Air Fryer Chicken Wings (SUPER CRISPY!) (VIDEO)
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings are my favorite way to make wings – it’s so easy and the wings turn out super crispy every time (especially when you use one key ingredient!), done in 20 minutes!
Watch the Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
These are the BEST Air Fryer Chicken Wings!
This recipe has been the TOP recipe on my website for 3 years – and for good reason! These are the crispiest air fryer wings you’ll ever have – and that’s due to one key ingredient: baking powder! Baking powder does two things: 1. it draws moisture to the surface of the skin, so it can evaporate, leading to a crispier skin, and 2. it increases the pH levels of the skin by breaking down the proteins, which helps the skin turn crispiest and more evenly browned when air-fried. (This is the same trick I use for my popular Baked Chicken Wings!)
I love eating these paired with one of my homemade sauces – Homemade Ranch or Popeye’s Blackened Ranch for dipping, Barbecue Sauce, Raising Cane’s Sauce, Chick-Fil-A Sauce, Honey Mustard, Spicy Mayo, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
“This is my go to recipe for chicken wings, a much healthier alternative than deep frying and it tastes just as good if not better; juicy in the inside and crispy outside.”
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- chicken wings – I used both drums and wings; try to use wings of similar sizes, as this will help ensure the wings cook evenly.
- neutral oil – my go to neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use canola or vegetable oil.
- white pepper – I recommend using white pepper over black pepper because I personally find that the finer grind of white pepper works better in the seasoning. You can substitute with black pepper if you prefer, but make sure it is finely ground to prevent the peppercorns from burning.
- baking powder – this is the KEY ingredient for crispy chicken wings – see my personal note above for the 2 reasons why it works! Use aluminum-free baking powder for best results.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Pat Dry and Season the Chicken Wings – 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 and mix well.
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 for 10 minutes.
Flip and Air Fry Again – After the first “fry” in the air fryer, the chicken pieces might look a little bland and grey, but don’t worry! Flip them and then air fry a second time at 400F for another 5-11 minutes until they are super crispy! (This time may vary based on your air fryer and the size of your wings – see note in the recipe card)
Key Tip
CJ’s Expert Tips / Storage
Pat Dry the Wings – Make sure to pat dry the chicken wings so they are completely dry. Dry chicken wings will result in the seasoning sticking better to the chicken (versus falling off in wet clumps), and they will also crisp up better in the air fryer.
Cooking Time – The cooking time may vary for the wings depending on their size (see my note in the recipe card). If the skin isn’t crispy enough, just add a few more minutes until the skin is as crispy as you like. To ensure doneness, use a thermometer probe to make sure the internal temp reads at least 165F.
Using Frozen Wings – If you are using frozen wings, I recommend defrosting them first. This is so that the seasonings and baking powder will properly absorb into the wings and create the crispy skin. I do not suggest cooking the wings straight from the freezer.
Storage and Reheating – Store any leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They will soften as they sit in the refrigerator – to restore their crispiness, you can reheat them in the 375F for 7-8 minutes.
If you tried this Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (SUPER CRISPY)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken wings, separated into drummettes and flats
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 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 ensuring they do not touch each other, and air fry for 10 minutes at 400F.
- Flip the chicken wings and air fry again for 5-11 minutes at 400F (depending on the size of the wings – see note below) or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve with your favorite wing sauce or eat dry and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Small wings (12+ wings per pound): Air fry 5 minutes after first flip (15 minutes total)
- Medium wings (10 wings per pound): Air fry 8 minutes after first flip (18 mintues total)
- Large wings (8 wings per pound): Air fry 11 minutes after first flip (21 minutes total)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was the first time using my new air fryer and only the second time I have ever used an air fryer. These wings can out great; my family was disappointed we did not have more. I used garlic salt in place of kosher salt but other than that followed the recipe exactly. If me as a rank amateur air fryer can do this ; WOW! I’ll be back to try other recipes,
As someone who does not eat meat but was serving wings for a party (we did a hot wings challenge) this was great.
Easy, low effort, super crispy wings. I got a lot of compliments for these wings. I would make them again.
Thank you Vera! I appreciate the great review!
Hey CJ
Cooking these right now for maybe the 10th straight time.
Great clear and easy recipe. It just works!!
Always send a link to the recipe to our guests aftersnf then go over for their first batch!
Thank you so much Andrew! Your review is so appreciated and thank you for spreading the word about this recipe! It’s one of my favorites!
Absolutely delicious! My husband said they were the best he ever had !!
Woohoo! Thank you, Tracey! Appreciate the stellar review!
Thanks for the feedback Tracey I will be doing them again soon!
really crisp and delicious
Thank you Lily! I’m so glad you loved it!
KFC at it’s best, no fail recipe.I make these at least once a week now.
I love to hear that, James! Thanks so much for making my recipe!
Used the tips in this recipe today for a community Juneteenth potluck. Results were excellent.
I use drumettes and not wings – so the cook time was a bit longer – 12 minutes first “fry” and 11 minutes after flipping.
I did marinate overnight – a recipe I have used many times from a chef in Brooklyn. Made sure they were patted dry before using the directions here. Loved the white pepper idea – never had used that before. I also added paprika to the mix of salt, pepper, baking powder. I premixed the dry ingredients before adding.
I made a lot of them (can do 20 at a time and be spread out) and in the 2nd and 3rd batch I almost doubled the amount of baking powder per pound – these turned out great but so did the first batch.
Maybe out of habit but I always preheat my air fryer for at least 5 minutes before putting the “wings” on the basket.
Put them in a crock pot to keep them warm while serving – also added my sauce once in the crockpot.
Very moist on the inside – very crispy on the outside — thanks for the air fryer tips.
Thank you for all the insight, Paul! I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
The paprika ( 1/2 tsp per pound) adds incredible color and flavor. I think with an acidic marinate you need a bit more baking powder and that is why I added more in my later batches – those were very crispy with a puffed up skin. I used a lot less sauce than normal to highlight the crispy skins.
would like your Turkey breast and Chicken wings.
Hi Mary – you can search for any recipe with the search icon at the top right of the page!
My kid likes her wing CRISPY like a chip crunchy ! In order to do this on the oven the meat is always dried out to the point .. did I just eat a bone ??? That used to be okay when wings didn’t cost as much a steak lol Well with your recipe I can get it hen her level of crispy crunchy and they are still moist under that beautiful skin . I followed the instructions to a T only adding garlic salt . Thank you sooo much !!
So glad she loved it, Adriene! Thanks for trying my recipe!
Excellent! I’ve been using this for probably a year once a month or so, always turns out great.
One tweak I’ve been doing for the last six months is marinating the wings in vinegar for an hour or two first – then pat dry and follow the rest of your steps.
That’s awesome Brad! Do you feel like it turns out crispier with the vinegar?