It doesn’t get much easier than this to make the best crispy chicken wings ever. They’re so good no one will complain that they aren’t deep fried.
We can’t believe how amazing chicken wings turn out in the air fryer.
Crispy, golden brown and juicy, chicken wings really don’t need many ingredients to shine. A quick toss in oil helps ensure they don’t stick to the basket, a pinch of salt and pepper to finish them when they come out of the fryer, and you’re ready to enter wing nirvana.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Chicken In The Air Fryer
Tips For Air Fryer Chicken Wings
In our Oven Baked Wings recipe, baking powder is used to help crisp up the wings, but with the air fryer, it’s not necessary. The two main tricks when it comes to cooking chicken wings in the air fryer have to do with space in the fryer and cooking temperature.
Don’t Overcrowd the Air Fryer Basket
This rule applies to just about anything we are cooking in the air fryer, but wings especially. You want there to be plenty of room for the hot air to circulate around the wings so keep them to a single layer. More space will allow for more crispness so cook in batches if needed.
If you need lots of chicken wings, it’s easier to stick to our crispy oven baked wings, although they take longer.
Increase Heat to Finish
For perfectly crispy wings, we cook them at 360°F for about 24 minutes (flipping halfway through) to cook them through evenly. Then, increase the heat to 400°F for another 5 minutes to ensure a crispy exterior.
Seasoning And Sauces
I’ve kept the recipe below simple, seasoning with just some salt and pepper. That’s because I like to dip my wings in sauce while I’m eating them. Buffalo sauce, Ranch dressing, or Blue Cheese dressing are all great choices.
If you’d like to add more flavor in the beginning, you can absolutely toss in some seasoning when you coat your wings in oil. Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or even lemon pepper seasoning like we use in our Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings. Enjoy!
More Wing Recipes
Here at TheCookful, we love chicken wings, and have perfected a variety of recipes for you to enjoy including this Air Fryer Buffalo Wings recipe.
Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings Recipe
It doesn’t get much easier than this to make the best crispy chicken wings without any guilt. They’re so good no one will complain about less grease.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 pieces 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 lb. chicken wings
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Toss wings with vegetable oil and set aside.
- Preheat air fryer for a few minutes. Arrange wings in basket, being careful not to crowd the basket.
- Cook at 360°F for 12 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 12 minutes. Turn temperature up to 400°F and cook another 5-6 minutes to crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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This post originally appeared in December 2018 and was revised and republished in August 2023.
Excellent option for the air fryer. The wings were perfect and super crisp. This method is equally as good as your oven baked version. My husband said your recipe is better than any restaurant wing in Dallas! I would like to try drumsticks as well. Any idea how long to cook? Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Chantal! You can find the drumstick instructions here – https://thecookful.com/air-fryer-chicken-drumsticks/ Enjoy!
I did them in my Actifry Air Fryer…using the paddle to stir them. They turned out perfect…so good…I feel like making them daily…LOL.
Yum! Glad it worked out so well for you, Steve.
Good
Thanks, Denice!