These Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are a healthier version of deep fried wings, & they taste like they're straight from a restaurant!
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Ingredients in this recipe
Here's what you need on hand; full recipe amounts are at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
- chicken wings
- cooking spray
- celery & carrot sticks, to serve
- sour cream
- blue cheese
- buffalo sauce
- BBQ sauce
- butter
How long does it take to cook wings in an air fryer?
- Season wings with salt & pepper
- Add wings to basket in one single layer. Spray with cooking spray.
- Air fry for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together melted butter, buffalo sauce and BBQ sauce in a large bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Mix sour cream and blue cheese together to make the dip, and chop up celery and carrots. - When wings are done, toss in sauce.
- Serve alongside carrots, celery and blue cheese dip. Enjoy!
Ingredient substitutions
- Chicken wings – Skinless wings will still get nice and crispy and are a great reduced-fat option. Or, use boneless, skinless meat to make popcorn chicken instead!
- Sour cream – Plain Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. It’s not as tangy, but the flavor of the blue cheese will still come through nicely.
- Buffalo sauce – There are plenty of recipes online for a homemade version if you can’t find one in stores. Basically, it’s a combination of hot sauce, garlic powder, and butter. Some versions include vinegar or Worcestershire for extra tang.
Are air fryers good for chicken wings?
Yes! In fact, it’s probably one of the best ways to cook wings. With an air fryer, the skin of the chicken is nice and crispy while the meat remains juicy.
Plus, they cook in less time than using an oven. Not only does it save energy, but it also keeps your kitchen cool.
Can you stack chicken wings in an air fryer?
Wings should be placed in a single layer so every piece cooks evenly. If you can, try to leave a little bit of space so they aren’t touching each other either.
If the wings are stacked, then the hot air can’t circulate as well and there will be sections that don’t get as crispy on the outside.
Use tongs to turn each piece instead of tossing them in the basket, and do it as quickly as possible to get them back under the heat. This guarantees that they all cook for the same amount of time on each side.
How do you cook frozen wings in an air fryer?
The process is exactly the same, except you’ll need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time. Also, depending on what model and brand of air fryer you have, you may need to drain off the liquid about halfway through cooking.
The reason for this is that frozen wings have excess water that releases as they're cooking. The water collects in the bottom of the basket, creating steam, which is not helpful when you want extra crispy skin.
For food safety, always check to be sure that your chicken is properly cooked all the way through. There should be no pink color in the meat at all, and the juices should run clear. Using a more accurate method, a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the meat should read 165° F.
Do you need to flip chicken in Airfryer?
In order to get perfectly crisp skin, the chicken pieces must be turned at least once. The best time to do this is at the halfway point of the cooking time. However, flipping them every 10 minutes will yield the best results.
Storing and reheating
If you manage to have any leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Always store cooked chicken in a sealed container so it stays fresh, and put the sauce in a separate container so the wings don’t get soggy.
These will heat just fine in the microwave, but using the air fryer will get them nice and crispy again.
Freezing cooked wings
If you place the chicken into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, they will freeze well for up to 3 months. To be able to take a few pieces out at a time, freeze them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet first.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating, and make a fresh batch of buffalo barbecue sauce to toss them in.
More game day recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
- I own and love the Philips Digital Airfryer XXL
- You can order buffalo sauce online
Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken wings
- salt & pepper, to taste
- cooking spray
- Celery & carrot sticks, to serve
Blue cheese dip
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup blue cheese
Wing sauce
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 F for 8 minutes. Season wings with salt & pepper, then add to basket in one single layer. Spray with cooking spray, then air fry for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. You may need to do wings in two batches.
- Meanwhile, mix together melted butter, buffalo sauce and BBQ sauce in a large bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot.
- Mix sour cream and blue cheese together to make the dip, and chop up celery and carrots.
- When wings are done, toss in sauce. Serve alongside carrots, celery and blue cheese dip. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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