These Air Fryer Chicken Wings are easily the crispiest chicken wings you'll ever try! Made with a simple 2-ingredient dry rub, these wings are crispy on the outside and juicy inside, making them the ideal appetizer, snack or dinner recipe.
Oh how I adore air fryer recipes, especially when they require minimal ingredients.
The air fryer is great for many recipes, but I especially love it for cooking chicken. My air fryer chicken thighs and air fryer chicken breast are on regular rotation in my house, and now I'm adding these wings to the list!
My baked lemon pepper wings are crispy, but these air fryer chicken wings are somehow even crispier! Made with only four ingredients, they truly couldn't be easier to whip up.
Recipe features
- Crispy chicken wings that cook in under 20 minutes
- The entire recipes requires only 4 ingredients
- They're sweet, salty and a little spicy -- the perfect combination of flavors!
- Can be made using fresh or frozen wings
Ingredients
Chicken wings - A combination of wingettes, drumettes and wing tips work best.
Olive oil - Or, sub your favorite kind of oil.
Brown sugar - A little bit goes a long way and really helps to enhance the sweetness in these wings. If you must substitute, coconut sugar would be another good option.
Chili powder - Adds some savoriness and spiciness to the recipe.
Salt - A must-have for nearly any chicken recipe.
​Instructions
Step 1: Pat the chicken dry. Place the chicken wings on a plate, then use a paper towel to pat them dry. Transfer the wings to a large bowl.
Step 2: Season the wings. Next, stir the brown sugar, chili powder and salt together in a small bowl. Drizzle the chicken with the oil and stir to combine, then sprinkle the seasoning overtop and use your hands to toss the chicken with the spice mixture.
Step 3: Air fry. Preheat your air fryer, then spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil spray. Place the chicken smooth side down in a single layer in the basket and cook wings for 10 minutes. Then, use kitchen tongs to flip it over and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.
Repeat this process until all of the wings are cooked.
Tips, tricks and FAQs
- NOTE: You will most likely have to cook the wings in batches because they won't all fit in the air fryer at once. To keep the wings warm, place them on a baking sheet in your oven heated at 200° while you wait for the rest of the wings to cook.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer! If you want the wings to be crispy, they should NOT be overlapping and instead be in a single layer when cooking.
- Don't love chili powder? Try using chipotle powder or smoked paprika instead.
- Serve wings alongside your favorite dipping sauce, like ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or chipotle aioli.
- If you want to increase the spice, drizzle the wings with a little hot sauce before serving.
Can I use frozen chicken wings?
Yes! If you prefer to use frozen wings, place the frozen wings directly into your preheated air fryer and cook them at 400° for 5 minutes to thaw them out. Then, remove the wings, pat them dry and follow the rest of the cooking instructions as written.
Why aren't my wings crispy?
If you've followed the instructions and your wings don't seem crispy, it's probably because you didn't pat them dry enough before adding the oil and spice mixture. Removing as much moisture as possible is key to creating crispy wings.
Can I bake these in the oven?
Yes, but the wings won't get quite as crispy. To do so, preheat your oven to 425°, line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Place the wings on the wire rack, then bake them for approximately 30 minutes.
What should I serve alongside air fryer wings?
Wings pair perfectly with carrots and celery sticks of course, but they're also delicious alongside buffalo chicken dip, fattoush salad, braised greens and/or my honey sriracha brussels sprouts.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat: Reheat the wings in your air fryer at 360° for 5 minutes until warm. Or, heat in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes.
More air fryer favorites
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200° to keep the wings warm between batches. Place the chicken on a plate, then use a paper towel to pat it as dry as possible. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, then drizzle the olive oil overtop and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar, chili powder and salt together. Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken, then use you hands to stir so the chicken is coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°, then spray the basket with nonstick spray. Place the wings smooth side down in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Use tongs to flip them over and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- Transfer the wings to a baking sheet and place them in the oven to keep them warm, then repeat the same process for the remaining wings. Enjoy!
Miguel says
These are delicious!