Description
These crispy air fryer chicken wings have incredibly crunchy skin and juicy meat, made with just a handful of seasonings and minimal oil. They’re healthier than deep-fried wings but just as delicious, perfect for game day or any day you’re craving wings!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Wings:
- 2 pounds chicken wings (drumettes and flats separated)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum-free preferred)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- Cooking spray (avocado oil or olive oil)
Optional Sauce (choose your favorite):
- ½ cup Buffalo sauce
- OR ½ cup BBQ sauce
- OR ½ cup honey garlic sauce
- OR ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- OR any wing sauce you love!
For Serving:
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Extra sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Prep the Wings: If using frozen wings, thaw them completely in the refrigerator overnight. Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels—this is crucial! The drier the skin, the crispier your wings will be. Remove any excess moisture by patting multiple times with fresh paper towels. You want them bone-dry.
- Season the Wings: In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne (if using). Whisk together until evenly mixed. Add the dried wings to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat every wing evenly with the seasoning mixture. Make sure each wing is completely coated.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 380°F for 3-5 minutes. Preheating ensures even cooking and helps achieve maximum crispiness from the start.
- Arrange Wings in Air Fryer: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Arrange the wings in a single layer in the basket, leaving space between each wing for air circulation. Don’t overcrowd! You may need to cook in batches depending on your air fryer size. Overcrowding leads to steaming instead of crisping.
- First Cook: Spray the tops of the wings lightly with cooking spray. Air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes.
- Flip Wings: After 12 minutes, carefully open the air fryer and flip each wing using tongs. Spray the other side lightly with cooking spray. This ensures even crisping on both sides.
- Second Cook: Continue cooking at 380°F for another 12-13 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown and crispy. The internal temperature should reach 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.
- Optional Crisping: For extra-crispy wings, increase the temperature to 400°F and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Toss with Sauce (Optional): If you want sauced wings, transfer the hot, crispy wings to a large bowl. Add your desired sauce and toss gently to coat evenly. For naked wings (no sauce), skip this step and serve as is with sauce on the side for dipping.
- Serve Immediately: Transfer wings to a serving platter. Serve hot with celery and carrot sticks, ranch or blue cheese dressing, and extra sauce on the side. Wings are best enjoyed immediately while at peak crispiness!
Notes
- Baking Powder is Essential: Don’t skip the baking powder! It’s the secret to ultra-crispy skin. Make sure you’re using baking powder (not baking soda) and that it’s aluminum-free to avoid any metallic taste.
- Dry Those Wings: The single most important step is thoroughly drying the wings. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Some people even let seasoned wings sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to dry out the skin further.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Wings need space for air to circulate around them. Cook in batches if necessary—crowded wings will steam and turn soggy instead of crispy.
- Adjust Cooking Time: Air fryer models vary in power and size. Start checking at 20 minutes and adjust based on your specific air fryer. Smaller wings cook faster; larger wings may need a few extra minutes.
- Sauce Timing: For the crispiest results, toss with sauce right before serving. If wings sit in sauce too long, they lose their crispiness. Alternatively, serve sauce on the side for dipping to maintain maximum crunch.
- Wing Size Matters: This recipe assumes standard-size wings. If using jumbo wings, add 3-5 minutes to cooking time. For party wings (very small), reduce time by 3-5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8-10 wing pieces (approximately ½ pound)
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 125mg