These are the BEST crispy air fryer chicken wings! Fresh chicken wings are coated in an Italian flavored dry rub with a secret ingredient. Finished off with a garlic butter sauce and parmesan cheese, these wings are great for game day!
This air fryer chicken wings recipe is our new favorite go to for super crispy chicken wings. Air frying makes sure the wings stay light and crispy without all the grease from deep frying. Plus, I have a few extra secrets to share with you to make the perfect batch of wings.
These tasty wings are the perfect appetizer for super bowl alongside a pitcher of pink vodka lemonade, turkey chili and shredded chicken nachos.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
- Chicken Wings - For this recipe, I purchased whole chicken wings from the grocery store and then broke them down into drumettes and wingettes or flats. Some stores will sell them already done for you, if not here is a great step by step guide for how to cut chicken wings.
- Dry Rub - The dry rub for these air fryer wings consists of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, salt and the secret ingredient... BAKING POWDER! Yes, this ingredients helps dry out the skin of the chicken wings and causes a reaction during air frying that causes the skin to be super crispy.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter - This is probably my favorite sauce. With just a few simple ingredients your wings will be coated in buttery garlic parmesan goodness!
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Hot Wings - Omit the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese from the dry rub and add 1 tablespoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the garlic powder and baking powder. After air frying the chicken wings, toss the wings in your favorite buffalo sauce and serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
- Barbecue Wings - Omit the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese from the dry rub and add 1 tablespoon of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of chili powder to the garlic powder and baking powder. After air frying the chicken wings, toss the wings in your favorite barbecue sauce and serve with ranch dressing.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, separate the whole wings into 3 pieces by slicing right through the two joints so you have a drumette, a wingette and a wing tip. Repeat with the remaining wings and then discard the wing tips. Next pat the wings with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
Next, mix together the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the wing pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle the dry rub mixture over the top. Toss the wings while gently rubbing the seasoning mixture into the chicken until no seasoning is left at the bottom of the bowl.
Place the seasoned wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet in a single layer and place them in the refrigerator to dry for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
Once the wings have dried out, air fry them in batches in a single layer for 10 minutes. Flip the wings over and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until browned and cooked through.
While the wings are cooking, melt the butter over low heat and then add the garlic. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and then remove from the heat.
When the wings are done, add them to a large bowl and pour the garlic butter sauce over the top. Toss them gently to coat the wings in the sauce then sprinkle them with extra parmesan cheese before serving.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- When separating the wings, make sure to place the knife right in the middle of the joint. The knife should go through easily, so if it doesn't, you aren't in the right spot.
- Pat the wings as dry as possible to help make sure the dry rub sticks well to the chicken skin.
- Let the wings dry out in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will make sure the wings stay super crispy!
- Air fryer sizes can be different, so the amount of total cooking time will vary. Make sure to place chicken in an even layer and don't overcrowd them..
- Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165˚ when checked with a reliable meat thermometer.
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
OVEN - Air frying is my favorite way to cook these wings. It gives them extra crispy skin and they cook in a fraction of the time. If baking them in the oven, place them in a single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Cook at 425˚ oven for 25-35 minutes until browned and cooked through.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
Leftover wings will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a microwave, air fryer or oven.
🏈 More game day recipes
If you loved this recipe for air fryer chicken wings, check out these other game day recipes I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds whole chicken wings
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 stick salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to apply pressure between the two different joints in the whole wings to easily slice through and separate them. You should then have three pieces, the drumette, wingette and wing tip. If the knife doesn't go through easily, reposition it and try again.
- Discard the wing tips and pat the drumettes and wingettes as dry as possible with paper towels to help remove any excess moisture.
- In a small bowl, add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, kosher salt and baking powder. Mix until everything is well combined.
- In a large bowl, toss the drumettes and wingettes with the dry rub mixture until all of the chicken pieces are evenly coated and no seasoning is left at the bottom of the bowl.
- Working in batches, air fry the chicken in a single layer at 400˚ for 10 minutes. Flip the wing pieces over and air fry for an additional 8-10 minutes. The chicken should be a deep golden brown color and cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚ when checked with a kitchen thermometer.
- While the wings are cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.
- When all the wings have been cooked, toss them in a large bowl with the garlic butter and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Total cooking times will vary based on air fryer sizes. Make sure to place wing pieces in an even layer and don't over crowd so they cook evenly.
- 4-5 pounds of chicken wings will yield approximately 28 total pieces of a combination of drumettes and wingettes.
- To cook these wings in the oven, place the seasoned and dried wings in a single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Cook at 425˚ oven for 25-35 minutes until browned and cooked through.
Substitutions and Variations
- Hot Wings - Omit the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese from the dry rub and add 1 tablespoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the garlic powder and baking powder. After air frying the chicken wings, toss the wings in your favorite buffalo sauce and serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
- Barbecue Wings - Omit the Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese from the dry rub and add 1 tablespoon onion powder and 1 tablespoon of chili powder to the garlic powder and baking powder. After air frying the chicken wings, toss the wings in your favorite barbecue sauce and serve with ranch dressing.
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