I got on the oven fried chicken wings kick a few years ago when I was trying to eat a healthier diet but just couldn’t give up wings. I figured I could forgo all the fat and calories if I could figure out how to make crispy wings without deep frying them.
I tried many recipes, none of which produced a crispy wing. Then, I came across a recipe that used a 2 step process for cooking wings in an oven. First, you have to coat them in baking powder to dry the skin and help them to get that crunchy outer shell. Then you bake the wings low and slow. For the second step, crank up the heat and blast the wings until crispy. They are delicious, but do leave a bit of a mess to clean up.
The air fryer makes baked chicken wings so much easier. You will still cook them at 2 different temperatures, but you don’t need the messy baking powder. Just season them and cook. Once all are cooked you just toss them in your favorite wing sauce or eat them as they are.
Tips for Perfect Wings
There are a couple of tips to successfully air fry a crispy wing. It is really important that the wings are dry. You can pat them completely dry with paper towels before seasoning.
It is also a good idea that the wings are at room temperature. Some recipes say that it is okay to use frozen wings. I find that frozen wings retain too much water that releases when cooking. I think this can steam the wings a bit.
Remove the tips and cut the wings into smaller drumette and wingette portions. Cook the wings in batches so that they are in a single layer in the basket or on the crisper plate. This helps the skin to get crunchy. My first attempt I had the wing portions a little too close together and they fused into a single mass. It wasn’t a deal breaker but was messy looking when I pulled them apart.
About the Recipes
Both recipes start with a very basic air fryer 2 step chicken wing recipe. Once you have mastered the “frying” part of the process you can certainly eat them as they are or come up with a number of different sauces and dips.
These 2 recipes are pretty classic. If you have the time, make a bigger batch of each. The wings will stay very crunchy for a long time until you can sauce them.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce and Blue Cheese Dip
The first recipe is a fairly straight forward buffalo chicken wing recipe where the wings are finished in a butter and hot pepper sauce. This is traditionally served with a creamy blue cheese dip and vegetable sticks. I have included a dip recipe.
Spicy Korean Style Chicken Wings
The second recipe is an adaptation of deep fried chicken wings with spicy, sticky Korean style sauce. The original dish is called Korean Fried Chicken or Dakgangjeong. I watched Maangchi, a Youtuber and author who specializes in authentic Korean cooking, make this dish and I really wanted to see if it could be made using and air fryer.
The crisp wings are finished off in a sauce that hits all the notes of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty. Feel free to tone down the spice. Maangchi used a lot of red pepper. I did reduce the amount in the recipe here. You can eliminate it and the dish is still tasty.
These wings are traditionally served with pickled radish. Personally, I like them with a bowl of sticky white rice on the side that you can add a bit of the sauce and garnishes to.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce and Blue Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 TBS mayonnaise
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- Dash of hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 TBS minced parsley leaves
- 4 ounces crumbled Maytag or Gorgonzola blue cheese
Chicken
- 1-1/2 pounds split chicken wings (14 to 16 drumettes and wingettes)
- 1-1/2 tsps dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup (4 TBS) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup of your favorite hot pepper sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Carrot and celery sticks for serving
Total time:40 min – Prep time:10 min – Cook time:30 min – Serves:2 people
Author: Nick
Directions:
Blue Cheese Dip
1. In medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, and pepper. Stir in the parsley and blue cheese.
2. Place in a serving bowl or 2 ramekins and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Chicken
1. Preheat your air fryer to 360°F. Pat the wing portions dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and oregano.
2. You will have to cook the wings in 2 batches. Place the wings in the fryer basket or crisper plate in a single layer and set the timer for 12 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
3. Reset the air fryer to 390°F. Flip the wings again and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes until brown and crispy.
4. Make the buffalo sauce while the wings are on their last cook cycle: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Bring to a simmer.
5. Place the wings into a glass or stainless steel bow. Pour the warm sauce all over and toss to coat completely.
6. Transfer the wings to a serving bowl or platter and serve with carrot and celery sticks, blue cheese dip, and plenty of paper napkins.
Spicy Korean Style Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
Chicken
- 1-1/2 pounds split chicken wings (14 to 16 drumettes and wingettes)
- 1/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sauce and Garnish
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup or honey
- 4-1/2 tsps tamari or soy sauce
- 1 TBS brown sugar
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 4 small dried red chile peppers, snipped with kitchen shears into smaller pieces
- 3 TBS roasted peanuts
Garnish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 scallions sliced thinly on the bias
Total time: 40 min – Prep time: 10 min – Cook time: 30 min – Serves: 2 people
Directions:
1. Preheat your air fryer to 360°F. Pat the wing portions dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. You will have to cook the wings in 2 batches. Place the wings in the fryer basket or crisper plate in a single layer and set the timer for 12 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
3. Reset the air fryer to 390°F. Flip the wings and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes until brown and crispy.
4. Make the spicy sauce while the last batch of wings is almost finished cooking: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the rice syrup, tamari, sugar, vinegar, and mustard.
5. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers. Cook until fragrant, approximately 45 seconds. Stir in the rice syrup mixture and simmer until the sauce is reduced and sticky, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the cooked wings and peanuts to the simmering sauce. Toss to coat all over. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle the sesame seeds, pepper flakes, and scallions over the top.
7. Serve the wings with plenty of napkins. These wings are customarily served with sweet and sour pickled vegetables on the side.
Leave a Reply