Extra Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Extra Crispy Air Fryer Wings have extra crispy skin, and buffalo sauce, and are made right in the air fryer! These are perfect for game day or when you’re craving the crispiest wings!

Extra Crispy Air Fryer Wings are so good!! One of my favorite air fryer recipes, that you can make any time, not just on game day!

The key to the best chicken wings is very simple! An air fryer (or convection oven!), and time.

If you love chicken wings, this recipe is for you! You’ll get restaurant-quality chicken wings without the oil and mess and headache of frying wings at home.

Get your favorite sauce and celery sticks ready! Forget the deep fryer! Let’s make extra crispy chicken wings!

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How to Make Extra Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Gather your ingredients:

• Chicken wing pieces — this might be called party wings or separated wings. If you buy your wings in the frozen section, they’ll usually be called separated wings. You can buy whole wings if that’s what your store has!
• Dry rub
• Spices – such as garlic powder, onion powder, ranch seasoning, lemon pepper, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, etc.
• Some people recommend using baking powder. I’ve done this for my Apricot Jalapeno Chicken Wings, and while it does make the chicken wings incredibly crispy, when you’re using an air fryer you don’t need it! They get just as crispy without the baking powder.

Gather your Supplies:

You’ll need an air fryer.

I love my Chefman Compact Air Fryer — it’s perfect for 1-2 people. And I can make my own serving of chicken wings fresh as can be!

If I purchase another air fryer, it will be Ninja Foodi Air Fryer that flips up off the counter, saving space!

You’ll need a mixing bowl to season your wings, and some tongs to toss everything about.

Air Fryer Tips:

An air fryer is a small convection oven that uses hot air to circulate around everything. It’s why the baskets don’t touch the bottom of the oven.

When you have an air fryer basket and you line it with foil, you’re now using your air fryer like a convection oven. They are wonderful for crisping up leftovers, and air fryer french fries might be better than the real deal!

Now, let’s get making extra crispy wings!

Pat your wings dry with a paper towel if they’re super wet — or you had to thaw them from the freezer. It helps if the wings are close to room temperature so the air fryer doesn’t lose too much heat when you get that far in the printable recipe card.

Place the wings into a large bowl.

Start by seasoning your fresh wings with whatever seasoning blend you like! My secret ingredient, every single time, is ranch powder.

You need to season your wings well and toss them about. Coating everything really well — then let the wings sit for a few minutes, while you preheat your air fryer.

When your air fryer has preheated, layout the wings in a single layer on the air fryer basket.

Each type of air fryer uses a cooking time that is a bit different. But, you’ll want to start on a lower temperature first. This helps the chicken skin begin to render and when we crank up the temperature, it will crisp up perfectly!

Start the cooking process around 300-325 degrees f.

Air fryer temperatures usually ramp up to their heated temperature very quickly, and you don’t usually need to preheat them. I like to preheat mine, mainly because I like to hear that “sizzle” sound when the chicken wings hit the basket!

If you don’t preheat your air fryer oven, it will be just as yummy!

Since we’re not deep frying these chicken wings, we can walk away, and do something with our life. Yay!

Set the timer for 15 minutes, then give them a shimmy shake!

For extra crispy air fryer chicken wings, the whole process is not quick… You’ll need a good 30-45 minutes to achieve the best results.

While air frying is usually a quick method, sometimes it’s not any quicker than the ‘normal’ methods.

Achieving the Perfect Wings

So, you want those extra crispy wings?? You’ve got to give it time. Keep taking the basket out, shaking it, and popping the chicken back into the air fryer.

Allow 5 minutes between each ‘shimmy shake’ so the air fryer doesn’t lose heat too quickly.

Once your wings are to the optimum crispy point, remove the basket from the air fryer.

My air fryer has a bowl, so I just add my favorite wing sauce to the air fryer basket/bowl thing.

If yours does not have this, like the Ninja Foodi, then plop your chicken wings into a large bowl and toss with some buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, or even more of your dry rub.

Pop the saucy wings back into the air fryer for a few minutes so the sauce adheres to the wings.

Use a meat thermometer if you’re worried about the internal temperature of your wings.

This air fryer chicken wing recipe is a super easy recipe!

Serve these wings at your next party, and they’ll soon become your favorite food!

Air Fryer Buffalo Wings are an excellent low-carb option! You don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything fun at your game day tailgate.

Don’t forget your favorite dipping sauce!

Blue cheese dressing or homemade ranch is always the go-to option.

If you want to try a different dipping option, give this Green Onion Chip Dip a try!

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in your air fryer for just a couple of minutes!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why are my wings not crispy?

If you crowd your pan or use a liner in your air fryer basket your wings will end up steaming, instead of allowing air to circulate all the way around.

How do you get the crunchiest wings?

Allow your air fryer to do its job, and let time take care of crisping your wings!

Save this to your favorite Chicken Wing Board on Pinterest!

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