For irresistible and easy-to-make wings, you have to try frozen chicken wings in the air fryer. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the wings are ready in minutes without thawing involved!
Similar to making fresh wings in the air fryer, these chicken wings are perfectly dippable and make a great snack or appetizer for the big game!
Recipe Tips
- There is no need to thaw the chicken wings first. Simply place them into the air fryer from frozen.
- There are various types of frozen wings. They might be pre-cooked or raw, breaded or unbreaded. Some already have sauce applied, and they will vary by size. All this will affect your cooking time slightly, so keep that in mind and use your judgement!
- If you are using chicken wings that aren’t breaded or pre-seasoned, you can toss them in some oil, salt, pepper, and paprika (and/or garlic powder) before air frying.
- If you have wings that don’t already have a breading/sauce on them, cook them first and toss them in your favorite wing sauce once they are cooked. This way, you won’t risk the sauce burning in the air fryer.
- It’s important not to overcrowd the air fryer when making chicken wings. This way, they will get crispy and cook evenly.
- The chicken wings should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
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Step-by-Step Instructions
First, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius).
When the air fryer is hot, add the wings. Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer – the wings should fit in one layer with some space between to allow for even cooking and crisping.
If your air fryer is too small to fit all the wings, cook them in two batches.
Cook the wings for about 11-14 minutes for pre-cooked frozen wings, and 16-20 minutes for uncooked frozen wings. Flip the wings halfway through.
The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of the wings and your air fryer. Just make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the chicken wings once they are fully cooked and crispy on the outside.
If you would like to add sauce, place the cooked chicken wings into a bowl and toss them in your favorite wing sauce (optional). Popular options are buffalo, blue cheese, and BBQ sauce.
You can serve the chicken wings with some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and a dipping sauce like blue cheese or ranch dressing.
To make a bigger meal out of it, you can also make the wings part of a larger meal with a few curly fries or waffle fries tossed on the side.
Storage Tips
You can store leftover chicken wings in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep in mind that they might get a little soggy over time if they have sauce on them.
To reheat, you can place them back in the air fryer if you want to dry them out a tad. A lower temperature, such as 325 degrees Fahrenheit, works well. The microwave will also work, but they might end up softer.
Of course, you can also just eat them cold – sometimes cold wings are the best!
Related Recipes
If you want more frozen chicken appetizers, here are some tasty creations you can’t forget about!
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chicken wings, approximately 8-12 wings
- your favorite wing sauce
Optional Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Fahrenheit).
- If using wings that aren't breaded or pre-seasoned, you can optionally toss them in oil, salt, paprika, and black pepper.1 pound frozen chicken wings, 2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- When the air fryer is preheated, add the wings in one even layer without overlap to help with even cooking and crisping. If your air fryer is very small, cook in batches or make less.
- Air fry the wings at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 11-14 minutes for pre-cooked frozen wings, and 16-20 minutes for uncooked frozen wings. Flip the wings halfway through. The exact cook time can vary depending on the size of the wings and your air fryer. Just make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius)
- When the chicken wings are fully cooked and crispy on the outside, remove them from the air fryer and place them in a bowl. Toss them in your favorite wing sauce if desired.your favorite wing sauce
- Serve the chicken wings with some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and a dipping sauce like blue cheese or ranch dressing (optional).
Notes
- There are different types of frozen wings you can buy – some are pre-cooked, others are raw, some are breaded, others are not. Cook time will vary slightly across all these different kinds and also depends on your air fryer (they all cook a little bit differently). Make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken wings reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- There is no need to thaw the chicken wings first. Simply place them into the air fryer from frozen.
- If you are using chicken wings that aren’t breaded or pre-seasoned, you can toss them in some oil, salt, pepper, and paprika (and/or garlic powder) before air frying.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer when making chicken wings. This way, they will get crispy and cook evenly.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Thank you! This is the most informative way to air fry frozen wings I have come across. I will be trying it out tonight and feel sure they will be wonderful!
For the first time I air frying party wings so far it’s easy.
These instructions worked perfectly. This was our first time using our Air Fryer and can’t wait to use it again. Thank You!
This doesn’t actually say what temperature to cook the wings at.
Hi Dan, you preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then you cook the wings at the same temperature (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Hope that helps!
It absolutely does. The recipe says cook at 400 degrees.
400
How do I do frozen breaded chicken wings In a traditional size stove (oven) which has a air fry setting on the oven. So this is a full size stove with built in air fryer.
I have trays that have the mesh baskets. I have 3 racks in the oven. Can I put all 3 trays in at the same time and cook all the chicken wings evenly?
Hi Debbie, unfortunately, I have never made frozen chicken wings in a full-sized oven with an air fryer setting so I can’t share my personal experience. I would probably start experimenting with one rack at a time at 400 degrees and keep an eye on the chicken wings so you know how long they need. The next time you could try using all 3 trays at the same time – since the air fryer setting is similar to a convection oven, the chicken wings should cook more evenly than when using top and bottom heat. However, since the oven will be more crowded, the wings will likely take a bit longer than when you only use one tray at a time. Just make sure to keep an eye on the wings when experimenting – if they are not done, leave them in longer. But after a couple of tries, you should know pretty well what works for your oven.
Also in the full size (stove) air fryer oven. What temperature would I cook still on 400.
I have never used the air fryer on my stove as of yet. I just got the trays so I would like to make a big batch and want to put more than one tray in at a time. It holds 3 trays cause it has 3 racks in the oven. But I’m worried that one rack will Cook more than another. Do you know if it’s possible to cook them all at once?
Thank you so much, I had no idea I could cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer. I just buy regular a big pack of chicken wings, cook some, freeze the rest. I am the only one that eats them. Now before I would let the chicken wings defrost over time, then air fry them. Learn something new everyday.
Great information. Mine had thawed a little and looked anemic but were 185 degrees internally. I would definitely season them next time – aT least salt and pepper. I might increase the temperAture on my NInja too. I liked the suggestion and think each individual could tweak it according to their product and machine. Mine were large wings too.
About to try this with frozen Costco wings, but thinking to myself…does anyone season these or add salt before air frying?
Won’t they be bland?
Will try this tomorrow depending on your answers 🤣
If you don’t plan on putting any sauce on them after cooking, I would add some oil and salt (and maybe other spices depending on your preference) before air frying. However, when the wings are really frozen, the spices sometimes don’t adhere well so you could air fry them for a couple minutes to thaw them a bit and then spray them with oil spray and sprinkle with salt, etc. I hope that helps!
Used this recipe several times always comes good. Family seems to not get enough of them. I do season prior to cooking though. I use olive oil salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Sometimes some cornstarch for a crispy coating. Mix with sauce when done or eat them just as they are.
I normally cook halfway, then oil and spice the wings before finishing cooking.
Thanks for sharing, Fred!
If the wings n drums are pretty large, they take my air fryer longer to reach temp (165 internal). Closer to 21 minutes.