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Ever since I made garlic Parmesan chicken wings in my slow cooker last year, I’ve been adding wings to our low carb meal plan rotation more frequently. But when I got my GoWise USA Air Fryer Oven a couple months ago and discovered how to make chicken wings in an air fryer, I fell in love with them in a whole new way. This air fryer wings recipe is so crispy, you won’t believe they weren’t deep fried!
Cooking chicken wings in the air fryer is a no-brainer. It makes just about anything super crispy, and who doesn’t like crispy air fryer chicken wings?!
But, I also have a special trick I use to make this air fryer wings recipe extra crispy. I cover them in a thin layer of baking powder first! That may sound a little odd if you haven’t heard of this before. I’ll explain in a minute…
Are Air Fryer Wings Healthy?
Yes, air fryer wings are healthy! They aren’t covered in GMO oils or wheat flour like traditional fried chicken wings usually are. And, making fried chicken wings in an air fryer cuts down on some of the calories that frying them in oil would have added.
But what if you are on a keto diet? Fat is a good thing, right? Yes, the myth of “fat being bad” has been debunked (no matter what diet you follow), and it’s especially necessary for a keto diet.
However, chicken wings already have some fat on their own. It’s really not necessary to deep fry them on top of that. These are definitely keto air fryer chicken wings!
For everyone else, even if you aren’t keto, this is a great way to eat chicken without any artificial ingredients.
PRO TIP: If you are concerned about the cornstarch in baking powder, you can easily make your own without it. Simply mix 1 part baking soda with 2 parts cream of tartar.
How Do You Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer?
Can you fry frozen chicken wings in an air fryer? Sorry, no, I don’t recommend it.
If you want to make frozen wings in an air fryer, you need to thaw them first. That’s probably not the answer you were looking for, but it’s the right way to do it. And worth it!
Why Do You Need To Thaw The Wings?
Cooking frozen wings in an air fryer isn’t a good idea, because it increases the chance of over- or under-cooking. They just won’t heat evenly.
If you want to use your air fryer for frozen wings, thaw them first!
How To Thaw Chicken Wings
If you’re making frozen wings in an air fryer, you have 3 options for how to thaw them:
1. Thaw Chicken Wings In Cold Water
This is the fastest method if you don’t have or use a microwave. Put the wings in a zip lock bag (not straight into the water!), then place the bag into a bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and use something heavy to submerge the wings in the water. You might need to turn the bag over occasionally and change the water every 20-30 minutes.
Tips:
- Don’t use warm water. This will start to cook your wings early, which is the same problem as placing frozen wings in the air fryer right away.
- Don’t put the wings directly into the water. Normally I love doing this with chicken (especially brining in salt water). However, with wings where we want a crispy skin, submerging directly in water isn’t a good idea.
2. Thaw Chicken Wings in the Microwave
The defrost setting on your microwave is by far the fastest way to thaw chicken wings. Select the weight of wings you have, and rotate frequently if your microwave doesn’t have a turntable.
Tip: You must cook the chicken wings in the air fryer right away if you defrost in the microwave, because some spots get warm and they can spoil quickly.
3. Thaw Chicken Wings in the Fridge
If you plan ahead, defrosting wings in the fridge is the best method! Simply move the frozen wings from the freezer to the fridge at least a day before.
4. Buy Fresh Chicken Wings
Of course, if you want to avoid dealing with the thawing process, simply buy fresh wings instead!
How To Cook Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer
Ready to learn how to make chicken wings in air fryer? It’s super easy.
To start, toss the (thawed!) wings with baking powder, sea salt and black pepper in a bowl. You might be thinking, What? Baking powder?! Yup, really. It’s the secret to getting the outside super crisp!
Then, grease both racks for the air fryer oven. (Or grease just the basket if that’s what your air fryer has.)
Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the racks or in the basket. Just make sure they aren’t touching and make just one layer. Otherwise, you can cook them in batches if they don’t all fit.
Cook for about 15 minutes at a lower temperature (just 250 degrees), then reverse the racks and flip the wings over. Air fry for 15 to 20 minutes at a higher temperature (430 degrees or as high as your air fryer goes!), until done and crispy.
Here are how the air fryer wings are spread out on the two racks, shown after air frying:
See? Super easy, crispy chicken wings in an air fryer!
How Long To Cook Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer
What is the right air fryer chicken wings cook time? I’ve found that it’s best to start with a low temperature, reverse the racks, then increase to as high as it goes to finish cooking and crisp up. I saw a similar trick for GoWise Air Fryer Chicken Wings in the pamphlet that came with my air fryer oven, but modified a bit based on my experimentation.
For this air fryer wings recipe, here is the recommended cook time:
- 15 minutes at 250 degrees F
- Rotate the racks (if you have two in your air fryer) and flip the wings over
- 15-20 more minutes at 430 degrees F (or as high as your air fryer goes!)
Can You Stack Wings In An Air Fryer?
No, it’s not recommended to stack wings in an air fryer. The whole concept works based on air flow, so foods touching or on top of each other will not get that.
If you want the crispiest air fryer wings, do them in a single layer, in batches if you have to.
This is why I love the GoWise USA Air Fryer Oven – the two racks allow me to cook a lot of wings at once!
What To Serve With Air Fryer Wings
The best air fryer chicken wings need some fixings, right? Here are a few ideas:
- Celery sticks
- Buffalo sauce for dipping
- Ranch dressing – you can make this low carb ranch dressing or use this homemade ranch seasoning mix to make it
If you need side dish ideas, check my low carb side dishes here.
More Low Carb Air Fryer Recipes
If you like this air fryer chicken wings recipe, here are more low carb air fryer recipes to try:
- Keto Low Carb Fried Chicken – still my fave air fryer recipe!
- Air Fryer Jicama Fries – these are made with chili cheese topping!
Tools To Make Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- GoWise USA Air Fryer Oven – This is the air fryer oven pictured above. I like the two racks to cook lots of wings at once.
- GoWise USA Air Fryer – If you don’t want to get the bigger countertop oven, this is a smaller version.
More Low Carb Recipes To Love
RECIPE CARD
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
A step-by-step guide for how to cook chicken wings in an air fryer! Includes special method for extra CRISPY air fryer chicken wings, and how to make frozen air fryer wings.
PrintIngredients
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- 2 lb Chicken wings (flats and drumettes, either fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 3/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
Instructions
More TIPS about this recipe in the post above!
VIDEO + NUTRITION INFO + RECIPE NOTES below!
In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder, sea salt and black pepper.
Grease 2 racks for the air fryer oven. (If your air fryer only has a basket, grease that instead.)
Place the wings onto the greased racks, or place only enough wings into the basket to be in a single layer. (You may need to cook in 2 batches if using a basket.)
Place the racks or basket into the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 250 degrees.
Flip the wings over and switch the trays, so that the top is on the bottom and vice versa. Increase temperature to 430 degrees (or the highest your air fryer goes). Air fry for about 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken wings are done and crispy.
SIMILAR KETO LOW CARB RECIPES
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 8 ounces, or 1/4 of entire recipe
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.
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34 Comments
Melody
I just bought an air fryer and tried this recipe for the first time! Best chicken wings I ever cooked!
Kathy
The only issue I had was eating too many!! I am soooo picky and these are the best wings I’ve ever had! And I’m 59!
Jude
HI. Some baking powders come with an arrowroot base vs corn starch. More suitable for those avoiding all grains or a corn intolerance. I’m pretry sure it”s the absorbent starch base that does the drying. Mean to experiment with a batch of wings comparing all 3 methods. Ta! ~Jude
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jude! Would love to hear how that goes for you.
Katie
I love this idea! So much healthier than frying them in oil, and the flavor is so good!!
Hope
I so need to get an air fryer! These look so tasty!
Megan Stevens
Delicious!!!! I think it’s time for me to an air fryer, finally. I love how simple your recipe is and that you get that crispy skin with just simple ingredients.
Zuzana
This is why I need Air Fryer right this moment. Love it.
Erin Carter
These are fantastic!
Raia Todd
They are so delicious and crispy!
Renee D Kohley
Ok, this is so cool! My husband adores wings – a great recipe for my air fryer! Thanks!
Jean
I recently learned about the baking powder trick and it’s seriously a game changer! This looks so crispy and amazing.
Amanda
These are going to be a regular for our sports nights. (Watching, not playing that is!) Wings were a big hit. You have some great air fryer recipes. I’m looking forward to trying all of them.
Chelsea
How did you put in the button to change the servings? I am creating a blog and love this feature.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Chelsea, It’s part of my recipe plugin.
Frannie
Will this recipe work for other chicken parts – such as thighs? Not a big wing fan.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Frannie, Yes, you can make it using other chicken parts, but the cook time might differ.
Sandi
I need to figure out my new air fryer so I can make these again. They were so good.
Leslie
These look amazing. I think I’ll surprise my hubby with these for a Valentine’s Day appetizer.
Emily
What a good tip about replacing baking powder with baking soda and cream of tartar. I will definitely use homemade baking powder now.
Sues
I just got an air fryer and have been collecting recipes I want to make with it. This looks like a fabulous chicken wing recipe to try out!
Kim
So much flavor and so easy too! Love this!
Helen
Air frying is such a good way of enjoying chicken wings without the greasiness of deep frying. This is a great recipe for a delicious alternative and extra crispy is certainly the best choice.
Aimee Shugarman
LOVE these air fryer wings. They turned out so crispy!
Sarah
Thank you for such great information on air frying wings. You answered all my questions!
April
I really need an air fryer – just so I can make these wings! Yum!
Layne Sutton
Thank you for the Air fryer recipe! Recently bought a GoWiseUSA air fryer and haven’t used it much. This will help me get the incentive
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You’re very welcome, Layne! I love mine! Hope you’ll try these in it.
Justine Howell
Our favorite appetizer ever.
Courtney
Extra crispy is always the way to go!
Valentina
So cool you can make something so crispy in an air fryer! I have one and have been experimenting with it, but haven’t tried something like this yet. Thanks for the recipe and idea!
Wilhelmina
Your tip about baking powder is one I will have to try! Thanks!
TillyEats
These were so crispy!
Krissy
This chicken is so crispy and full of flavor! Such a great way to have this classic chicken without all the fat of frying! Great recipe!