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These Air Fryer Chicken Wings are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and ready in under 20 minutes. A simple dry rub brings big flavor and the air fryer does the rest!
Serve these air-fried chicken wings alongside bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, pizza dip, ham and cheese sliders, and cream cheese taco dip for the ultimate game-day spread.
Kristen's Keys for Air Fryer Wings (Start Here)
Here are my key tips for making crispy, flavorful chicken wings in the air fryer. Paying attention now will ensure everyone raves over the results!
- Pat the wings dry first. Moisture is the enemy of crisp skin. A quick blot with paper towels helps the wings crisp.
- Don't overcrowd the basket. You want the air to be able to circulate around the wings, crisping up the skin evenly as they air fry.
- Use just a little oil. A VERY light drizzle of oil will promote browning and help the seasoning to stick without making the wings greasy.
5-Star REader REview
Delicious! My husband loved them! He says I need to make everything like them! Thank you for the easy and flavorful recipe. -Cynthia
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Making chicken wings in the air fryer is as easy as seasoning and air-frying, flipping mid-way through the process.
Step One: Prepare Dry Rub
My sweet and slightly spicy dry rub is the star here (just as it is in my recipes for air fryer chicken breast and air fryer pork chops). To make it, combine brown sugar with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
Step Two: Prepare Wings
If not already separated, cut into drumettes and flats to keep the cooking time even. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture and then place them into a mixing bowl. Add the oil and prepared dry rub and toss until the wings are evenly coated with the seasonings.
Step Four: Air-Fry Wings
Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. They can be snug, but not stacked. Air fry at 400° for 18 minutes total, flipping the wings halfway through. This gives you golden, evenly cooked wings without drying out the meat.
Step Five: Serve
Grab some napkins and dig in! These dry rubbed air fryer wings are so flavorful, they don't need a sauce. That said, feel free add a side of bleu cheese or ranch dressing if desired.
Recipe Modifications
- Change up the Seasoning: Swap the dry rub for seasoned salt, Adobo seasoning, Jerk seasoning, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, etc.
- Sauced Wings: Toss the cooked wings with your favorite sauce (Buffalo Wing sauce or BBQ sauce are both great options) after air frying so the skin stays crisp.
- Frozen Wings: Be sure to let the wings fully defrost before air-frying. This will ensure they cook evenly AND the seasoning adheres to the wings.
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Dry Rub
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, or regular paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it to 400℉.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Trim any excess fat or skin from the chicken wings if needed. Lightly pat dry chicken wings with a paper towel and place the wings into a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and prepared seasoning and toss to coat the wings evenly with the seasonings.
- Evenly spread the wings out onto the basket or tray of your air-fryer, being sure to not overlap the wings. Cook for 10 minutes at 400℉. Remove the basket or tray, flip the chicken wings, and air fry for another 8 minutes at 400℉.
- Serve immediately or toss with sauce if desired before serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2026.
Wow! These wings are incredible! They turned out perfect and were so easy to make in the air fryer.
So delicious. These were a big ! Also so easy. Another great recipe
Haven't tried these yet but I certainly will: if you want the sweetness of the sugar but have to watch it like I do, you can use a brown sugar substitute such as Lakanto Golden, or Swerve Brown. I'd be surprised if you notice the difference between this and regular cane sugar, especially in a recipe like this where you don't need much of it.
Thanks for sharing, I know others will appreciate that tip. You can also omit the sugar here for great results if you don't want to use a substitute 🙂
So much to love about this recipe! Quick, easy and made with smoked paprika-delish!!
If you were to add approximately 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the dry rub the banking soda causes what's known as the Maillard reaction. The Ares guaranteed to be crispy. Only add sauces after they have finished cooking and crisping.
Thank you for sharing your tips Adrienne.
This recipe was easy to follow and our wings came out moist with crispy skin. Thanks so much!
I just got to do this Yummy 😋 chicken wings, it seems so easy...
Sounds like a great recipe, I was thinking of getting an air fryer. Which one do you suggest? Love the content, good job!
Hi Cor! I link to the exact model I have in the recipe card. It is a GoWise 5.8 quart and pretty basic but has worked great for 2 years now.