Fridays are "party nights" in our household. Essentially this means that we imbibe of some adult beverages, play games, and eat our favorite bar snacks. Nothing says TGIF like a crispy plate of air fryer wings. And with a smorgasbord of sauce options, it's hard to get bored!
Why make air fryer wings?
Ok, honestly, there are so many benefits to making wings in the air fryer. I love a good wing but what I CAN'T stand is grisly, chewy bits. This method of cooking eliminates that problem entirely, leaving only enjoyable, crispy chicken. Besides, unlike deep frying, this method does not leave behind an oily mess.
Best wing sauces
Classic Buffalo: Buttery and spicy...I doubt I need to explain this one to you.
Honey Bourbon: This sauce is sweet and tangy, with a hint of bourbon and just a little heat.
Garlic Parmesan: For the non-spice lovers out there, this is a great alternative! It's creamy, garlicy, and supremely satisfying.
Sweet and Tangy Korean Wings: Spiced with gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, this sauce is a real symphony for your taste buds.
Tips for making crispy wings
Use oil spray: In order to make sure chicken wings don't stick to the air fryer basket you'll want a light coating of oil. Add oil spray to the air fryer basket before adding the chicken wings, then add another layer on the top of the wings. In addition to helping with sticking, this light oil spray helps the wings to crisp.
Toss wings every 5 minutes: This is an important step! Moving the wings around frequently during cooking ensures that wings get crisped evenly on all sides. It also eliminates any surprise chewy bits, which I I think we can all agree is the worst part of poorly cooked wings.
Use a large bowl to toss wings with sauce: Hold off on adding sauce to the chicken wings until they are fully cooked. To best apply sauce use a large enough bowl to allow wings to be tossed without them flying out of the bowl. It's important to use enough sauce and to ensure that all sides of the wings are evenly coated.
FAQs
Although it is tempting to add sauce to the wings before cooking, it is best to sauce the wings when they are completely cooked. If applied too early the sugars in the sauce can burn, creating an unpleasantly bitter flavor. Toss wings with sauce in a large bowl to ensure an even coating.
Yes! In fact, I never cook defrosted wings in the air fryer. It takes about 30 minutes to air fry chicken wings from frozen.
The biggest factor in even crisping of chicken wings cooked this way is to toss them every 5 minutes. This allows all sides to crisp evenly.
Wings should be cooked at 400°F for about 25 minutes, if fresh, or 30 minutes, if frozen.
Put your party hat on, pop your wings into the air fryer, and get ready for a good night.
Keep your belly full, your mind engaged, and your heart open.
Lillian
Air fryer chicken wings.
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 12 chicken wings Fresh or frozen
- oil spray
- sauce of choice
Instructions
- Pre-heat air fryer to 400°F.
- If you plan to make multiple batches of wings, pre-heat oven to 350°F, then turn the oven back off.
- Spray air fryer basket with oil. Add wings into the basket in an even layer. Spray the top of the wings with another light layer of oil, then close the air fryer.
- Cook wings for about 25-30 minutes if using fresh wings or 30-35 minutes if using frozen wings. Toss or flip the wings in the air fryer basket every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- If you are making multiple batches of wings, wrap the first batch in a layer of aluminum foil and place them in the oven (turned off at this point) until the other wings are ready.
- When wings are done cooking, place them in a large bowl with about ⅓ cup of your chosen sauce. Toss the wings in the sauce until they are evenly coated.
- Serve wings with ranch or blue cheese and some celery and carrots!