Want delicious air fryer chicken wings just like at the pub? You’ve got to try this chicken wing recipe!
With some fresh chicken wings, a little oil, a super simple spice blend (or your favorite wing sauce), and your air fryer, you can enjoy a pound of crispy chicken wings in just 20 minutes.
The nice thing about these wings is that they can be enjoyed in a number of ways. They are great on their own, with a dry rub, or your favorite tasty wing sauce!
Ingredients
To make these air fried chicken wings with a dry rub spice blend on them, here are the ingredients that you will need!
- Chicken wings, drumettes and wingettes
- Avocado oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper powder, optional
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you make air fryer wings, read through these recipe tips so you know what to expect when you make air fryer wings!
- Our wings were thawed when we cooked them. You could make air fried chicken wings from frozen, but the cooking time will vary – so don’t use this recipe for that!
- You can modify the spice blend to suit your taste. For example, we usually only add a little bit of cayenne pepper but if you like your wings spicy you can always add more.
- If you want to make saucy wings, don’t put the sauce on before the air fryer since “wet” sauces and batters tend to burn or smoke in the air fryer. Just toss the wings in a little bit of oil, cook them in the air fryer, and then toss them in the sauce after cooking
- We use avocado oil in the air fryer since it has a higher smoking point than virgin olive oil.
- Our air fryer has a 6-quart capacity and fits one pound of wings easily in one single layer. If you have a smaller one, you might have to do a pound of wings in two batches since the wings need space to cook in the air fryer tray. That’s how they get crispy!
Step by Step Instructions
To make chicken wings in the air fryer, you can find the recipe card below and/or you can find the recipe process photos in this section.
This way you have some step-by-step instructions visuals to refer to as you cook. This is especially good if you are new to using the air fryer.
If the wings are quite wet, place them on a plate and pat the wings dry with a paper towel. In case they don’t have a lot of moisture on them, there is no need to dry them first.
Place the wings in a medium mixing bowl and add in the oil.
If you want to enjoy the wings with a dry rub, also add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper powder (optional).
If you want to enjoy the wings with your favorite wing sauce, just add the oil and not the spices (you’ll add the wing sauce after cooking).
Toss until the wings are evenly coated in oil and spices (if opting for dry rub).
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once hot, place the wings in the air fryer tray. They should be in a single layer to make sure that they can cook evenly and get crispy.
If your air fryer is too small for that, cook them in two batches.
Cook the chicken wings for a total of 16-18 minutes. Flip the wings over after 10 minutes.
Since every air fryer is different (and wings might be slightly differently sized), your cooking time may vary a bit.
Once the wings are cooked to a crispy brown finish, remove them from the tray and place them in a bowl.
Add your favorite wing sauce (if desired and you didn’t use the dry rub) and toss the wings until they are evenly coated.
Serve them with some cut-up celery and carrot sticks just like you’d get at the pub. The veggie sticks help to change up the flavors on your palate as you eat.
Storage Tips
When you air fry chicken wings, you should definitely enjoy the wings fresh when they are hot. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge.
Since they are meat, they should be consumed sooner rather than later – and not later than 3 days after cooking. They will likely have lost their crispiness in the container due to moisture but that’s okay.
You can eat them cold out of the fridge, reheat them in the microwave, or place them back into the air fryer for a few minutes until they are warm again. Some air fryers even have a reheat setting.
Related Recipes
If you want to try out some more air fryer chicken recipes, have a look at these and see what you like:
- Homemade Air Fried Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Wings [Homemade]
- Honey BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer (from Fresh)
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken wings, drumettes and wingettes
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
With Dry Rub
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder, optional
With Sauce
- Your favorite wing sauce
Instructions
- If the wings are quite wet, place them on a plate and pat the wings dry with a paper towel. In case they don’t have a lot of moisture on them, there is no need to dry them first.
- Place the wings in a medium mixing bowl and add in the oil. If you want to enjoy the wings with a dry rub, also add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper powder (optional). Toss until the wings are evenly coated in oil and spices. If you want to enjoy the wings with your favorite wing sauce, just toss the wings in the oil (you’ll be adding the sauce after cooking).
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once heated, place the wings in the air fryer tray. They should be in a single layer to make sure that they cook evenly and get crispy. If your air fryer is too small for that, cook them in two batches.
- Cook the chicken wings for a total of 16-18 minutes. Flip the wings over after 10 minutes. Since every air fryer is different (and wings might be slightly differently sized), your cooking time may vary.
- Once the wings are cooked to a crispy brown finish, remove them from the tray and place them in a bowl. Add your favorite wing sauce (if desired and you didn’t use the dry rub) and toss the wings until they are evenly coated. Serve them with some cut-up celery and carrot sticks.
Video
Notes
- Since you’re cooking chicken, make sure that it is fully cooked before taking it out of the air fryer. Our wings are always done after 18 minutes but, again, yours may vary slightly.
- If you opt for the dry rub, you can always tweak the spices you use according to your preferences.
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.
