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Learn the secret to the crispiest baked wings. My 2-ingredient Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe flies above the competition with ease (and with remarkably juicy chicken wing results). Toss with barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce, or anything else you love.
If you’ve been cooking along with me here on Culinary Hill for a bit, you’re probably well aware that I’m wild for chicken wings. From Coca Cola-sauced and Asian-inspired to Baked Buffalo and Smoked Chicken Wings, I love wings any which way.
Quite possibly my favorite way to cook chicken wings, though? In an air fryer. Short on prep time and ingredients (not counting oil, salt and pepper, you just need 2 items!) but rich in flavor, my easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are crisp on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Plus, they can be dressed up any which way you desire.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken wings: Flats and wings; wing tips removed. Wing tips tend to overcook and don’t have much meat on them, so remove them yourself or ask your butcher to assist with the task. Most grocery stores sell chicken wings with the tips already removed, so you may not even need to make a special request.
- Paprika: Sweet or smoked; whichever you prefer. I personally adore the smoky layer of flavor the latter delivers. Feel free to substitute in another spice if you like or try a blend such as Creole Seasoning, Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, or Chili Seasoning. Straight-up Lawry’s is always good too!
- Sauce: After cooking, I toss Air Fryer Chicken Wings in my copycat Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce or Buffalo sauce (Franks Red Hot + butter). They’re delicious plain, too!
- Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing: Classic Buffalo wings are always served with Blue Cheese Dressing for dunking. If you don’t like blue cheese, though, and do want to channel your inner Midwesterner, use Ranch instead. Or enjoy the Air Fryer Chicken Wings sans-dressing; they’re perfect as-is!
Step by step instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees for 3 minutes. Pat wings dry with paper towels, then add to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange wings in an air fryer basket.
- Air fry until skin is crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes per side or 20 to 24 minutes total, flipping the wings halfway through.
- Increase heat to 400 degrees and cook 5 minutes longer. Serve plain or with your favorite sauce.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: My Air Fryer Chicken Wing recipe makes about 32 wings, depending on the size of the wings you buy. This is enough for 4 entree-sized servings (8 wings each) or 8 appetizer-sized servings (4 wings each).
- Storage: Store leftover Air Fryer Chicken wings, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To bring them back to juicy, warm life, you know what to do: Air fry!
Recipe FAQs
There’s no need to wash poultry before cooking. The CDC recommends that you never wash chicken, and I agree. This can splatter raw chicken juices onto your sink, counters, and on any nearby surfaces or utensils.
This helps lead to the crispiest, crunchiest chicken wings, plus it allows the seasoning to “stick” better.
Baked Buffalo Wings
I’m spilling my secret to the crispiest Baked Buffalo Wings. Bake the chicken wings, then toss them in hot Buffalo sauce and pair with blue cheese dressing for the ultimate game-day appetizer idea. The search…
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Favorite sauces for wings
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Salad Dressing Recipes
Blue Cheese Dressing
Salad Dressing Recipes
Ranch Dressing
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Barbecue Sauce
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings flats and wingtips removed (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika (see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Barbecue sauce or Buffalo Sauce, for tossing, optional (see note 3)
- Blue Cheese dressing or Ranch, for serving, optional (see note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees for 3 minutes. Pat wings dry with paper towels, then add to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange wings in an air fryer basket. Air fry until skin is crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes per side or 20 to 24 minutes total, flipping the wings halfway through. Increase heat to 400 degrees and cook 5 minutes longer.
Notes
- Chicken wings: Flats and wings; wing tips removed. Wing tips tend to overcook and don’t have much meat on them, so remove them yourself or ask your butcher to assist with the task. Most grocery stores sell chicken wings with the tips already removed, so you may not even need to make a special request.
- Paprika: Sweet or smoked; whichever you prefer. I personally adore the smoky layer of flavor the latter delivers. Feel free to substitute in another spice if you like or try a blend such as Creole Seasoning, Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, or Chili Seasoning. Straight-up Lawry’s is always good too!
- Sauce: After cooking, I toss Air Fryer Chicken Wings in my copycat Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce or Buffalo sauce (Franks Red Hot + butter). They’re delicious plain, too!
- Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing: Classic Buffalo wings are always served with Blue Cheese Dressing for dunking. If you don’t like blue cheese, though, and do want to channel your inner Midwesterner, use Ranch instead. Or enjoy the Air Fryer Chicken Wings sans-dressing; they’re perfect as-is!
- Yield: My Air Fryer Chicken Wing recipe makes about 32 wings, depending on the size of the wings you buy. This is enough for 4 entree-sized servings (8 wings each) or 8 appetizer-sized servings (4 wings each).
- Storage: Store leftover Air Fryer Chicken wings, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To bring them back to juicy, warm life, you know what to do: Air fry!
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
