Making air fryer frozen chicken wings is so easy! The wings turn out perfectly crisp on the outside and melt off the bone tender on the inside. They're ready in under 30 minutes and the clean up is so simple. You can choose whatever flavour you like including salt and pepper, buffalo, teriyaki or bbq!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this cooking method:
- It's so easy! Since you are cooking the wings from frozen there is zero prep time and the wings are ready in under 30 minutes.
- Air fried chicken wings turn our perfectly - the outer skin is nice and crispy with the best melt in your mouth inner meat layer. Just how chicken wings should be. I think they turn out even better than grilling them or cooking them on the barbecue.
- You can make these crispy wings into whatever flavour you like: you can leave them as salt and pepper chicken wings or add a sauce to turn them into buffalo, teriyaki or bbq chicken wings.
- Like my grilled salt and pepper chicken wings these wings are healthy and are also keto, gluten free, low carb, carnivore, paleo and Whole30!
If you love cooking meat in your air fryer you also need to try my air fryer juicy lamb chops and air fried pork ribs.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Frozen chicken wings - any type or brand of fresh, frozen chicken wings will do. I personally use free range frozen chicken wings that are plain and unseasoned. I recommend buying pre-cut chicken wings if possible to make this recipe even easier to make.
- Avocado oil - to help get that perfect crispy skin. You could easily swap this for olive oil.
- Sea salt and ground black pepper - the only seasonings you need!
- Optional: a sauce of your choice for topping the wings such as buffalo sauce, bbq sauce or teriyaki sauce.
How to make (step-by-step):
Step one:
First, place the frozen chicken wings on the rack of your air fryer or in the air fryer basket and cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Step two:
Next, separate the chicken wings and coat both sides of the wings with the avocado oil, salt and black pepper. Bake them for another 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. If you are using a basket style air fryer, be sure to either shake the basket or flip the chicken wings half way through.
Step three:
Note that this step is optional. If you like salt and pepper wings, simply stop here, but if you like sauce covered wings you will now coat the wings with a sauce of your choice such as homemade buffalo sauce, sugar free barbecue sauce, or low sugar teriyaki sauce before serving.
Top Tips:
- Every model of air fryer is different so you may need to adjust the cook time.
- For this recipe you do not need to preheat your air fryer. If you do preheat it, subtract a few minutes of cooking time from the recipe.
- For best results I recommend cooking these chicken wings on the top rack of your air fryer if you are using a rack style air fryer.
- Depending on the size of chicken wings you are using you may need to alter the cooking time - for larger wings, add a few extra minutes of cooking time, for smaller wings, use less time.
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer, give the air fryer tray or air fryer basket a spray with a cooking spray or cooking oil such as avocado oil or olive oil before cooking the chicken wings.
- Once you separate the wings be sure you put them back on the rack in a single layer and be sure to leave some space between each one to allow the hot air to circulate around the chicken wings. This ensures they cook properly and turn out even more crispy.
How to know when chicken wings are cooked:
According to the USDA, chicken wings are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165 °F. You can use a meat thermometer to check them once they are done cooking to ensure they are safe to eat.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To turn these into buffalo wings or hot wings: after the wings are finished cooking coat them in your favourite buffalo sauce.
- Feel free to add other spices, your favorite seasoning, or a dry rub seasoning to these wings - some other great options include onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, or lemon pepper seasoning.
- To turn these into bbq wings: coat them with bbq sauce after they have finished cooking.
- To turn them into teriyaki chicken wings: coat them in teriyaki sauce after they are done cooking.
- Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you are serving a crowd.
How to serve:
Chicken wings make a great appetizer, snack or meal and are perfect for Super Bowl parties, tailgates and picnics. They pair well with many different side dishes including my healthy Asian coleslaw, dairy free potato salad, broccoli salad with grapes, French fries in the air fryer, and air fried onion rings.
You can also serve chicken wings with chopped, fresh vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, or cucumber slices. You could also serve them with a dipping sauce such as ranch dressing, homemade honey mustard sauce or mustard aioli.
How to store:
Store any leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to reheat:
To reheat chicken wings in an air fryer, simply cook them for 2-3 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Frequently asked questions:
I found that frozen chicken wings take 28-30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to cook in an air fryer. But cooking times will vary slightly depending on the type of air fryer that you use and the size of the chicken wings.
I don't recommend it. I find they cook the best if you put them in a single layer.
No! You can cook wings from frozen in the air fryer, no need to thaw them ahead of time.
Other easy air fryer recipes you will love:
- Air Fryer Frozen Hamburgers
- Pork belly in the air fryer
- Air fryer salmon cakes with lemon aioli
- Air fryer frozen shrimp with lemon garlic butter
- Air fryer roasted carrots
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Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen chicken wings
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Optional
- sauce for coating the wings
Instructions
- Place the frozen chicken wings on the rack of your air fryer and cook at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Pull the chicken wings apart and coat both sides of the wings with avocado oil, salt and pepper and bake for another 15 minutes at 400F. If using a basket style air fryer be sure to either shake the basket or flip the chicken wings half way through.
- Optional: coat the wings with a sauce of your choice such as buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, or teriyaki sauce before serving.
Notes
- You can serve these as salt and pepper chicken wings or add a sauce to these wings such as buffalo sauce, teriyaki sauce or bbq sauce once they have finished cooking.
- Feel free to double or triple this recipe depending on how many people you are feeding.
- Store these chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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