Air Fryer Chicken Wings: Surprisingly Simple

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Dry Rub Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings: Surprisingly Simple to make delicious air fryer chicken wings at home.

Did everyone get an air fryer in 2020? I’m not usually one to run out and get the newest gadgets. I often wait to see if the initial buzz will wear off. But, I think it was a worthwhile investment for this recipe alone.

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The ingredients are fairly simple on their own: Chicken, spices, and oil. For those who have food allergies or sensitivities, that is a very good thing. My husband and I are currently dealing with a myriad of things having us avoid dairy, gluten, eggs, banana, black beans, and the hardest one, mammal products.

No beef, pork, deer, or any of the like. It is an issue called Alpha-Gal and it’s from a tick bite. Over time we may be able to heal from it. But for now, there is a whole lot of chicken and seafood going on in our kitchen.

These Air Fryer Chicken Wings Don’t Leave Us Missing Anything

They are tender on the inside but crispy on the outside. Making them in our own kitchen means we get them while they are piping hot, which is the way we like them. (Let that also be a warning to you, don’t burn your mouth because you’ll want to be able to taste these!)

What You’re Going to Need

Air Fryer:

If you hadn’t guessed this already, an air fryer is essential for this recipe.

I got mine from Costco but have also seen a lot of great reviews on this one on Amazon.

If you want to air fry two different dishes at the same time, this big boy looks awesome.

Chicken Wings:

Chicken wings, Chicken wing sections, Party wings, any of these options in a raw form will work. If you plan on using frozen wings, first defrost them before starting the recipe to get well seasoned, crisp results.

Avocado Oil Spray

Both of the ones pictured above have given me good results. I like using an avocado spray for the high heat smoke point, which is important when cooking something at 400 degrees.

Spices:

Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper are the magic makers here. Feel free to use your own blend but this combination really brings it all together.

How to Make Delicious Air Fyer Chicken Wings

1. Make sure your wings are not frozen. Even if you buy them in the refrigerated section, they may have been previously frozen.
2. Section wings seperating the drummette, the flat wings and you can remove the wing tips if you’d like.
   • How to Cut Chicken Wings 101
3. Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Don’t go crazy here, just remove excess moisture. This step helps make the wings crispy.
4. Mix together all spices and seasonings in a large stainless steel bowl.
5. Add chicken wing sections to the spice mix and toss to coat well.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least half an hour.
   • (Overnight is best if you can plan ahead)
7. After time has lapsed for the chicken to marinate, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. (About 30 minutes.)
8. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees (or follow your specific model’s instructions for raw chicken wings.)
9. When the air fryer is preheated, spray the inside generously with the avocado oil spray.
10. Add a single layer of chicken wings to the air fryer basket. Don’t let the wings touch.
    1. Work in batches if necessary. (Depending on the size of the air fryer.)
11. Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking.
    1. Make sure to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
12. Carefully remove chicken wings from the air fryer basket to a serving dish. Continue cooking the rest of the chicken wings in batches in the same way.
13. Enjoy the dry-rubbed chicken wings while warm.

What to Dip Your Wings Into

Ranch Dressing has been my go-to for years, but since I have recently needed to be dairy-free I have found some new favorites.

This DF Buffalo Sauce is super good.

And if you haven’t heard of Bitchin Sauce yet, let me introduce you. This is a link to Target so you can see the image of it, but I’ve found it at Costco in a really big container (of course) and other local grocery stores.

Hot sauce or whichever BBQ sauce of your choice will be also be good on these, because they’re actually really good just on their own. They’re a great base to build flavors on. Just don’t toss them in sauce too early before serving and get them all soggy. 

What To Serve with These Air Fried Chicken Wings

I usually serve these chicken wings with a side salad and steamed broccoli if we are eating it as a meal.

If it’s game day, then I may also be busting out some chicken nachos with my Easy Instant Pot Mexican Chicken.

Now that Autumn is here, it makes me want to go to the deep south with some cornbread muffins or french fries, mac and cheese for the kids to eat and dip these in some good barbeque sauce.

What are you going to be serving up with them? Let me know what you’re planning!

Can I Bake This Recipe in the Oven?

Yes, of course, you can, but the results will not be the same.

To bake this in the oven preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

After following steps 1-6, prepare baking sheets with the avocado oil spray.

Spread out the chicken wings on the prepared baking sheets being careful not to let the wings touch.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then carefully flip them over. Finish baking them for about 10-15 more minutes until your desired level of crispness has been achieved and they are at least 165 degrees inside.

Enjoy!

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