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This air fryer chicken wings recipe is my favorite way to cook wings, because it’s the BEST way to get super crispy chicken wings! With just a couple simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, this air fryer recipe is as easy as it gets and as crispy as air fryer bacon, but also easy to customize with your favorite sauce. It’s perfect for game day, or (let’s be real) any day! Let me show you how to cook chicken wings in the air fryer perfectly — including the simple steps and a few key tips for the crispiest skin ever.
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
- Juicy, flavorful, and tender chicken
- Super crispy skin
- Just 2 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
- Only 5 minutes to prep
- Packed with tips for the best air fryer chicken wings ever – see below!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air fryer crispy chicken wings, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken Wings – Buy them trimmed, or separate whole chicken wings at the joint (to make wingettes and drumettes) before cooking.
- Olive Oil – Although optional, olive oil helps the seasoning adhere to the wings better and gets them more crispy. Any neutral oil, such as avocado oil, also works.
- Baking Powder – This surprising ingredient makes CRISPY wings! This is because it soaks up extra moisture, helping to dry the skin. Be careful not to use baking soda by mistake, which won’t work and will have an aftertaste. Also, aluminum-free baking powder works best to avoid any aftertaste.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For simple seasoning. See more flavor ideas below!
How To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to make chicken wings crispy in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep. Pat chicken wings very dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Season. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, olive oil (if using), sea salt and black pepper.
- Arrange. Place chicken wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer, without overlapping. (Work in batches if needed.)
- Cook. Air fry the chicken wings for half the time (see times below).
- Turn. Flip the wings. Increase the air fryer temperature. Continue air frying until your crispy chicken wings are done.
How Long To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer?
Air fry chicken wings for 15 minutes at 250 degrees F first, then flip and air fry for 15-20 more minutes at 430 degrees F. The total time is 30-35 minutes.
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Wings
Use these foolproof tips to make delicious and crispy wings every single time.
- Let wings come to room temperature if you have time. This is not required, but letting them sit out for 20-30 minutes before cooking will help them cook more evenly.
- Dry the skin. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so patting dry with paper towels helps you achieve maximum crispiness.
- Use the right salt ratio. A good rule of thumb for meat and poultry is a teaspoon of salt per pound of meat, but since chicken wings have mostly bones, only about 1/3 of their weight is actually meat. This air fryer chicken wing recipe is for 2 pounds of wings, which is about 11 ounces of meat, and that’s why I used 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Adjust accordingly if you make a bigger or smaller batch.
- Sprinkle baking powder on the skin. This is the main trick for extra crispy skin! Don’t skip it.
- Grease the air fryer if needed. Mine is pretty nonstick, but you can spray with cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil before adding the wings if you like, for easier cleanup.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. This ensures that the air can flow through and crisp up the skin. It’s okay if the wings touch a little, but try not to have their entire sides touching. If you have patience to have them not touching each other at all, even better.
- Start at low temperature, then increase heat. Cooking the wings at 250 degrees F first makes the meat super juicy, and increasing the heat layer gets them extra crispy.
- Flip and max out the heat. Flipping halfway through helps with even cooking as well, and increasing the heat is necessary to crisp up the skin on the outside.
- Check internal temperature. Crispy chicken wings is usually a sign that they are done, but the best way to know for sure is to use a meat thermometer. Confirm that the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F, and make sure not to touch the bone when measuring.
Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen wings in the air fryer. However, you’ll need to use the air fryer to quickly thaw them before seasoning.
Check out my frozen chicken wings in the air fryer post to learn how.
Seasoning Variations
Crispy wings in an air fryer are already flavorful plain, but you can also mix it up with a variety of seasonings or sauces:
- Simple Spices – Don’t want to make any special seasoning or sauce? Use basic spices like garlic powder or paprika to flavor wings.
- Lemon Pepper – Season with lemon pepper seasoning, or try my baked lemon pepper wings.
- Buffalo – Cook wings as written below, and finish by tossing in this buffalo sauce.
- Ranch – Skip the salt and season wings with dry ranch seasoning instead.
- Cajun – Skip the salt and season wings with Cajun seasoning.
- Garlic Parmesan – Cook wings as usual and toward the end, toss in the sauce from this garlic parmesan wings recipe. (Some Italian seasoning is also delicious with this one.)
No matter what seasoning or sauce you use, I recommend keeping the baking powder on the skin — it’s the key to super crispy skin
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover cooked wings in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Place air fryer chicken drumettes and wingettes in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Can You Reheat Wings In The Air Fryer?
Yes, the fryer is a great way to reheat wings. Place leftovers in the air fryer basket, set the air fryer to 350 degrees F, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until hot.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are a delicious and easy way to cook up a tasty meal in no time. Here are some of my favorite pairings that will perfectly complement your crispy, flavorful wings!
- Dipping Sauces – Blue cheese dressing is a classic, and ranch dressing, sugar-free teriyaki sauce, or bbq sauce are always hits.
- Raw Veggies – Carrots and celery sticks are classic sides to crispy air fryer wings. You can also use cucumber, radishes, or bell pepper strips.
- Air Fryer Veggies – Serve the best air fryer chicken wings with a veggie like air fryer eggplant, air fryer brussels sprouts, or air fryer zucchini chips.
- Simple Salads – Veggie salads always pair well with wings! Try my creamy cucumber salad, coleslaw, or wedge salad.
- Other Appetizers – Serve wings with rotel dip, zucchini pizza bites, or Caprese salad skewers.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
If you like these quick, easy, and crispy chicken wings, you might also like some of these other easy air fryer chicken recipes:
Recommended Tools
- Air Fryer – My favorite basket air fryer for all my air fryer recipes!
- Air Fryer Oven – If you want to make a bigger batch of wings, this version has a space for two racks.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Super Crispy!)
Learn how to cook the BEST chicken wings in an air fryer! This air fryer wings recipe includes tricks for crispy skin + seasoning ideas.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels. (This will help them get crispy.)
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In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder, olive oil (if using), sea salt and black pepper.
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Place the chicken wings in the air fryer in a single layer, without touching too much. (Cook in batches if they don't fit.)
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Air fry the chicken wings for 15 minutes at 250 degrees F. (If your wings are frozen, add an extra 10 minutes at this step.)
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Flip the wings over. Increase the air fryer temperature to 430 degrees F (or the highest your air fryer goes). Air fry for about 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken wings are done and crispy.
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4-6 chicken wings, or 1/4 of entire recipe
Nutrition info does not include the optional olive oil.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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196 Comments
Laurie Hill
1I always use aluminum free baking powder to make chicken skin crispy. It eliminates any metallic taste to the chicken.
Travis
0I never comment on recipes. I have found some good ones but nothing has ever made me want to comment on a recipe before…until now. These are far and away the crispiest tastiest air fryer wings I have ever had. Unbelievable. The whole family enjoyed them. The first cook at 250 added time to the meal prep and I almost didn’t try the recipe but I am glad I did. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
Molly DeVoe Tuemler
0So dang good. I eat them with no sauce. So crispy. Delish.
Abby
0These were so easy and delicious! I dipped them in ranch and the whole family loved them.
Sharina
0Been craving for chicken wings, and this recipe is soooo delish. They were so tender and flavorful. My new favorite!
Kristen
0These chicken wings were so juicy yet still so crispy, they were some of the best wings I have ever had.
Pegi Fitton
0This was a nice beginner recipe. The flavor was good, they browned nicely, and were crunchy. My only complaint was the buffalo sauce I used did not stay on the wings.
Diane Flower
0Both my daughter & myself (not to mention our little dog, minus the bonus of course) thoroughly enjoyed these wings so crispy with gentle spices & so easy to prepare & cook.
Susan
0These were delicious! I added 2 teaspoons of Weber Honey Garlic Seasoning for more flavor.
Also, it was easier to coat the wings without the olive oil. I can’t wait to make these again!
Anne Barron
04 ingredients! What’s not to love? Customizable to any sauces. My husband loved them (picky eater). Prefers them over fried.
Note: my air fryer only goes to 400 and 15 minutes was great for us. If I were to coat with a lot of sauce I would go 20.
Diana Dufresne
0These were awesome, my first time of using baking powder on the wing. Love cooking in the air fryer.
Ryan Larrabee
0Simply outstanding… did a two hour brine before and couldn’t believe how amazing they came out… you would never know they weren’t deep fried.
Ofelia
0Can I bake this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Here is a recipe for baked wings.
Sally W.
0When cooking in batches do you put them in the oven to keep warm? And if so, at what temperature.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sally, You could keep them in the oven at the lowest temperature.
Jenny
0Ok can’t wait to try these wing recipes. Thank you
Lila
0These are by far the very best chicken wings recipe!! On the last 20 minutes I brushed a little olive oil for more crispiness – YUMMY!
Adrienne Garcia
0Easy & best spices for both real crispy wings & chicken.
Ginette
0Thank you for this great recipe. My husband said that he hasn’t ever had crispy chicken that was so good!
Laura Hahn
0Great recipe and easy. Love them
Bandy
0Hello, can you make this with chicken legs the wings were fab? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bandy, Here is my recipe for air fryer chicken legs.
Cathy
0If you are cooking in batches do you have to let the temperature decrease before you start the second batch, or can you just turn the temperature down and start again?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cathy, No need to turn down the temperature between batches.
Kevin walsh
0My wings came out so small. How can you do the wings without any shrinkage?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kevin, This is typical for wings in an air fryer. There isn’t much you can do to stop this.
Pearl Groefsema
0Tried this recipe for wings the other night! One word OUTSTANDING! Easy and great flavor! Looking forward to making them again in the very near future!!!!
Lisa
0I’ve made this several times, but tonight’s was superlative! I added onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. I also planned earlier so I could let the wings sit out to dry and come to temperature. My air fryer is only 3 qts so I did only six cut up pieces at a time. Also important, sometime I eyeballed the quantities of salt, baking powder, pepper. Tonight I measured those (not the extras 🤷🏻♀️). I probably never added enough salt or baking powder to get the best results.
Peggy Robinson
0Dear Wholesome, I have the Aria counter top air fryer oven not the round container style basket style like yours. I was wondering will this recipe come out the same way in the oven style air fryer if I prepare & cook it according to this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Peggy, I have never made this recipe in that type of air fryer but it should work for you.
Jim J
0Typically, with the flat / toaster oven sized air fryers, the times are similar but you don’t need to flip halfway if you’re using the basket
Michael Scott
0I followed your recipe to a “T” and my wings didn’t come out looking like yours, at all! Mine remained white and pasty looking……to the point it was difficult to “see” if they were even cooked.
Biting and chewing them confirmed that they WERE, in fact, cooked thoroughly, but they certainly didn’t look appetizing.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michael, To me, this sounds like an issue with the air fryer. If you followed the recipe and cooking time exactly the air fryer should have made the skin crispy on the outside.
Tess
0How long should we marinate the chicken pieces?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tess, There is no need to marinate the chicken in this recipe.
Pamel Sloan-Montgomery
0The best air fryer recipe for crispy wings. Baking powder is key. Thank you
Scott
0Here’s the truth. Following this recipe ruined my Sunday dinner. This is, undeniably, be the worst recipe for wings I’ve ever tried. The baking powder is an absolute mistake. It imparts a flavor that throws everything completely off. It may be impossible for me to overstate how much you should avoid this recipe.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Scott, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Did you only use 1 tsp per 1 pound of wings? This is a small amount of baking powder and should not overwhelm the flavor.
B Sa
0The wings recipe was my 1st recipe made in my new air fryer. I haven’t ever used an air fryer before. Boy, am I glad I chose this recipe. The wings were moist, juicy and, as advertised, super crispy! The only change I made was after tossing the raw wings in the baking powder mixture, I drizzled a little EVOO over the wings and tossed them to coat evenly. I’d read several crispy wing recipes and all others had used some oil on the wings before cooking. Again, the wings turned out great, hubby and I both loved them and they will be my go-to recipe for wings!
Rob Lumpkin
0Excellent comment and I agree with you. I also drizzled a little EVOO over the wings but after turning up the heat and they came out crispy, crunchy and juicy brown! Thanks for that addition!
Laura Campbell
0Hi there!
My ninja grill’s lowest temp is 300 🙁 Any tips on cooking times?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Laura, I would reduce the cooking time in step 4 to 10 minutes.
Kelly H
0These were EXCELLENT! The only change I made was to substitute the salt and pepper with BWW Salt and Vinegar dry rub. They were SO good!!
Mathew
0Best chicken recipe I every came across, and they are so delicious crispy and juicy when cooked.
Lori Hawkins
0My air fryer did not go as high or as low as the recipe stated, so I cooked the wings at 300 degrees for the first half and 400 degrees for the second. They came out tender inside and crispy on the outside. Threw on BWW sauce and it was like eating out!
Carole
0These wings are awesome! I use a lot of wholesomeyum recipes because they are so good but these wings are fantastic!!
Derek
0I tried this last night. Baking powder is that secret ingredient. Thank you, they turned out perfect 🙂
Derek
0I’m counting on you for this. Will give you full report on results : )
Peter M
0This works really well – thank you!!
Sharon Krezanski
0Dear Yum-Did your Air fry Eggplant tonight-YUM!-looked up recipe for Air Fry Chicken wings-going to do it!-Need to tell everyone-your recipes are easy to follow-not many ingredients & delish-Thank you so much-you are GREAT!!
Lois Clarke
0Easy and crisped up air fry wings perfectly.