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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love My Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
- My Top Recipe Tips
- How Long To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer?
- Seasoning Variations
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- My Favorite Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Super Crispy!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This crispy air fryer chicken wings recipe is my favorite way to cook them, because it’s the BEST way to get the crispiest skin ever! With just a couple simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, this air fryer recipe is as simple as it gets — but also easy to customize with your favorite sauce. It’s perfect for game day, or (let’s be real) any day! It has seriously renewed my love for wings.
Why You’ll Love My Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Super crispy skin – If I’m being honest, I only like chicken wings when they are crisp. If they’re not just right, no thanks! That’s why I’m kind of obsessed with achieving that irresistible crispy skin whenever I make them, whether it’s baked chicken wings or slow cooker chicken wings. But cooking wings in the air fryer? It beats all the other methods in crispness by a landslide.
- Juicy, flavorful, and tender inside – The crispy skin might be the best part, but let’s not forget about the inside. These wings come out super juicy.
- Just 2 simple ingredients – Plus salt and pepper. You can certainly jazz them up with other seasonings (see my variations below), but when I’m in a rush, I love a simple recipe that has as few ingredients as possible.
- Quick prep – Other than the hands-off cooking time, these only need a few minutes from you. I like to prepare my side dish (or other appetizers if I’m going that direction) while they cook.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for making air fryer chicken wings crispy, 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. I usually get them trimmed to avoid the extra fuss. This recipe is for fresh or thawed chicken, so if your wings are frozen, follow my recipe for air fryer frozen chicken wings instead.
- Olive Oil – I always add olive oil to help the seasoning adhere to the wings better and get them more crispy. You can use avocado oil as a substitute if you like. I tested the recipe without oil as well, though, and it still works, so you can skip it if you want to.
- Baking Powder – This is my surprising “secret” ingredient that makes the crispiest wings! This is because it soaks up extra moisture, helping to dry the skin. Be careful not to use baking soda, which won’t work and will leave an aftertaste. (I grabbed it by mistake once and that was, um, not a good experience!) Also, I’ve found aluminum-free baking powder works best to avoid any metallic taste.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For simple seasoning. See more flavor ideas below if you want a more complex taste!
How To Cook Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Dry the chicken. Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Season. In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder, olive oil (if using), sea salt, and black pepper.
- Arrange. Place the chicken wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer, without overlapping. (Work in batches if needed.)
- Cook at lower heat. Air fry the chicken wings for half the time at lower heat (see times and temperatures below).
- Get them crispy. Flip the wings over. Increase the air fryer temperature, and continue air frying until crispy.
My Top Recipe Tips
- Bring the chicken to room temperature if you have time. This is not required, but I noticed that letting them sit out for 20-30 minutes before cooking helps 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. I actually do this with all my chicken recipes, even ones without skin, because it also (somewhat counterintuitively) helps lock moisture inside.
- 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.
- The baking powder is crucial. This is the main trick for extra crispy skin! Don’t skip it.
- 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.
- Check internal temperature. Crispy chicken wings are 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.
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.
Starting at lower heat makes the meat super juicy, and increasing the heat later gets them extra crispy. It’s the best of both worlds! (This method came out better than starting out at high heat.)
Seasoning Variations
Air fryer wings are already flavorful plain, but you can also mix these up with a variety of seasonings or sauces. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve tried:
- Simple Spices – Don’t want to make any special seasoning or sauce? Use basic spices like garlic powder or paprika.
- Lemon Pepper – Season with my lemon pepper seasoning, or try my baked lemon pepper wings.
- Buffalo – Cook the crispy wings in the air fryer as written below, and finish by tossing in a mixture of butter and buffalo sauce (or your hot sauce of choice). See my buffalo wings recipe for the perfect ratio!
- Cajun – Use Cajun seasoning for a spicy, flavorful kick. I make this less often because my kids can’t take the heat, but my husband loves it! You’ll need to skip the salt if your seasoning is salted like mine.
- Garlic Parmesan – Cook the wings as usual and toward the end, toss in the sauce from this garlic parmesan wings recipe. (I like to also add some Italian seasoning 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 leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheat: The best way is to reheat wings in the air fryer again! Somehow even after doing it a gazillion times, I’m still always amazed at how they turn out almost like they were cooked fresh. Just air fry for a few minutes at 350 degrees F, until hot and crispy.
- Freeze: To freeze for later, arrange the drumettes and wingettes in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
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 them:
- Dipping Sauces – If nothing else, I have to have a sauce! I serve my air fryer chicken wings with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing (pictured above) most often, but sometimes I opt for teriyaki sauce or BBQ sauce when I want some sweetness.
- Raw Veggies – Carrots and celery sticks are classic sides. You can also use cucumber, radishes, or bell pepper strips. I’ll be honest, on busy nights I’ve made a little veggie spread with these wings and called it dinner. 😉
- Air Fryer Veggies – Chicken and vegetables are the two foods I cook in my air fryer more often than anything else! Make your entire meal using one appliance by pairing this air fryer wings recipe with air fryer eggplant, crispy air fryer brussel sprouts, or air fryer zucchini chips.
- Fries – Make some air fryer french fries, or try lighter rutabaga fries. Sometimes I even make a mix of both!
- Other Apps – Making these for a party? I like to make a spread with a dip, such as Rotel dip or spinach dip, and a bite-sized appetizer, like zucchini pizza bites or Caprese skewers.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
If you like these quick, easy, and crispy chicken wings, you might also like some of these other cuts I’ve made in the air fryer:
My Favorite Air Fryer
I have this air fryer and love it! The pictures above are from an older one I used to have, but I like this new one so much better because I can fit more wings in it. If you want to make an even bigger batch at once, this version has a space for two racks. I keep it in storage and pull it out when we have company to make larger batches!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Super Crispy!)
Make the extra crispy air fryer chicken wings with this easy method! These turn out crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside every time.
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 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken wings are done and crispy.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
252 Comments
Rosanne
0First thing I made in air fryer worth making again! TY
Phillip
0Cooked with your Instructions and my spices cumin, chili powder, garlic powder sea salt, and the baking powder, and thought they came out fantastic. Will use this method from now on thx a lot.
Ben
0I was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable these wings were! I added some Chinese five spice to the blend with a firecracker sauce… awesome wings! Crispy, juicy,tasty!
Raymond
0Just made these wings and they are great no sauce needed…. did dip in sriracha and it was amazing…. thank you for the recipe
Vince
0These air-fryers sometimes take some experimenting to get different foods cooked just right…Even when going by recipes in the included cookbook. Also, there are the “Preset” buttons for certain foods like chicken, fish, french fries, etc. The other thing is when you have an air-fryer that has different levels for the cooking racks. The top-level for braising and searing…The middle rack, basically, for best air-flow, which also possibly acts to virtually rotisserie food without having to fuss around with a spit… Then there’s the bottom level which pretty much serves as a way to bake food. Combine all of this with cooking-times and what to set the temperature at and things start to get quite interesting. Ultimately though, air-fryers serve as a great tool for cooking healthy meals quickly. I’ve had mine (Door with window) made by Faberware, for about 8 months now and I’m just having such much fun using it.
Lamar
0Thank you. This is the best chicken wing air fryer recipe that I have ever used. I have tried to cook wings in the air fryer for a long time and I have not come close to regular fried wings. This recipe was as close as I can possibly get to actual fried wings which were excellent! It took a little bit longer in time than I really wanted but the end result is perfect. I would give this recipe at 10 star if I could.
Cindi
0Um….YUM! I don’t usually comment but I HAD TO!
Rich
0Tried these recently…did not grease the basket or crisping tray in my Bella fryer. The baking powder and chicken fat combined to create deposits on the non-stick surfaces about the same hardness as concrete! No amount of scrubbing/soaking would remove them. Finally placed in dishwasher which resulted in removing the deposits AND the non-stick coating under each deposit. Spoke with Bella CS – not covered under warranty and they do not sell replacement parts – SOL 🙁 Will be using parchment paper in the future – lesson learned…
Gail
0Is gluten free powder necessary? just bought my air fryer and trying to learn.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gail, Baking powder is a necessity in keto cooking, however, unless you are strictly clean keto it does not have to be gluten-free.
Paula
0My husband and I just made these wings. They are the best wings I have ever eaten! And we eat lots of wings. No more having to go out for wings.
I didnt even use a sauce, they were soooo good as is! Thank you for sharing. This will be a staple in our home!
Lisa
0When I buy fresh chicken, I wash them first. Do I let it dry first before I cook in the air fryer? Or is it ok to cook right away after I wash them?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, you’ll want to thoroughly pat the chicken dry.
Anna
0I did this recipe however I could not eat the wings the taste was horrible… perhaps I put too much baking powder or baking powder was bad? Could either of these reason be possible?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anna, that could be possible. Is there also a chance you used baking soda instead of baking powder?
Tracey
0I am so grateful for your reply because I too experienced the worst tasting chicken I’ve ever had but they were beautiful in appearance. After reading through the comments and coming upon this one I realized I too mistakenly used baking soda instead of baking powder, LOL!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe again with the correct ingredient. Baking POWDER!!!
Amy
0I made these and they didn’t turn out at all but I used a Farberware Airfryer that just had the one basket. They never got crispy at all and I cooked them forever.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amy, did you arrange your wings in a single layer? They won’t get crispy if they are in more than one layer.
Diane
0The best wing recipe for an air fryer on Pinterest.
Excellent recipe.
Lorri
0Made these tonight for the first time. Oh my goodness! It won’t be the last time. They were incredible!!!!!
Steven
0I made this exactly as written, super good and crispy! I will tweak it a little next time by adding a little more salt and probably some paprika……other than that, cooking low first and high second is the ticket! My air fryer can only hold 8 pieces so this is definitely an appetizer recipe, I keep each batch warm in the oven at 170 degrees.
Zerra
0I never used the Baking Soda before in my AirFryer Chicken Wings… #GameChanger
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Zerra, I recommend using baking powder, not baking soda. The crispy effect will be similar, but with baking soda you might get that baking soda aftertaste.
Frank
0Hello, my Air fryer has recipes that say one of the ingredients is 1Tbsp of olive oil, where and how do you use it?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Frank, you would probably coat the wings in oil before air frying them. This recipe needs no oil, though.
Laura
0Hi. Could you tell me how I would make these into dry lemon pepper wings? If it works the same as when I make them in the oven, I just pick the lemon pepper seasoning I prefer and coat them in the seasoning and bake in the oven. But, what about making them in my air fryer?
Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laura, I would use the same recipe here (including the baking powder), and just add the seasoning you want in addition.
Melody
0Just made these in my GoWiseUSA air fryer!! Excellent! Crispy skin! Going to experiment with seasonings next time!
When I read the recipe and comments and saw the first comment with another Melody I knew that was my sign!!!
Melody
0I just bought an air fryer and tried this recipe for the first time! Best chicken wings I ever cooked!
Kathy
0The 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
0HI. 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
0Thank you, Jude! Would love to hear how that goes for you.
Katie
0I love this idea! So much healthier than frying them in oil, and the flavor is so good!!
Hope
0I so need to get an air fryer! These look so tasty!
Megan
0Delicious!!!! 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
0This is why I need Air Fryer right this moment. Love it.
Erin
0These are fantastic!
Raia
0They are so delicious and crispy!
Renee
0Ok, this is so cool! My husband adores wings – a great recipe for my air fryer! Thanks!
Jean
0I recently learned about the baking powder trick and it’s seriously a game changer! This looks so crispy and amazing.
Wholesome Yum A
0These 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
0How did you put in the button to change the servings? I am creating a blog and love this feature.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chelsea, It’s part of my recipe plugin.
Frannie
0Will this recipe work for other chicken parts – such as thighs? Not a big wing fan.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Frannie, Yes, you can make it using other chicken parts, but the cook time might differ.
Sandi
0I need to figure out my new air fryer so I can make these again. They were so good.
Leslie
0These look amazing. I think I’ll surprise my hubby with these for a Valentine’s Day appetizer.
Emily
0What a good tip about replacing baking powder with baking soda and cream of tartar. I will definitely use homemade baking powder now.
Sues
0I 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
0So much flavor and so easy too! Love this!
Helen
0Air 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
0LOVE these air fryer wings. They turned out so crispy!
Sarah
0Thank you for such great information on air frying wings. You answered all my questions!
April
0I really need an air fryer – just so I can make these wings! Yum!
Layne
0Thank 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
0You’re very welcome, Layne! I love mine! Hope you’ll try these in it.
Justine
0Our favorite appetizer ever.
Courtney
0Extra crispy is always the way to go!
Valentina
0So 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
0Your tip about baking powder is one I will have to try! Thanks!
Guy
0Um, isn’t baking soda + cream of tarter the ingredients used to make baking powder?
TillyEats
0These were so crispy!
Krissy
0This 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!