I decided to share my delicious Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe with you on this Super Bowl Sunday! You may be thinking: wait, did you say air fryer? Not the smoker? I promise you that these will not disappoint. They have a crisp salty skin with a hint of garlic and pepper in every single bite. These wings are seasoned to perfection and cook so fast with no marinating required!
Chicken wings in the air fryer come out so perfect that you will be making chicken way more often once you try cooking them this way. Scroll through some of my other air fryer chicken recipes that I've posted, you'll become a believer! The forced circulating hot air makes the skin super crisp which is quite difficult to achieve in a conventional oven. The center of the chicken is also perfectly cooked, very tender and juicy.
1 lb of air fried chicken wings cook time is just 15 minutes - to bake these chicken wings in a conventional oven, it would take 45 minutes to an hour! I just made 2lbs in 22 minutes and they're nearly all gone! I recommend cooking these directly in the air fryer basket, no liners. I know cleanup won't be as quick, but the result is worth the cleanup! Give my recipe a try, you'll love it!
*Quick note about air fryers: I have 2 very different styles of air fryers. The first type is a toaster oven style with a little oven door and a two baskets that slide in & out. The second type is a slide-in drawer/basket type- everything goes into one deep basket. I prefer the toaster oven style air fryer because it can fit more food and serves a different functions; it not only air fries, but also bakes, broils and toasts.
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of chicken wings (flats and drummettes- I love the flats the most!)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
2 teaspoon of fresh ground coarse pepper
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
(for 1 lb of wings you'll need: 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of fresh ground coarse pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt)
STEPS:
Preheat your air fryer to 400˚F (set cook time for 22 minutes).
Pat dry the chicken wings thoroughly with paper towels and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix to coat the wings.
Sprinkle on all the seasoning- I premix my SPG (salt, pepper, garlic). Toss to evenly coat with the seasoning.
Place the wings evenly directly in your air frying basket, spacing them out so there's no overlapping.
Air fry at 400˚F for 22 minutes, flipping the wings at the halfway cooking point. Your chicken wings should be crisp and golden brown on the outside. The internal temperature must reach at least 165 °F. *Bake time will vary based on the surface area of your air fryer basket. You may need to add a few minutes.
Bon appétit! Enjoy just as they are or with your favourite sauce!