Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are juicy inside with a light, crispy seasoned breading outside and loaded with bold delicious flavor! This recipe uses almost no oil and cleanup is quick and easy.

Whether you just got air fryer, are struggling to find your groove with last year’s Christmas gift or a veteran air fryer, this post comes with no empty promises when I say these are the best wings ever.

Crisp light breading outside, juicy chicken inside and plenty of bold delicious flavor using almost no oil. These wings are ready to eat right out of the air fryer or tossed in your favorite buffalo sauce like you see in the photos. 

They’re a healthier way to eat one of your favorites without compromising taste or texture. The best part? Delicious, crispy wings every time.

Crispy chicken wings are a big deal in our house. Fried, oven baked or from our favorite takeout spot, they’re consumed routinely. Game day . . . any day.

We all agree that the best wings are crispy outside, juicy inside with plenty of spicy taste. These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings check every box and are a healthy alternative to deep frying.

Air Frying:

If you’re new to air frying, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Here are a few reasons why my air fryer has become one of my all-time favorite kitchen appliances:

• It’s easy to use.
• Cleanup is quick and easy.
• It imitates the taste of deep fried using very little to NO oil. 
• Because little/no oil, there’s less fat and fewer calories.
• Taste – the food coming out of the air fryer is delicious.
• Air frying is a healthier choice and a great way to enjoy your favorite fried foods.

Tips for best results:

• Pat the food dry with a paper towel so it crisps instead of steaming.
• Preheat the air fryer.
• Turn or toss the food during the cooking process so all sides are crispy and golden.

what’s needed for this air fryer chicken recipe:

Air Fryer Chicken Wings cook way faster than oven baked and are way less mess than deep fried. For the crispiest air fryer chicken wings here’s what you’ll need:

Here’s what you’ll need:

• cooking spray or olive oil spray
• fresh chicken wings
• all purpose flour
• corn starch
• cracker meal
• ground cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• salt and black pepper
• your favorite hot sauce (Frank’s Hot Buffalo Sauce preferred in my house)

how to make air fryer chicken wings:

Pat the wings dry using paper towels then set them aside. 

Combine the flour, corn starch, cracker meal and spices in a shallow bowl then give it a good stir.

Dredge the wings one at a time in the flour mixture then preheat the air fryer to 350° degrees for 2 minutes.

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray then place chicken wings in the air fryer. Set the timer for 18 minutes.

Air fry for 18 minutes total (or until the wings reach an internal temp of 165° with a meal thermometer). Pause cooking every 6 minutes of cook time to shake the wings in the basket.

At the last minute of cook time pause the air fryer and lightly spray the wings with cooking spray then cook for the final minute. 

Optional: transfer the wings to a large bowl, drizzle with your favorite wing sauce and toss to evenly coat.

Serve right away with a side of ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I stack the wings in the air fryer basket? Yes – but no more than two layers. You don’t want to overload the basket.

Do I need to toss the wings? Yes – you definitely need to toss the wings, pausing the air fryer about every 6 minutes and giving them a good shake. This will flip them and allow the wings to crisp all over.

Can I cook the wings faster than 18 minutes? Yes – air fry the wings in a single layer and they will cook faster however you’ll probably need to cook in batches. 

Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of your air fryer and the chicken wings themselves. Be sure the wings have reached an internal temp of 165° and with a light brown crispy breading before serving.

can I reheat leftover chicken wings?

Leftovers? As if! Kidding aside, if you’re lucky enough to have a few wings leftover, they reheat perfectly in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350°, add the wings to the basket (no oil is needed) and air fry 4 minutes total, turning them halfway through. This will restore wings to their original state.

looking for other air fryer recipes?

Here are just a few air fryer recipes on the blog. Click into the site for others.

French Fries – the BEST hand cut fries air fried to crisp outside, fluffy potato inside uses just one teaspoon of oil! 

Baked Potatoes – perfect crispy skin with fluffy soft potato inside. Your favorite steakhouse baked potato cooked in the air fryer! 

Roasted Broccoli – delicious fork-tender broccoli with lightly crisp edges cooks in just 8 minutes! 

Chicken Taquitos – better than deep fried ! Spicy shredded chicken and cheese rolled into tortillas air fried until golden and crispy.

Enjoy!

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If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe or any other on the blog then I hope you’ll leave a comment and some stars!