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    Home > Easy Appetizer Recipes

    Published: Apr 14, 2021 by Denise Browning · "This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission." · 1 Comment

    Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Fresh or Frozen): So Crispy & Juicy!

    Gluten Free

    Jump to Recipe ↓
    close up of an bbq chicken wing

    Cook fresh or frozen chicken wings in air fryer without any added oil in up to 30 minutes and serve them with a homemade bbq sauce for a quick and easy appetizer.  Just like our Brazilian chicken bites and this air fryer chicken thighs, they taste super delish and are juicy inside! But find out THE SECRET to make them either tender or crispy outside by following a simple step. Make sure to watch our quick VIDEO! 

    a hand holding a bbq chicken wing cooked in the air fryer

    Do you love to munch on chicken wings when watching sports games or a movie at home? How about serving some without all the saturated fat? Sounds good, right?

    These chicken wings in air fryer are full of flavor without a single drop of oil or grease. They get golden brown and succulent and then are tossed with a 5-ingredient bbq sauce that you can make in just 2 minutes.

    Oh… and a big plus for me is you don’t need to thaw your chicken wings to make this appetizer. You can throw them in your air fryer and they’ll cook to perfection.

    This recipe is a real winner, making entertaining easy!

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    All that you need to make these frozen bbq chicken wings in air fryer are 6 ingredients:

    • Chicken wings– we used bone-in wings but you can make this recipe with boneless chicken wings too. It will take less time to cook though! The same applies to wings cooked from fresh. As you said earlier, they cook 4-5 minutes faster than the frozen wings.
    • Homemade bbq sauce – if you use a store-bought one, your air fryer wings will require only 2 ingredients: the sauce and the wings. But I preferred to prepare mine from scratch using 5 staple ingredients: ketchup, apple cider vinegar (which you can sub with red wine vinegar if you want), light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika (if you have the smoked type is even better).

     

    How long to cook fresh or frozen chicken wings in air fryer

    Air fryer chicken wings' cook time varies depending on they are frozen or fresh, bone-in or boneless, and their size. Keep in mind that fresh, smaller, or boneless chicken wings cook faster than frozen, standard-size, or bone-in wings.

    Our air fryer frozen chicken wings take about 30 minutes to cook while fresh wings cook in 25 minutes. These times are for standard-size, bone-in chicken wings. Shaking them every 10 minutes is key to cook them evenly, especially if they are frozen.

    The last 6 minutes are crucial to either get them tender or crispy. Because I prefer mine tender, I didn’t place their tops skin upside down in the basket in one single layer. If you do, it will allow the fat to render out and have wings with super crispy skin.

    Either you prefer them crispy or tender, cooking the wings at a lower temperature first and then increasing the heat for the last few minutes ensures juicy wings with golden brown skins.

    air fryer chicken wings iwith bbq sauce n a platter

    How to Make a Larger Batch of Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

    You don’t need to cook them in a single layer all the way through. In fact, cook a large batch of wings, shaking the basket every 10 minutes, and then increase the temperature and take some of the wings out to crisping them up in smaller batches. Just make sure not to overcrowd the basket to allow the air to circulate. We made a large batch in a small air fryer as you can see in our video!

    Air frying  frozen chicken wings

    Cooking frozen wings in air fryer is so easy! You can follow the same cooking method or steps required to cook fresh wings. The only difference is If you are using frozen wings, air fry them 4-5 minutes longer at 380°F before increasing the temperature to 400°F for the last 6 minutes to brown them.

    It is natural to have the frozen wings stuck together in the beginning. Just keep shaking the basket to separate them while cooking.

    How to Cook Fresh or Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

    image collage showing how to cook frozen chicken wings in air fryer and toss in bbq sauce in 6 steps

    Asking yourself how to air fry chicken wings the easy way and, most of all, in large batches? It is easy peasy! 

    1. Preheat your air fryer at 380°F (190°C). for at least 10 minutes or as recommended in the manual. Place fresh or frozen the chicken wings in the basket and insert basket into the air fryer. SEE PIC. 1 
    2. Cook the wings for 20 minutes if fresh or for 24-25 minutes if frozen, shaking the basket every 10 minutes, so they don’t stick together and cook evenly. SEE PICS. 2, 3 & 4
    3. When the time comes to an end, shake the basket, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C), and cook them for 6 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown. SEE PIC. 5 For crispy wings, make sure to lay their tops skin side down in one single layer. If you prefer them tender like me, no need to cook them in one single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to crisp them up in batches.
    4. Meanwhile, prepare your bbq sauce by mixing together ketchup, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika until homogeneous.
    5. Toss the wings with the bbq sauce or others of your choice such as buffalo or lemon pepper sauce. SEE PIC. 6

     

    What to serve with Air Fryer Chicken Wings

    Serve chicken wings with Blue Cheese or Ranch dipping sauce and fresh celery sticks and baby carrots on the side. This classic appetizer also goes well with coleslaw, fries, chips, and more. Perfect for a game day party, don’t you agree!

    bbq chicken wings ina platetr with vegetables and a dressing

    FAQ’s

    How to cut chicken wings?

    Using your fingers, locate where the two joints connect. Then, cut through the center of both joints with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to separate the drummette, flat, and tip. You can also buy them already separate.

    Should I rinse chicken wings before cooking in the air fryer?

    No! By rinsing you are getting rid of some of the chicken flavors and may contaminate your sink and work surfaces. Just pat the chicken dry and prep as required in our recipe.

    Do I have to pat dry the wings before cooking?

    Although it is not required, it makes for extra crispy skin.

    Air Fryers with different Temperature Scales

    If your air fryer doesn’t go up to 400 degrees F, use the setting with the closest temp to it and cook for longer than the lkast 6 minutes called for in the recipe to brown and crisp them up.

    Can I use a dry rub before cooking them?

    Yes! In fact, some of my faves are a Cajun or bbq rub and taco seasoning. Just spray the wings lightly with cooking spray and rub the seasoning on to stick to them. It works best if the wings are fresh! 

    Can chicken drumsticks or thighs be used instead of wings?

    Yes, you can! Just keep in mind because they are larger pieces, you will have to cook them for longer and in batches that fit your air fryer.

    Can I bake these wings in the oven instead?

    Yes, but it will take longer to get the wings as crispy as in the air fryer. For that, bake them in a preheated oven at 400°F (205 °C)  for 45-55 min, flipping them once after 25 minutes.

    What is the best air fryer?

    Air fryer with larger baskets is better because it gives you more cooking surface to cook larger batches while allowing the air circulate. Also Basket-Style Air Fryers make crispier food than Toaster-Oven-Style Air Fryers, which works more like a convection oven.

    Storage

    Asking yourself how to store these air fryer chicken wings? You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze cooked wings (without sauce) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight!

    To reheat cooked fresh or frozen chicken wings in air fryer, preheat air fryer at 350°F (180° C) and heat the wings for 5 minutes, then increase the temp to 400°F (205° C) and heat for 3-5 minutes more or until hot.

    More chicken recipes to try:

    • Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Baked Chicken Breast
    • Instant Pot Whole Chicken
    • Weight Watchers Chicken Tortilla Soup
    • Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
    • Galinhada (Brazilian Saffron Rice with Chicken)
    • Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff
    • Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Chicken Thighs
    • Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Livers 
    • How to Make Fried Chicken

    PIN & ENJOY!

    close up of the cooked poultry in a platter

     

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    a hand holding a bbq chicken wing cooked in the air fryer
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    5 from 2 votes

    Fresh or Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

    Cook fresh or frozen chicken wings in air fryer without any added oil in up to 30 minutes and serve them with a homemade bbq sauce for a quick and easy appetizer.  They taste super delish and are juicy inside! But find out THE SECRET to make them either tender or crispy outside by following a simple step.  Make sure to watch our quick VIDEO! 
    Course:Appetizer
    Cuisine:American
    Keywords:air fryer chicken thighs, bbq sauce, chicken wings, quick
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories354 kcal
    Author Denise Browning
    Cost $ 1.00 per person

    Equipment

    • Air fryer
    • bowl

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs chicken wings fresh or frozen
    • ¾ cup ketchup
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your air fryer at 380°F (190°C). for at least 10 minutes or as recommended in the manual. Place fresh or frozen chicken wings in the basket and insert the basket into the air fryer.
    • Cook the wings for 20 minutes if fresh or for 24-25 minutes if frozen, shaking the basket every 10 minutes, so they don’t stick together and cook evenly.
    • When the time comes to an end, shake the basket, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C), and cook them for 6 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown. For crispy wings, make sure to lay their tops skin side down in one single layer.  If you prefer them tender like me, no need to cook them in one single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to crisp them up in batches.
    • Meanwhile, prepare your bbq sauce by mixing together ketchup, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika until homogeneous.
    • Toss the wings with the bbq sauce or others of your choice such as buffalo or lemon pepper sauce.

    Recipe Video

    YouTube video

    Recipe Notes

    Storage
    Asking yourself how to store these air fryer chicken wings? You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze cooked wings (without sauce) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight!
    To reheat cooked fresh or frozen chicken wings in air fryer, preheat air fryer at 350°F (180° C) and heat the wings for 5 minutes, then increase the temp to 400°F (205° C) and heat for 3-5 minutes more or until hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 403mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

    ** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

    Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

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    Filed Under: American Recipes, Easy And Delish, Easy Appetizer Recipes, Easy Gluten-Free Recipes Tagged With: air fryer

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    Comments

    1. Raymund says

      April 20, 2021 at 10:21 pm

      5 stars
      That looks lip smakingly good

      Reply

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    I'm a professional Chef with an expertise in Brazilian food. I am also a busy mom of two girls, living in Texas. Here you will find budget-friendly, healthy Brazilian and Global Recipes made Easy and Delish! I'd love to help you feed your family healthy dinners (many low carb) with a few splurges because life is all about balance! Join our community and happy cooking!

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