Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

These frozen chicken wings in the air fryer are extra crispy yet juicy on the inside, rich and buttery, and slathered with an easy and delicious sauce. They’re unbelievably easy to make and are a perfect hot snack for get-togethers. This recipe calls for using frozen chicken wings which makes it no-fuss, less prep and less mess!

If you’re prepping for a crowd, this recipe is fabulous! Just buy a large bag of frozen wings, pop them in the air fryer, then you’re free to start prepping the other dips and appetizers like Mozzarella bruschetta!

Ingredients:

• Frozen chicken wings
• Olive Oil
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• For the sauce – Mix Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce (or something similar) with melted unsalted butter for creaminess and a milder taste.

How to make air fryer chicken wings

1. Spray the air fryer basket and coat the wings with olive oil
2. Stir together the spices and sprinkle over the chicken to coat and season
3. Put the chicken in the basket leaving space in between each piece
4. Cook for 10 minutes and flip
5. Increase heat and cook another 15-22 minutes shaking every 5 minutes until the skin is crisp
6. Coat the wings with Buffalo sauce
7. Plate and serve!

Which sauce is best?

I used Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce but definitely use your favorite. Sweet Baby Ray’s, Texas Pete, and Buffalo Wild Wings seem to be wildly popular and easily available too. Your choice!

You can even change it up a little and use a sweeter BBQ sauce or leave them plain and let the dipping begin.

Different countries mean different wings

When you go abroad, you learn that many things are different depending on where you live, and wings are no different.

In the USA, frozen chicken wings include the drumette and the flat; whereas, in Germany, they only include the flat and the tip.

If you read this and have no clue what I’m talking about see this anatomical guide to chicken.

Visuals always help!

Why use an air fryer?

There are so many reasons! Mainly, it reduces cooking time and makes things easier. And it won’t heat your house during the process!

Plus, I can get that extra crispy crunch without using a deep fryer!

I was hesitant before I purchased one and now, I’m all about it! Life made simple is an extraordinary thing.

How to layer the basket

Normally, I would say leave plenty of room in between food when cooking with the air fryer to get it crispy and evenly cooked. But with frozen chicken wings, you can add a little more to the basket because they shrink quite a bit.

Just add a tad more (I suggest 8) and when it’s time you turn up the heat and flip them over, the wings are the perfect size to arrange in a single layer for the rest of the cooking process.

But don’t get carried away and put two and three layers stacked on top of each other. Give them a little space.

If you have a small air fryer basket, then cooking in batches is your best bet.

Want your wings extra crispy?

Add a little baking powder, (just 1 tablespoon) to the spice mix and combine. Then coat the wings thoroughly.

Baking powder breaks down the proteins and works like magic to brown and crisp them to an extra level of crunch.

Do I have to use frozen chicken wings?

No, but it’s much more work. I’m a lazy cook sometimes, and with a crowd, I want to keep things as simple as possible.

What to do with leftovers?

Everyone loves hot and spicy wings, so I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers. But just in case, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat them at 400℉ until heated thoroughly. (5-10 minutes). It will make a great lunch during the week.

You can store them in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Do not refreeze the wings.

Do I have to use oil?

Not necessarily, spraying the basket with oil helps food not to stick to the basket. It’s minimal, and I use it because I like easy cleanup.

If you don’t want to use oil, I would suggest using parchment paper at the bottom of the basket.

Oil helps the spices stick to the skin of the chicken and seal in flavor, but you can pat the wings dry and add spices without the oil if you prefer.

Can I use the oven to cook the wings?

Sure! It’ll take more time, but it’s easy enough.

First, thaw the frozen wings or use fresh ones to bake in the oven. Pat them dry and coat them with baking powder and spices (see extra crispy section above) and let them sit in the fridge overnight. This dries the skin and ensures that extra crunch.

You will also want to use an oven rack on a baking sheet or place them directly on the rack in the oven (line your drip pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up). If you use a dish or pan they’ll get soggy.

Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C) for 25 minutes and flip halfway through. Check temperatures for doneness.

You could also try these Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings.

What can I serve with chicken wings?

Well, the standard is fresh-cut vegetables like carrots and celery with a blue cheese dressing or another creamy dipping sauce like this cilantro-lime crema.

If you go with cut vegetables you could also serve roasted garlic hummus or for a spicier flavor, chipotle hummus, both are healthy dips that can be made ahead.

If you want a cheesy dip and are sold on the Buffalo sauce, try this Instant Pot Buffalo chicken dip.

I also like this spicy jalapeno cabbage salsa or for a sweeter taste try this mango habanero salsa.

This Greek pasta salad is a given at any family gatherings at my house. It’s easy and fills them up.

If you’re eating these wings for lunch or dinner, pair them with this summer corn chowder. It’s easy and only takes 30 minutes to cook.

Or want something cooler and extra nutritious, try this sweet potato salad.

And if you want some different flavor to your wings, try these soy garlic chicken wings!

How to clean an air fryer

It’s best to clean your air fryer after every use! And if you’ve never done it, now is the time. For an easy follow-along video just get out your air fryer and begin with this video.

I don’t expect huge cleanups with the air fryer which is another perk. If you’re worried about a mess, then line the basket with parchment paper.

Although you can use aluminum foil, I don’t recommend it. It can damage your air fryer or leach aluminum in your food. Just use a little elbow grease and remember to clean the air fryer after every use and deep cleaning as often as needed.

Other air fryer recipes:

• Air fryer bbq chicken
• Garlic fries
• Tater tots
• Carrot fries
• Air fryer baked potato
• Fish tacos
• Turkey burgers
• You can even make air fryer chocolate chip cookies! If you need a Paleo version, no problem, these Cookies are perfect every time!

If you try these air fryer chicken wings or any recipe you find on the site, I would love to see pics and hear about your experience. Just tag 📸 and follow #fooddoodlesrecipes so that I can find them easily. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

5 from 105 votes

Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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For the wings:

• 8 frozen chicken wings
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

• mix together 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Original or another hot sauce
• 1/4 cup 56 grams melted unsalted butter

Instructions

• Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil.
• Put the chicken wings in a bowl and coat them in olive oil.
• Stir together the garlic and salt and sprinkle that over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken in the seasoning.
• Put the wings in the basket so that they're not touching.
• Cook at 360 °F (180 °C) for 10 minutes and then flip the wings.
• Increase the heat to 400 °F (205 °C) and cook another 15-22 minutes, shaking after every 5 minutes, or until the skin is crisp.
• Coat the wings in the buffalo sauce (but please first take a few photos of the wings before you add the sauce).

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