If you just got a new air fryer and are wondering how to make chicken wings in an air fryer, you’re in the right spot! Making chicken wings in the air fryer are a quick and simple way to get the fried crisp and taste of fried wings, without all the fat and guilt.
This easy air fryer chicken wings recipe includes step-by-step-instructions for making delicious simple wings with just garlic salt, pepper, and oil, and also for making air fryer buffalo chicken wings.
If you love air fryer recipes, then be sure to check out our posts on air fryer boneless pork chops and turkey (air fryer of course – perfect for the holidays!)
A printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post!
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Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
We just purchased our air fryer (this is the model we bought-love it!), and cooking chicken wings in the air fryer was the very first item on the list to master! And BOY did we do it!
After tons of research, we decided to purchase an air fryer/toaster oven combo and it replaced our old countertop toaster oven. Instant Pot sells another model through Walmart will most of the same features but for less.
We were so determined to create the perfect air fryer chicken wing recipe, that we made air fryer wings 4 times in the first week! I will disclose, we had NO problem at all eating wings this many times because….
…..they were just THAT GOOD!
When you have delicious, crispy chicken wings, they’re seriously the best even without coating them in a sauce. And to be honest, air fried chicken wings are so yummy cooking them with oil, garlic salt, and pepper with no sauce added is our FAVORITE way to eat chicken wings.
Why This Recipe Works
- Making crispy air fryer chicken wings takes only 20 minutes to cook
- You can skip the deep frying but still have that fried juicy texture
- Just simple ingredients are needed to make this delicious wings recipe
- Oven-baked wings don’t get as crisp, yet take more than double the cooking time
- The air fryer fried wings are also low carb, keto, dairy-free, gluten free, and paleo too.
Ingredients for Air Fried Chicken Wings
You just need 4 ingredients to make chicken wings in an air fryer, you don’t need to add much to the wings to get them delicious and flavorful.
- 1-1.5 lb chicken wing sections
- 1 Tbsp oil (canola, vegetable or olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground pepper
- Hot Wing Sauce (optional)
The classic combo of celery sticks and either blue cheese or ranch dressing, are always perfect accompaniments to go alongside your super crispy chicken wings.
Feel free to add your favorite wing sauce after cooking, but I promise you, these wings are so darn tasty you don’t need to extra sauce.
Just using 1//4 tsp fresh ground pepper was perfect for me, my husband prefers his food a little spicy, so if you want simple wings with a kick, increase the ground pepper to 1/2 tsp.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
Regardless of the air fryer model that you have, the principles and steps will still be the same. Some models do cook faster than others, so I’d suggest referring to your owner’s manual to see what they consider the ideal cook time for the air fryer wings recipe. OR use this recipe as a starting point, and just add a little cooking time if needed.
Prepping the Wings
We purchased pre-trimmed wings that are already divided into sections.
Dry the wings in between two layers of paper towels. Removing the extra water from the outside of the wings will make these extra crispy during cooking.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the chicken wings, oil, salt, and pepper.
Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, this isn’t essential but it does make for easier clean-up after your wings are cooked.
Lay the wings in a single layer on the air fryer basket, making sure to leave a little space in between each wing to help with circulation. The Instant Pot Omni Plus air fryer model that we have held about 14 chicken wing sections for one batch.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Cook Time
Cook the chicken wings on 400F for 9 minutes and then flip.
Continue cooking for 11 more minutes until the skin is crispy. Check your wings after a total cook time of 18 minutes, all air fryer models are just a little bit different.
We’ve also made the air fryer chicken wings recipe without flipping the wings and they are just as delicious! If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to deal with flipping the wings, it’s perfectly fine to skip this step. The total cook time of 18-20 minutes would still be the same.
If you want to add a store-bought wing sauce like Frank’s Red Hot, you’ll want to air fry the wings first and then brush the sauce on after the wings are done cooking. To get a slightly charred appearance, just broil the wings for 30 seconds in either with your air fryer broiler (be sure to move the rack to the top setting) or pop in your regular oven to broil.
How to Bake Chicken Wings in the Oven
Don’t have an air fryer yet but want to know how to cook these delicious and easy wings in your oven?
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Simply cook on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil for a total cook time of 45-50 minutes, until crispy and cooked through. Be sure to flip your wings after 30 minutes.
Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Another reason these air fryer fried chicken wings are so popular, is that they fit with most dietary plans! If you’re following a keto diet like my husband, you’ll be happy to hear that these are keto air fryer chicken wings too.
Since just a few simple ingredients are used, the wings are low carb, don’t need starch to make them crispy, have no added sugar, or artificial ingredients.
That makes them not only keto air fryer chicken wings, but also paleo, and gluten free too.
Other Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Fajita Chicken Bake
- Green Chili Chicken Recipe Bake
- Enchilada Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Chicken Broccoli Divan Casserole
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Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Air fryer chicken wings are so juicy, crisp, and easy! With a cook time of only 18-20 minutes, cooking chicken wings in an air fryer will be your new favorite method. Keto, low carb, paleo, dairy-free, wheat-free, and gluten-free too.
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb chicken wing sections
- 1 Tbsp oil (canola, vegetable or olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground pepper
- Hot Wing Sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Dry the wings in between two layers of paper towels. Removing the extra water from the outside of the wings will make these extra crispy during cooking.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the chicken wings, oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, this isn't essential but it does make for easier clean-up after your wings are cooked.
- Lay the wings in a single layer on the air fryer basket, making sure to leave a little space in between each wing to help with circulation. The Instant Pot Omni Plus air fryer model that we have held about 14 chicken wing sections for one batch.
- Cook the chicken wings on 400F for 9 minutes and then flip.
- Continue cooking for 11 more minutes until the skin is crispy. Check your wings after a total cook time of 18 minutes, all air fryer models are just a little bit different.
- We've also made the air fryer chicken wings recipe without flipping the wings and they are just as delicious! If you're in a hurry or don't want to deal with flipping the wings, it's perfectly fine to skip this step. The total cook time of 18-20 minutes would still be the same.
- If you want to add a store-bought wing sauce like Frank's Red Hot, you'll want to air fry the wings first and then brush the sauce on after the wings are done cooking. To get a slightly charred appearance, just broil the wings for 30 seconds in either with your air fryer broiler (be sure to move the rack to the top setting) or pop in your regular oven to broil.
Recommended Products
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Maria says
Can I use frozen wings if I defrost them first? I haven’t been able to find fresh trimmed wings cut into sections.
WholeLottaYum says
Hi Maria, You can also cut the wings into sections yourself if that’s the only kind your store has. And yes! you can cook wings from frozen also, they won’t turn out as crispy but they’ll still be delicious! We have an entire post on cooking frozen chicken wings in an air fryer https://wholelottayum.com/air-fryer-frozen-chicken-wings/