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- Are Air Fryer Wings Healthy?
- How Do You Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer?
- Why Do You Need To Thaw The Wings?
- How To Thaw Chicken Wings
- How To Cook Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer
- How Long To Cook Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer
- Can You Stack Wings In An Air Fryer?
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Wings
- More Low Carb Air Fryer Recipes
- Tools To Make Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
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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.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe:
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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.
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Instructions
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder, sea salt and black pepper.
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Grease 2 racks for the air fryer oven. (If your air fryer only has a basket, grease that instead.)
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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.)
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Place the racks or basket into the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 250 degrees.
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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.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 8 ounces, or 1/4 of entire recipe
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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125 Comments
Niamh
Excellent every time!!! Thank you for sharing!
Cathy
Great recipe. So crispy and moist inside. Served with Buffalo and teriyaki sauces. Crowd totally pleased!
Gilbert
Thank you
Barbara Smith
Whenever I try to deep fry in my air fryer I found if I spray both sides the coated foods (I do breaded tenderloins using pork rind dust, almond flour and spices) with olive oil or PAM then put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to 1 hour the foods taste more like deep-fried. Thank you for all the great recipes and inspiration.
Cat
Hi again! Ummm…wondering which is correct – the 275 calories you have or the 501 calories the ingredients list I put into MyFitnessPal has. Obviously a huuuge difference. Here’s hoping you’re correct…lol. it’s so hard to know what to trust anymore. You go to different sources for the same recipe and they all give you something different. So it’s really not our fault oh, but I would like to know if there’s a place to go for true, standardized correct calorie counts. These Wings look delish, and I would love to be able to eat them! Thanks so much for any help.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Cat, My nutrition comes from the USDA food database. I believe it’s the most accurate way to get nutrition information. I hope this helps!
Cat
Yes! Can you tell me where to find that? I’d really appreciate it. And now I can have wings again!! Thank 6ou!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Cat, You can find it here: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
Tami
Absolutely fabulous. The last 2-3 times making wings I just had some temperature guidelines and they were blah.
You instructions are perfect. Both my husband and I felt like we had restaurant quality food in our living room. Thank you
Patricia Eagan
I love that you use baking powder because it makes the wings crispy! I also added Lawry seasoning, lemon pepper, dill and garlic powder!
Elaine
It came out crispy!! So good! Had it with mango habanero sauce from bww!
Brenda
OMGOSH! This was our first recipe with our new Air fryer. They turned out perfect. Thank you so much for your awesome recipe. My husband and I started a new lifestyle change in eating and much healthier to say the least. The air fryer will be our saving grace too!
Carrie Price
We love these wings. Amazing how crispy they turn out. Could you add additional seasonings like garlic or cheese without changing the crispy crunch? What about using onion rings or zucchini instead of wings? Have you tried anything else? Thanks. Carrie. In Las Vegas.
Kate
I’m going to try these this weekend but need to make them ahead of time. Will they stay crispy and not dry out if they are reheated in the oven? Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kate, These will not have the same crisp texture as they do right out of the air fryer, but they will reheat nicely.
Richelle Rossiter
No review, just comments/tips. I was born in Buffalo, I currently live and work in Buffalo and we do things a little differently. Sauce: it’s not Buffalo sauce, it’s Frank’s hot sauce and melted butter mixed together, the more butter you use the less hot the sauce is. It is NEVER, ever ranch – it’s 100% blue cheese (the chunkier the better). Air frying is great for home but any restaurant where you can order wings are deep-fried in oil, they are not baked and they certainly aren’t breaded. Oh, and we don’t use baking powder either. Hopefully, these tips are beneficial for anyone who’d like to make genuine “Buffalo” wings (we just call them wings 🙂 )
Michele
I made the wings a couple of weeks ago, and I’m doing them again tonight. The wings were fantastic! Great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Rolland
Hi there! I just ordered some dried lemon peel so I can make your lemon wings but I also have an air fryer. Is there a way to mix the two, rather than just air fry wings and THEN sprinkle your lemon pepper on it so that the lemon pepper is cooked like when you bake it, but by using the air fryer?
Thanks!!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rolland, Sure! Season according to this recipe for Lemon Pepper Wings except reduce the amount of oil to 1 tablespoon. Cook according to the instructions for Air Fry Chicken Wings.
Nicole R Harris
I have done wings in the air fryer both from frozen and already thawed. They both turned out fine, it just takes longer to cook and a couple of extra steps from frozen. If you do them from frozen, just cook them plain first until they are about halfway done, take them out, tops in your seasoning and baking powder or flour mixture, put them back in the air fryer basket and spray with oil. Cook the rest of the way, turning them once and spraying the opposite side with oil again. They turn out crispy and delicious.
Trice
I made these following the instructions exactly… like some of the other posts, I didn’t like the baking powder aftertaste. They were very crispy though!! Amazing crunch. We made our next batch with self rising flour and it was crispy enough without the aftertaste so we preferred it to the baking powder.
Pattu
Be sure to use aluminum free baking powder. That will eliminate the aftertaste
Patti
Yummmm even picky child loved them. No leftovers.
Added lemon pepper seasoning after.
Will only do wings this way. Thank you so much
kT
Not sure if I did something wrong, but I have an aftertaste from the baking powder.
Aside from that, the chicken was moist and so crispy! Absolutely love how easy it is
Wholesome Yum M
Hi KT, Feel free to adjust the amount of baking powder in the recipe. It needs to just coat the chicken, so you can use a little less if that’s your preference.
Patti
And use aluminum free baking powder
Amanda
Thank you!!! Tried it and it turned out well.
Linn
Loved this recipe. The wings were tender, moist and crispy. I did some plain, bbq and Buffalo. Take out wing are a thing of the past these take a little effort but are well worth it!
Lydia
Great recipe. Love it more because of the use of an air fryer. Thanks
Cara Hammer
I was thankful for this recipe for my very first air fryer experience. Like others, boyfriend and I were both faced with a BP aftertaste/mouth discomfort once we stopped eagerly eating the wings. ROFL
Crispy as heck though and really helped me understand how to use this device. Will browse for a recipe using alternate flour next time
Julie
Sorry wasn’t really thrilled with the BP it was editable but not OMG. Love your site though!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Julie, Sorry this recipe didn’t suit your tastes. Was there a specific element you didn’t care for? Maybe I can provide a solution or alternative for you.
SD
OMG! My family and I love this quick and easy recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Janniece Gilliams
So crispy! Didn’t have flour, so I substituted for a about half as much flax seed meal. My basket air fryer also only went to 400 degrees, but these came out so perfect. So glad I found this amazing recipe on my first try, I’ll never have to look for another!
shannonmichaeltx@att.net
BAKING POWDER! Genius! I loved this. I made the recipe as written in my Breville oven on the air fryer setting. I did the cold water defrost as instructed – in a zip lock. Everything came out so good! I did turn these into Buffalo wings by using Frank’s hot sauce. I added the sauce at the end of the cooking cycle – after they were done completely. So good!
Mike In Fort Worth
Those of us who have been on salt restricted diets are unable to eat these wings. The wings were beautiful but they were like eating the salt shaker, ended up throwing them out but will try the recipe without the baking soda.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Mike, Sorry these didn’t suit your needs. Maybe you would prefer this recipe for Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Wings instead. Feel free to adjust the salt on that recipe as needed.
Bev
Mike, you use baking powder not baking soda
MARCEL COURCHESNE
Its baking powder not baking soda
CINDI A RICHTER
to Mike in Ft Worth – it should be baking powder you’re using NOT baking soda. I use BP and lemon pepper and love them!
Barb
Shouldnt you have used baking powder?
Maria Lybrand
I was wondering what degrees you cook the wings if you have the basket air fryer. I would have to do them in batches, right? Also they may possibly be touching each other. Would I be better cooking them in the oven with brushed on butter? Thanx a bunch.
Maria 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Maria, A basket air fryer would require the same time and temperature for cooking. Yes, you will definitely have to do your wings in batches if you are using the basket air fryer. Try not to let them touch too much, but it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Chantelle
The best!!! I have made this recipe like 10 times by now. Can’t even eat any other wings anymore!
LaToya
Thanks for the baking soda tip! It gave my chicken the crispiness I’ve been missing.
c
This recipe uses baking powder, not baking soda. They are 2 different things.
Melissa Kane
She did give a baking soda cream of tartar option
Lindsey
So good!!! I did the soda/tartar dusting and it was delicious!! Thank you for another awesome recipe
Wanda
I tried these once already….AMAZING! I’d like to add Old Bay seasoning. What amount would you suggest for 4 lbs of wings? But the way I love that you have a recipe adjuster. Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Wanda, What amount of Bay seasoning? It really depends on your personal tastes. If you want light flavor then a tablespoon should do the trick, but feel free to scale up to accommodate your personal tastes.
Gina
Hi, may I know if it is possible to use this recipe for deep frying as well? Will the results be the same or are there any tweaks that should be done? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Gina, I have not tried deep frying this recipe, so I’m not sure if you would get the same results. Please let us know how they turn out if you decide to try it.
Leslie
I added a little paprika and chili lime seasoning and made homemade ranch dressing. These were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I followed the cooking instructions too!
S. Ankrah
The Baking Soda made the wings sooooo salty, I thought I was going to be diagnosed with High Blood Pressure. OMG!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi S. Ankrah, Unfortunately, that’s because you used baking soda so it gave your chicken a bitter element. Please use baking powder next time you make this recipe, it will not affect the flavor of your wings.
LAURA STRUFFOLINO
Question: I had used paprika when I was in my 20s… but when I was diagnose with High Upper Hernia at a young age of 28 I had to adjust my seasonings. It took a LONG TIME to figure out what bothered it, even on prescribed antacid medications. So my question because I can’t remember if this seasoning is spicy (as in even mild) tasting, or if it is like Season-All ? Thank you look forward to your answer.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Laura, Paprika is a chili spice but it very mild, providing more flavor to a dish than heat. It’s not a blend of spices like Season-All, but actually dried and ground chilis. There is a form of hot paprika, but not common to find in grocery stores and would be labeled “hot” or “spicy” Hungarian Paprika. I hope this helps!
LAURA STRUFFOLINO
your recipe to print or save does not have in the ingreidents melted butter, or in your instructions as seen in video I read it twice….. am I missing it ??
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Laura, Which recipe are you referring to? This crispy Air Fryer Chicken doesn’t call for butter or have a video in the recipe card.
Shannon Lipscomb
These were delicious! My air fryer maximum temperature is 400, but they still came out very crispy. I substituted 1 tbsp of Old Bay for sea salt and pressed the dry mixture into the wings. No sauce needed and my entire family loved them.
Santa Limer
Thank you so much for this recipe! We have a little tavern we visit for wings and with the current situation we can’t go! Every time I make wings I just can’t get them crispy no matter which method I try! The baking powder is a game changer!! Absolutely delicious! We even added buffalo ranch seasoning to the second batch and even better!! Thanks again!
Jill
I don’t even like chicken wings. Made them for my husband and ended up eating them all and had to make more for him. That’s how good these are.