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Who doesn’t love chicken wings!? I love making them in the air fryer, which I consider a bit of a shortcut way to make crispy, juicy chicken wings! Air Fryer Chicken Wings have been a highly requested recipe and after a couple of tests this is my favorite way to make them!
These Air Fryer Chicken Wings only take a few minutes to make, but require one KEY ingredient – baking powder! The baking powder reacts with the chicken skin by raising its pH level to create beautiful golden brown and crispy skin. They’re delicious on their own, but also spectacular with my Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing, BBQ Sauce, or Raising Cane’s Sauce!
Watch the Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Wings
I love this air fryer chicken wing recipe because only a few ingredients will make crispy, juicy chicken with less fat than deep frying! Firstly, here are the ingredients you will need!
- chicken wings
- neutral oil – my go to neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use canola or vegetable oil
- kosher salt
- white pepper – I get asked all the time if you can sub black pepper for white pepper – and my answer is, it depends BUT you need to watch the ratio. White pepper has a milder flavor profile than black pepper, so it’s not a 1-1 substitute. I would start with less black pepper and add as you go. (But really, you should have white pepper in your pantry! It’s a staple in mine!)
- baking powder – The baking powder reacts with the chicken skin to raise the pH level and and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.
Want to use the oven instead? Make my Baked Chicken Wings! Feel like pork? Try Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings: Recipe Instructions
Pat the Chicken Wings Dry
The first step patting the wings with a paper towel to get them as dry as possible. You want to remove any excess moisture from the wings to help them crisp up.
Next, place the chicken wings into a bowl with kosher salt, white pepper, baking powder and neutral oil. Mix well with your hands and head to the air fryer!
Air Fry the Chicken
Lay your chicken wings in a single layer in your air fryer basket, making sure there is enough space between the wings to allow for air to circulate freely in the basket. Air fry them at 400F (preheat if needed) for 10 minutes!
Flip and Air Fry the Chicken Wings
After the first “fry” in the air fryer, the chicken pieces might look a little bland and grey, but don’t worry! Give them a flip then air fry a second time at 400F for another 8-12 minutes until they are crispy! This time may vary based on the size of your wings, so adjust the time accordingly.
This was the final result – look just how incredibly crispy that chicken is! You can see the puffed skin from the baking powder, which results in a beautiful paper thin and crisp exterior. You can also watch the video for audio evidence as well 🙂
Want a non-meat alternative? Try my super crispy Air Fryer Tofu!
COOKING TIME
The cooking time may vary for the wings depending on their size. If the skin isn’t crispy enough, just add a few more minutes until the skin gets to where you want it to be. To ensure doneness, use a thermometer probe to make sure the internal temp reads at least 165F.
If you liked this Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe, check out some of the most popular air fryer recipes like my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or my other fried chicken recipes on the blog like my:
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (SUPER CRISPY)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken wings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp neutral oil, I used avocado oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- In a bowl, season the chicken wings with salt and white pepper along with baking powder and neutral oil. Mix until the wings are evenly coated.
- In a single layer, place the chicken wings in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes at 400F.
- Flip the chicken wings and air fry again for 8-12 minutes at 400F (depending on the size of the wings) or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve with your favorite wing sauce or eat dry and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use corn starch instead of baking powder?
Hi Shanequa – I wouldn’t recommend substituting the baking powder. They won’t turn out as they did in my video and photos!
Just tried this recipe. Great directions! Only thing different I did was add paprika, garlic powder, and used black pepper since that was all I had. Perfect crisp without the grease from deep frying.
Thanks Angela! I’m so happy you loved it!
These were delicious! Only change I made was adding some garlic powder. You would never know these weren’t fried. 😊😊😊
Great addition! I’m glad you loved them, Kim!
I love my air fryer and I love chicken. These wings were incredible…a match made in heaven. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I just made these for lunch and followed exactly. Mine were perfect by 23 min. Thanks!
Glad they turned out well, Clair! Thanks for the comment!
Where is the video?????
The video is right below the first picture!
I can’t see the video either
It’ll pop up just after the first photo where it says “Watch the Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video Below!” – it may take a second to load!
Came out nice and crispy. I added a couple shakes of garlic powder and some sweet paprika to give them a little added added flavor. My wings were on the small side, but I let them go the full time for the crispness even though they finished at 180 -200 degrees.
So glad to hear you loved it!
So crispy!
Thanks Lindsey! So glad you enjoyed it!
I just bought my first air fryer. I also purchased liners for the basket. My question is: Should I omit the liner so that the wings will get crispy? (I have been cooking my wings in the oven with this recipe for years now so it’s not new to me. However the air fryer is very new to me…). Thanks!
Hi Donna – I personally don’t use liners, but you should be totally fine with a parchment paper liner. These should not affect the crispiness of the wings since the liners are pourous and allow for air flow. Hope that helps!
My new go to wing recipe. The family loved these.