This is the best crispy air fryer chicken wings recipe, that makes restaurant-style crispy chicken wings without frying in oil.
These air-fried chicken wings make a great appetizer or main dish for any occasion, and disappear too fast!
Today I’m sharing how to make the best wings ever. This is the best flavor-packed crispy air fryer chicken wings recipe ever! Air fryers are perfect for making crispy foods without all the oil associated with traditional frying.
I can confidently say these air fryer chicken wings are the best way to make chicken wings… And I’ll never go back!
These are perfect for game day, or wing nights! Wings are a real treat that my whole family loves, but the way the air frier gets the skin perfectly crispy all the way around makes this one of our favorite recipes!
This recipe makes 2 pounds of wings, but I double it for a main dish to serve our whole family.
4 Tools You Will Need For This Super Easy Recipe:
- An Air Fryer – I LOVE my air fryer. We’ve had it for a couple of years now, my mother gave it to us for Christmas, and it’s the most used Christmas present we’ve ever gotten!
- My air fryer does not have an air fryer basket, but it has 3 flat racks that easily slide in and out. If you’re in the market for an air fryer, definitely go for the sliding rack option over the air fryer basket! It’s so much easier to use!
- The way this air fryer gets hot air all the way around your whole wings (and other foods) means that you don’t have to flip it in the middle of cooking, and your get perfectly crispy skin every time! (Which makes if far superior to basket air fryers!)
- Paper Towels
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
There is no need for oil with air-fried chicken wings. The oil in the chicken skin makes them super crispy in the air fryer!
Why Use Baking Powder on Chicken Wings?
Want to make the crispiest wings? Use baking powder! Baking powder is the secret ingredient here… It actually changes the PH of the chicken wings making their skin super crispy in the air fryer!
This technique is great to achieve restaurant-style crispy chicken wings in the air fryer! It helps create a texture similar to deep-fried wings without submerging them in oil.
Air Fry – Bake Time
Air Fry Chicken Wings at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes to really crisp the skin!
While Chicken wings are Air Frying, make the buffalo sauce:
In a small saucepot combine:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch of Salt
Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest! (Or the zest of 2 lemons).
Remove wings from the air fryer and toss with buffalo sauce and serve with ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, and veggies!
Wings are a real treat that my whole family loves, but the way the air frier gets the skin perfectly crispy all the way around makes this next-level good!
You’ll also love Air Frier Chicken Breast Recipes.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Dipping Sauce: Ranch Dressing, Blue Cheese Dressing, or your favorite BBQ Sauce for dipping. Use my lemony buffalo sauce or your favorite sauce, favorite wing sauce, or hot sauce for dipping.
Side Dishes
Loaded Potato Salad is perfect with these wings!
Air Fried French Fries
And A Veggie Tray with: Celery sticks, Carrot Sticks, Mini Pepper, Olives, Pickled Beets, Chopped Broccoli or Cauliflower!
Recipe Card
Super Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings – Lemon Buffalo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of Fresh Chicken Wings or defrosted chicken wings.
- My Favorite Chicken Dry Rub – Combine:
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning This seasoning has salt in it.
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 lemons for zest.
Instructions
- Defrost Chicken Wings if they are frozen.
- Pat chicken wings dry using a paper towel.
- Mix dry rub seasonings in a small bowl, and set aside.
- Place defrosted chicken wings in a large bowl for seasoning.
- Sprinkle your dry rub marinade over wings and give them all a good rub to make sure they are all covered.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
- Let wings marinate in the dry rub for at least an hour.
- Place chicken wings IN A SINGLE LAYER ON AIR FRYER RACKS. Do not overlap wings because they won't cook right if you do.
- Air Fry Chicken Wings at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, then turn the heat up to 400 degrees and cook them for another 5 minutes to really crisp the skin!
In a small bowl combine:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest! (Or the zest of 2 lemons).
- Remove wings from the air fryer and toss with buffalo sauce and serve with ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, and veggies!
The Simplest & Easiest Way to Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Really all you need to make the most crispy chicken wings are the wings and the air fryer with a little salt pepper and baking powder. These three ingredients air-fried make perfectly crispy, and delicious wings every time.
If you want to skip the homemade seasoning and use your favorite bottled sauces, just toss your chicken wings with a teaspoon of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of baking powder (per pound).
Let them marinate in the fridge for a few hours, and air from them at 375 for 25 minutes, then at 400 for 5 more minutes.
You’ll have plain but perfectly crispy and tasty chicken wings that you can toss with your favorite store-bought bottled sauces!
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About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
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