The Ultimate Guide to Air Fryer Wings
Nothing beats an air fryer when it comes to making crispy, better-for-you wings at home. Air fryers circulate hot air quickly during the cooking process, which means they offer the best of both worlds: the crisp texture of frying, and the limited oil use of baking. All you need is a light coating of oil to get a delicious chicken wing that tastes deep-fried but offers a better-for-you alternative to fried wings.
And, thankfully, it’s easier than you think to create pub-worthy wings at home. Read on for our top tips to make air fryer chicken wings, plus recipe inspiration to get you started.
How to Make Perfect Air Fryer Wings
Try these three tips for perfect wings every time.
1. Start with the right chicken wings
Most of the time, store-bought chicken wings will be broken down into two parts: The drumette, the small drumstick-like wing with a single bone in the middle, and the flat, which contains meat around two smaller bones. If you have a preference, the butcher will be able to sell you one or the other. No matter which cut of wing you choose, select large pieces that will have ample amounts of meat.
2. Dry your wings before frying
Air fryers create that crisp texture by circulating dry, hot air around the wings as they cook. So it’s essential to start with dry wings to minimize the steam in your air fryer. Pat each wing with a paper towel until it’s thoroughly dry before placing it in the air fryer.
3. Shake often — and avoid overfilling
Getting the perfect texture is all about air flow. When you’re filling the air fryer, leave at least 1 centimeter of space around each wing to ensure even air flow, since overfilling risks steaming the chicken and getting soggy wings. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to bake in batches.
Use tongs to toss and turn the chicken wings every five minutes during baking to ensure even cooking to get wings that are crispy all over.
The Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe
Every family needs one classic wing recipe — and these Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings are sure to become a family favorite. These wings get their delicious flavour from Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce. They’re rich, savory and spicy, and taste just like wings from your favourite pub, so they’re perfect for cozy nights in and on game day.
How to Season Chicken Wings
Buffalo wings never go out of style. But if you’re ready to level up your wing game, try out different seasonings and sauces to make the wings your own.
One of the easiest ways to adapt wings to your taste is to turn up the heat. Sub out regular Buffalo sauce in favour of Frank's RedHot Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce for a fiery wing that’s still bursting with Buffalo flavour.
Craving a mix of sweet and hot? Try out the sauce on these RedHot Maple Mustard Wings. They feature an easy three-ingredient sauce made from pantry staples and put a Canadian-inspired twist on classic wings.
And if you’re looking for a truly unexpected wing, try the sauce for these RedHot Caesar Wings. Made with Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce and caesar cocktail mix, it tastes like your favorite cocktail — and makes for a next-level happy hour.
Find More Air Fryer Recipe Inspiration
What goes well with air fryer chicken wings? Other air fryer apps, of course! Try these recipes to create a mouthwatering meal.