These air fryer chicken wings are crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. By tapping the magic of the air fryer, you nix the need for heaps of oil and get perfect wings in a fraction of the time.
Love chicken wings? You have to try our 3-ingredient baked chicken wings while you’re at it.
Air fryer chicken wings are so super crispy, you’ll find yourself doing a double-take. But no matter how hard you look, you won’t find a deep fryer in sight. If you find yourself craving wings more often than you’d like to admit, this recipe can be whipped up in under 30 minutes and be incorporated into any wholesome diet.
For those who can’t get enough fried foods, the air fryer has been a huge savior. By using hot, circulating air, it crisps up these wings, while keeping them melt in your mouth juicy on the inside. This is all achieved with just a couple of coats of cooking spray. Amazing.
Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or having a few friends over to watch a football game, these wings are about to become your new go-to.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Video Tutorial
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air fryer chicken wings come together in three, simple steps. Below, find a high-level overview of the recipe.
- Toss wings with seasoning: Toss your wings in your seasoning, making sure each has been adequately coated.
- Air fry the chicken wings: Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer tray, flipping about 3/4ths of the way through.
- Serve: Serve wings fresh out of the air fryer with your favorite dipping sauces.
Tips for Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Below, find a couple of tried-and-true tips for making extra crispy air fryer chicken wings.
- Always spray the basket. Give the air fryer basket a generous coating of cooking spray before popping your wings in. This will prevent them from sticking and burning. You don’t need too much oil, just enough so that the entire tray is covered. Remember, the air fryer works a lot of magic with very little oil!
- Start the temperature low and then go high. Begin cooking chicken wings at a lower temperature and then turn up the heat to achieve maximum crispiness. This is much like the effect a broiler has in your conventional oven.
- Toss crispy wings in your favorite sauce. From buffalo sauce to bbq sauce, toss your wings in whatever you love. Just make sure to do it right when they come out of the fryer, as the sauce will stick better.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer. If you happen to have any leftovers, reheat them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. They will taste fresh as new.
- Pat wings dry before seasoning. To ensure the seasoning sticks, pat raw wings with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will also help them crisp up nicely.
Give avocado oil cooking spray a go. If you haven’t tried avocado oil cooking spray, this recipe is an awesome time to try it out. It has a wonderful, nutty flavor and it stands up to high heat well.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Wings
First off, you’ll want to whip up some homemade sauces. Light ranch is great for buffalo wings. Don’t forget to cut up some strips of carrots and celery to dip in the ranch as well. You could also make a homemade BBQ sauce with just a few ingredients you likely already have hanging around in your kitchen.
To make a well-rounded meal, pair your wings with air fryer french fries (you already have the air fryer out, why not use it again?) or a homemade caesar salad.
FAQ
Can you stack wings in an Air Fryer?
It is best to not stack wings in an air fryer. Layering wings prevents them from getting enough attention from the hot air circulating in the air fryer chamber. If you must layer the wings, be sure to toss them every 3-5 minutes.
How many wings can I cook in an Air Fryer?
Depending on the size of your basket, you will be able to cook a varying amount of chicken wings at a time. Mine fits about 10 chicken wings laying flat. The key here is not stacking your wings! If you stack your wings, you will prevent them from crisping up evenly. A general rule of thumb is to cover the bottom of your basket in one, single layer.
What temperature do you air fry chicken wings?
Cook your air fryer wings at 380°F for the first round of cooking. Then, crank up the heat to 400°F to make the skin extra crispy.
Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?
Raw chicken is great for cooking in an air fryer. Your chicken will cook super fast and get crispy in a fraction of the time it takes to bake.
Can you air fry frozen chicken wings?
You can absolutely air fry frozen chicken wings. Just be mindful that you’ll need to increase the cooking time a bit to compensate.
Do I have to pat dry the wings before cooking?
You should always pat your wings dry before cooking. This removes excess moisture, helps the seasoning stick better, and also helps the wings get as crispy as possible.
What is the best air fryer?
COSORI Air Fryer Max XL is a great option. It has 13 different settings and a huge tray that can feed up to 3-5 people.
Making Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Advance
- Marinate overnight. Giving your wings a full 24 hours to marinate will ensure optimal flavor. Leave them in a plastic storage bag overnight and simply pop in the air fryer when you’re ready to eat.
- Freezing for later. Make a batch of air fryer chicken wings. Allow them to completely cool. Line them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Pop the baking sheet uncovered into the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Frozen wings should stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Reheat Leftovers: Reheat cooked chicken wings in an air fryer at 360°F for 4 minutes. Turn the heat to 400°F and cook for 5 more minutes. This will bring the chicken to its original crispy state.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Love your air fryer? Here are a couple more full-proof recipes to try out:
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings – Air fryer wings with a tangy sauce
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower (No Breading) – Vegetarian cauliflower wings in a tangy sauce
- Easy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – Perfect baked potatoes
- Air Fryer Bacon – Bacon with less mess
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic parsley salt
- pepper to taste
- cooking spray or a tbsp of olive oil to coat the air fryer tray
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients. Pat your wings dry of any excess moisture using a paper towel.
- In a large bowl, toss your wings with paprika, garlic parsley salt, and pepper.
- Coat your air fryer tray in cooking spray. Place chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer tray. Bake them at 380°F for 15 minutes. Toss the wings. Set heat to 400°F and bake them for 5 more minutes. Note: Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your wings.
- Serve chicken wings hot out of the air fryer, tossed with your favorite sauce or plain.
I recently purchased the Gourmia Digital Air Fryer, so far I really like it.
How do you keep the wings warm after you take them out and put in another batch or two. Hard to make for 4 people if you are supposed to eat them while hot.
Hi Brenda, you can cover the wings with foil to keep them hot. You can also put them into a warm oven while covered until you are ready to serve. Thank you for reaching out. I hope this helps, enjoy!
Don't cover them with foil, they'll lose their crispness.
Hi Lorraine, Thank you for the tip!
Just made for Super Bowl! Perfect yummy ,crunchy, tasty. Best recipe ever
Hi Cathy, I love it! I am thrilled that you love this recipe. Thank you for your feedback. Enjoy!
Hi, just made it for dinner. I used my new Air Fryer for the first time and made it. Followed your instructions and it was delicious. Served it with ranch dressing. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for posting.
Natasha, I love that you got to try this recipe in your new Air fryer. This is actually one of my favorite things to make in the Air Fryer. Thank you for sharing!
My Actifry doesn't have a temp gauge. ☹️ How shall I proceed??
Hi Charmaine, I would read the manual to see how you set the temperature. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for your help.Just got my air fryer. Don't know how to fry anything yet. Now I do, again thanks.
you are going to love it it does as much as your oven does but quicker and nicer..i made my first pancakes this morning and they were better than IHOPs ..im very happy with mine ..you can cook almost everything a turkey wont fit many fryers ...just enjoy...look up air fryer recipes theyre all here.
Hi John - Welcome to the club. We are obsessed. Let us know if you have any questions as you get more familiar with the fun appliance. 🙂
Looks delish!! What could I use if I don't have garlic parsley salt on hand? Could I make and simply use garlic salt instead?
Hi Kathryn - 100%, you can use whatever seasoning you like best. Let me now how they turn out!
I made these wings yesterday and they were so good! I love how quick and easy it was to make them also. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks Angelika! Appreciate the kind words and glad you enjoyed these tasty wings. So easy and on repeat in our home!
I bought a pack of wings and fried half the traditional way, and the second half in the air fryer. The air fryer was SO much better!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Melly - Right?! Air fryer wings are such a game changer. I always crave them. Glad you loved and hope you found the video helpful too.
Thank you. Just bought an air fryer yesterday at Costcos. $39.99
How exciting! You have so many yummy recipes to try now 🙂
Thanks for tip about using frozen wings. I always forget to take them out of the freezer, so this will really be useful!
So convenient on those days when you forget to thaw them, right? Let us know how you enjoy the recipe once you try it! 🙂
I just made these, delicious!!
Thank you, Cindy! Glad you enjoyed them.
i made chicken legs in my air fryer and the recipe i use was Kentucky fry chicken and by George they tasted just like the real ones. you can find the recipe on line. and my air fry is nonstick but i still spray it down with olive oil. no problems. thanks for your recipe i’m going to make them this weekend.
You're welcome, Charlene. Enjoy, and let us know how the chicken wings come out!
i made these chicken wings and you can sweet bootie i will definitely make them again. sooo good
Glad you enjoyed them, Charlene! Thanks for updating us.
These turned out delicious! Only thing I changed is:
Prep wings as directed in recipe (add whatever seasoning you desire)
400 Degrees setting (highest mine goes)
7-8 minutes skin side down
8 minutes skin side up - Wings are done after this
Every time I have had them like this (9-10 times) they are cooked fully and crispy. This is for average/normal size wings, if they are larger, I would increase time on the skin side up.
Thank you for the helpful feedback, Matt! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
BEST chicken wings ever. Used smoked paprika and served them with a sweet chili dipping sauce. These are spectacular and so easy. Reduced final cooking time to 3 minutes and the wings were perfect.
Hello, Helene. Chili dipping sauce sound like the perfect sauce for these wings. Glad you enjoyed them, thank you for sharing!
Can I freeze these after baking?
Hi Alyson - You can! Lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, pop them in the freezer uncovered. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. To reheat them, pop them back in the air fryer until warmed through and crispy. Hope this helps and Happy New Year!
why cant you print receipt ?
Hi Harry - You actually can print the recipe. If you click "Jump to the Recipe", they'll be a button that says "Print Recipe" that will pull up a printer-friendly document to print. Hope this helps and thanks for reaching out!
I tried this recipe today and absolutely delicious. Teriyaki and blue cheese dressing was my choice of sauces and I will never fry wings again. Thank you
Hi Aza - Amazing! So happy you enjoyed them. Air frying is so much easier and less messier than deep frying. Also, teriyaki wings sound BOMB!
Delish,,, Crispy and tasty. Super simple and the wings turned out crispy not rubbery.
So glad you enjoyed them, thank you for your feedback!
How many servings would be the 184 calories?
That would be around 2 wings.
So wings can't be made low calorie no matter how you cook them. Bummer.
Air Frying them is still much healthier than deep frying! Hope you still give them a try, Sonnig! 🙂
And...didnt state. But when finally saw video..to spray Air Fryer!!!
This step is totally optional.
Thanks for sharing this wing recipe! Simply delicious and turned out perfect! Definitely will be the way I do wings from now on!
Rebecca, I'm so glad you loved this wing recipe and that it will become a staple, that is one of the best compliments!
when do you toss them?
If you are stack wings in an air fryer you should toss them every 5 minutes.
My new favorite chicken wing recipe--thanks for making this so easy!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Amy! Thank you for your feedback.
This will be the second time I make these. First time I only had a few wings to try & it wasn’t enough. This is the first & only recipe I’ve tried for the wings. They taste amazing!! This time I have more wings! These will be the only wings I ever make; mostly for game days!
Chris, I am so happy to hear this. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, it made my day!
I don't know what garlic parsley salt is but I substituted and it came out delicious. First time I made these with Spanish paprika, garlic powder and salt. The second time I made these I used smoked paprika, garlic powder, lemon pepper and salt. Both times my family ate them up. Thank you for the easy family friendly recipe.
Garlic parsley salt is a seasoning I usually get at Costco. I love the two different versions. This is such a great recipe to experiment with!
The calories are given by “a serving.” How many wings in a serving?
Hey Chet, it's usually 2 wings per servings.
I have about 24 full chicken wings including the tip wing, and drumstick and I used 2 tbs of garlic parsley and 2tbs of paprika with 1tbs of cajun for half and for the other one I used 2 tbs of garlic parsley and 1 tbs of paprika with 1tbs of cajun and 1tbs of chili flakes Its marinating inside my fridge right now If I could get a quick reply wether this is to much or not that'd be great 😀
Hey, I haven't tried your combo so I am not sure. Let me know how it comes out.
I just used my air fryer to reheat some wings I had as leftovers from pluckers, I re-tossed them in sauce and wah-lah! you're recipe was really helpful, thanks so much !
Carolyn, I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Yes reheating in an air fryer is the easiest task, perfect for days when you don't want to cook.
I have a question. Everything I have read says not to use an oil spray, in your air fryer. Especially if you have a non stick one. So what do you do,to keep them from sticking? Can you just lightly coat them in oil or will that take away from the crispyness.
You can buy parchment for the air fryer. It already has the holes so your protein will cook and fat drains through .
Really cook, I need to get my hands on that!!! 🙂
i have made french fries in an airfryer and i used a regular vegetable oil and they came out delicious . I don't think it does anything to the specific fryer, but I didn't pour the oil in the fryer directly i tossed it on my fries.
Yep, I do the same thing!
It’s my understanding that there are different sprays. For example Pam is a none stick spray( I would not use that) and then there are oil sprays. Example is like olive oil spray, canola oil spray, coconut oil spray, etc It is my understanding they are ok. But I usually use just regular cooking oil on a paper towel and wipe the air fryer basket with it and use the spray on my food.
I use an avocado oil spray. It's great!
I use the same thing. About to make these and coat them in Frank’s hot sauce. I have a large amount so planning. On keeping them warm in the oven. Normally grill our wings but its to cold to stand out side.
Hey Pam, you can spray your basket with oil. I do that for some recipes. That should be totally fine.
For fresh chicken wings it takes 25-35 minutes to reach crispy in a air fryer. But you cooked yours on video 15/5 minutes. I guess if internal temp is 160F then I am good. The times are confusing. I will try 370F for 15 minutes and then 400F at 15 minutes and see how that does. If needed I will give it 15M more at 400F
I always add baking soda to the rub I use on my wings. I use equal amounts of :
Butt rub
Baking soda
Apply it to dry wings,
I tried this with baking soda & it was gross. Other recipes called for baking powder which I think is correct.
It’s supposed to be baking POWDER
Norm, this is very interesting. Thank you for sharing!
Kathy, this is very interesting. I want to try your version.
Hey Chet, it can depend on air fryer you use. I use mine for 15 minutes and later 5 more minutes at 400F. Also, also it depends on how large the wings are.