your chicken pieces. Start by whisking a couple of eggs in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. You can also add a little chilli pepper if you like it spicy!

Now, dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, and then coat them in the flour mixture. Make sure the chicken is well-covered.

Step 3: Preheat the Air Fryer

Set your air fryer to 375-400°F. You may want to spray the basket with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Step 4: Cook the Chicken

Place the chicken pieces into the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Spray the chicken with olive oil or avocado oil spray to help them crisp up.

Cook for around 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces, so keep an eye on them. The internal temperature should reach 165°F when they are done.

Step 5: Make a Sauce (optional)

While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare a sauce. A simple buffalo sauce can be made by melting butter and mixing it with hot sauce. You can also add honey for a sweeter sauce, or try something different like teriyaki, BBQ, or gochujang.

Step 6: Toss the Chicken in the Sauce

Once your chicken is cooked, place it in a bowl and toss it with your chosen sauce. Serve immediately with a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing, and some celery and carrot sticks.

Tips:

• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary.
• If your chicken is saucy, it may not stay crispy for long, so serve and eat straight away.
• If you want to reheat any leftovers, pop them back in the air fryer for a few minutes.
• You can also cook from frozen. Simply increase the cooking time to 20-25 minutes, checking regularly.

How to make a buffalo sauce to go with the wings

Now that you've got your frozen boneless chicken wings cooking in the air fryer, it's time to make a buffalo sauce to go with them. Here's a detailed, direct, and instructive guide on how to make a delicious buffalo sauce.

Ingredients:

• Hot sauce: Use a cayenne-pepper hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot, Crystal Hot Sauce, or Tabasco.
• Butter: This adds richness and a silky texture to the sauce. You can use unsalted butter or vegan butter.
• Honey: This is optional, but it balances the heat and adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce. You can substitute honey with agave nectar or brown sugar.
• Garlic powder: This adds a savory, umami flavor to the sauce. Alternatively, you can use fresh grated or minced garlic cloves.
• Paprika: This adds an earthy, peppery complexity to the sauce.
• White vinegar: This is optional, but it adds a pleasant tanginess to the sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce: This deepens the flavor of the sauce.
• Cayenne pepper: This adds extra heat to the sauce, so use it if you like your sauce spicy!

Instructions:

• Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan or pot. Keep the heat low to prevent the butter from browning, as this will affect the color and taste of your sauce.
• Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the hot sauce, honey, garlic powder, and any other optional ingredients you're using.
• Whisk the ingredients together until they form a smooth, cohesive sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Your buffalo sauce is now ready to be used! You can toss your cooked chicken wings in the sauce or serve it as a dipping sauce on the side.

Storing and Reheating:

Buffalo sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The sauce will harden in the fridge due to the butter, so when you're ready to use it again, simply reheat it gently over low heat and whisk or shake it until it's smooth again.

There you have it! A delicious, homemade buffalo sauce to go with your frozen boneless chicken wings. Enjoy your wings and don't forget to serve them with some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and your favorite dipping sauce like blue cheese or ranch dressing!

How to reheat boneless wings in an air fryer

If you have leftover boneless chicken wings, you can reheat them in an air fryer to achieve crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside perfection.

Step 1: Prepare the Air Fryer and Wings

Preheat your air fryer to 350-375°F (177-191°C). Take your wings out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. Place the wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between them to allow for even cooking and crisping. If your air fryer is too small to fit all the wings, cook them in batches.

Step 2: Reheat the Wings

Reheat the wings for 2-8 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The exact cook time will depend on the number of wings and your air fryer, but make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

Step 3: Serve the Wings

Remove the wings from the air fryer and serve immediately. You can also baste the wings with your favorite sauce or serve them with a dipping sauce.

Tips:

• If you are reheating sauced wings, consider using a small air fryer pan, tin foil, or parchment paper to prevent the sauce from sticking to the air fryer basket.
• If your wings are overlapped or touching, add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
• For best results, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the wings are thoroughly heated.
• Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to cook frozen Tyson boneless chicken bites in an air fryer

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Tyson Boneless Chicken Bites (Frozen)
• Your favourite dip (optional)

Method

• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
• Remove the chicken from its packaging.
• Place the chicken bites in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are arranged in a single layer. A little overlap is allowed, but do not overcrowd the basket.
• Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until heated through and crispy. Remember to flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time.
• Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F.
• Once cooked, serve your air fryer Tyson Boneless Chicken Bites with your chosen dip.

Tips

• Avoid crowding the air fryer basket to ensure even cooking.
• Always check the internal temperature to ensure the chicken is cooked safely.
• Use tongs to flip the chicken bites for even browning.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator and consume within 2-3 days.

Tips for the best air fryer boneless wings

Don't Crowd the Basket

Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This ensures that the hot air can circulate around each piece of chicken, creating an even and crispy result. If your air fryer is too small to fit all the wings, cook them in two batches.

Use Your Favorite Sauce

Making a homemade buffalo wing sauce is always a winner, but feel free to get creative with the sauce you toss your wings in after air frying. Or make a combination! Fill a platter with some of the buffalo flavor, some wings in barbecue sauce, and even a spicy sriracha sauce.

Use Chicken Tenders

You can use chicken tenders instead of bite-sized pieces for this recipe. These chicken strips make a perfect lunch on their own, even without sauce. It’s a great way to serve this easy recipe for people who do not like spice.

Make Them Gluten-Free

Cooking for someone with a gluten allergy? Swap out the all-purpose flour for almond flour or rice flour for gluten-free crispy chicken wings.

Don't Overcrowd the Basket

Only cook a single layer of wings at a time. You need plenty of airflow in between your chicken wings for them to cook thoroughly.

Add More Spice

If you want your honey buffalo sauce to have more heat, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper until you reach your desired flavor.

Use a Meat Thermometer

Always make sure your wings have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming.

Don't Overcook

The total cook time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces. After a total of 10 minutes of cook time, check the chicken for doneness. They may take as long as 15 minutes.

Frequently asked questions