These crispy and tender Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer may be the best chicken wing recipe to exist. The air fryer makes such juicy and flavorful buffalo wings, it will only leave you wanting more and more. While these tasty wings are great as a game day appetizer, you’ll find they make a delicious weeknight dinner as well!
Get ready for the best crispy chicken wings you’ll ever have in your life all thanks to the handy dandy air fryer. The best part about this recipe are those easy frozen chicken wings. Popping them in the air fryer frozen saves you time, and still tastes better than deep frying them. You’ll be amazed at the crispy skin you can get by air frying!
Reasons You’ll Love These Wings!
‘Wingin’ It – This easy recipe is perfect for those times when you just need to whip up something fast for dinner, but don’t want to disappoint.
Frozen to Fantastic – Just stick your favorite brand of chicken wings in the air fryer, coat it in the delicious buffalo wing sauce and voila!
Super Simple – It only takes 35 minutes to make, and most of that time is spent waiting for those wings to crisp up in the air fryer.
Fan Favorite – This awesome wings recipe is the real deal and is bound to become a favorite recipe amongst everyone in your household!
Game Day Ready – In need of some quick and easy hot wings for football season? Look no further than this air fryer chicken wings recipe.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This is an overview of the ingredients you will need to make this air fryer wings recipe. Important notes and substitutions for certain ingredients are discussed. The full printable recipe, with amounts and specific details, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Frozen Chicken Wings – The brand of frozen wings doesn’t matter, just make sure there is no ice sticking to the wings because that will create extra moisture, and prevent the wings from crisping up. Since the wings are frozen, do your best to separate any chicken wings that may have stuck together. Blot them dry with a paper towel to help minimize the ice and moisture, which can create soggy wings.
Oil – Any cooking oil is fine, you’ll just need a little oil to coat the bottom of the air fryer basket. Cooking spray works, but it tends to build up in the air fryer, so avoid it if possible.
Butter – Any kind of unsalted and melted butter is fine.
Frank’s Original Hot Sauce – This recipe uses Frank’s Original Hot Sauce which is superior when it comes to wings, but feel free to use different brands, or your favorite buffalo wing sauce recipe.
Brown Sugar – While this ingredient may seem strange in a savory recipe, the brown sugar really gives a gorgeous caramelized flavor to the buffalo chicken wings.
Baking Powder – While this may seem like an odd ingredient, it helps create that delicious, crispy skin. Just make sure you use baking POWDER not baking soda.
How To Make Chicken Wings in An Air Fryer
1. Pat the chicken wings dry with some paper towels before grabbing a large bowl and pouring in your frozen chicken wings. Quickly sprinkle the chicken wings with paprika, garlic powder, pepper and baking powder so the wings don’t thaw. Toss the chicken wings well until they are evenly coated in the seasoning. Tossing by hand is usually the best method.
2. Coat the entirety of the air fryer basket in cooking oil then preheat the air fryer for approximately 5 minutes until it reaches 380°. Once pre heated, place your coated chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and bake at 380 degrees for 10 minutes. You may need to do a few batches for the best results, especially if you have a smaller air fryer, because you don’t want the wings stacked on top of each other.
3. At ten minutes, pull the basket out and shake the chicken wings to make sure all the wings are separated. Then, put the basket back in the air fryer and bake for 10 more minutes. Once that’s done, open the air fryer again and flip over the drumsticks before cooking them for an additional 5 minutes. Pull them out and give the wings one last shake before raising it to a higher temperature of 400° and baking them for 5 more minutes or until they’re golden brown.
4. While the wings are cooking in the air fryer, begin making the buffalo sauce. Do this by combining melted butter, brown sugar and Frank’s Red Hot in a small bowl and whisking this together until fully incorporated.
5. When the chicken wings have finished, remove them from the air fryer and into a bowl.
6. If preferred, add the buffalo sauce to the wings and toss until fully combined. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Tips and Advice
Storage – Store the cooked wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. In order to reheat, you can microwave them, or if desired, you can crisp them back up in the air fryer at 380° for 5-10 minutes.
Materials – You’ll of course need an air fryer for this recipe along with some mixing bowls and a whisk.
Cooking Time – Depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer, as well as the size of your chicken wings, the cooking time may vary. The wings may need a few more or a few less minutes in the air fryer. A good rule of thumb is to keep checking and shaking the basket every 5 minutes or so until you get a nice deep golden brown color on the wings and the outside is crispy.
To Sauce or Not to Sauce – This recipe includes how to make a delicious buffalo wing sauce, but that is not a necessary step! You can enjoy these crispy wings as is, add your own favorite wing sauce, or a simple dry rub.
Recipe FAQs
This is most likely happening because the wings had chunks of ice or freezer burn on them when you put them in the air fryer. Try your best to remove any ice before putting the wings in the air fryer.
Nope! You can pop them in the air fryer frozen, and they are safe to eat.
Yes! If you do this, add the seasoning to the fresh wings the same way, but you’ll have to change the cooking time. Use your best judgment and continuously check to make sure they aren’t being overcooked.
What To Serve With Chicken Wings
Serve these delectable air fryer frozen chicken wings with classic sides. You can’t go wrong with carrots, fresh celery, blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing. If you want to make this into a full course meal, try pairing this recipe with some Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Frozen Onion Rings in the Air Fryer, KFC Coleslaw or Air Fryer French Fries. You can also try dipping them in a different sauce like Canes Sauce, BBQ Sauce, or whatever your favorite dipping sauce might be! I even like to enjoy them with some Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip!
If you like these Frozen Chicken Wings in the air fryer, check out all of my Air Fryer Recipes!
More Chicken Recipes To Try
Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen chicken wings make sure they have been patted dry
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Buffalo Sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Wipe the inside of the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Preheat the air fryer for approximately 5 minutes to 380 F degrees.
- Place chicken wings in a large bowl and sprinkle paprika, garlic powder, pepper and baking powder over the wings and toss well to combine. Do this quickly, to avoid liquid from any ice crystals building up.
- Place chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and bake at 380 F degrees for 10 minutes, then open and shake well to make sure all the wings are separated (if they were stuck together). This may need to be done in batches depending on the size of the air fryer.
- Bake wings for another ten minutes, then open the air fryer and carefully turn over the wings. Cook for an additional five minutes. At this point, give the wings a good shake in the air fryer and increase temperature to 400 degrees and bake for five more minutes to finish. You can check to make sure that you've cooked them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Buffalo Sauce (optional)
- While wings are cooking, combine melted butter, brown sugar and Frank’s Red Hot to create buffalo sauce. When the wings are done cooking, remove them from the air fryer. Toss cooked wings in sauce if desired, or serve as a dip.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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