Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Of all the Super Bowl snacks, no watch party is complete without a plate full of wings. Whether they're coated in lemon-pepper seasoning, dredged with garlic and parmesan, roasted in the oven or fried in oil, chicken wing recipes are the ultimate crowdpleaser.

The air fryer makes faster and just-as-crispy chicken wings as traditional recipes with one big bonus: less cleanup! This recipe starts with a zippy spice rub that you use to coat the wings before cooking. They come straight out of the air fryer ready to eat, or ready to toss in sauce for an extra layer of flavor: sauce! Be sure to make some of this homemade ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping. Served with a full spread of party dips and finger foods, this is game day food done right.

Are wings better in the oven or air fryer?

Your air fryer is the better choice for wings, and here's why: Air fryers circulate heat all around the food, which means wings that get crispy on all sides. An oven just won't give you the same crisp wings as an air fryer.

Can you switch up the seasoning?

Certainly! Let this recipe be your guide for cooking the wings, but feel free to use any combination of spices that fit your taste. If you have a favorite barbecue rub, try using it!

Should you sauce wings before or after air frying?

Wait until the wings are done cooking before you toss them in sauce so that the sauce doesn't burn. Just have a bowl ready with your choice of sauce (buffalo sauce or a sweet barbecue sauce is scrumptious on these wings). The second the wings are finished air frying, transfer them to the bowl and give them a good toss to coat.

How long does it take to cook wings in an air fryer?

One pound of wings takes about 30 minutes to cook in the air fryer. The wings cook best in two stages. First, cook them at a lower temperature to slowly render some of the fat from the skin and retain the moisture of the chicken. Then, finish the wings at a higher temperature to crisp up the skin for that just-out-of-the-fryer finish. This healthy chicken recipe calls to cook two pounds of wings in two batches, so you can devour the first batch and then go back for seconds!

How do you crisp wings in an air fryer?

For the crispiest wings, use a two-stage method of cooking—first at a lower temperature, then at a higher temperature. Additionally, it's important to not overcrowd the air fryer basket. This recipe calls to cook two pounds of wings in two batches with a little bit of space left between each wing. This allows the air to flow freely through the air fryer and to crisp up all sides of the wings. Flipping frequently throughout cooking also helps the wings get nice and crispy—that's the beauty of most air fryer recipes!