Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings

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Easy air fryer bbq chicken wings recipe! This is the best air fryer chicken wings packed full of flavor and juicy to the bone. The skin crispy and sticky and the inside tender and delicious. Let me show you how to air fry chicken wings in simple steps.

If you have read my instant pot chicken wings recipe post you’ll know the wings are my favorite part of the chicken. It’s easy to cook, inexpensive, and delicious when cooked right.

This air fryer bbq chicken wings recipe is super simple and easy to make. It is also quick and is ready in about 30 minutes.

These air fried chicken wings are perfect for hosting, game days appetizers, snacking, or as a main dish paired with sides like chips (fries), potatoes, vegetables, or rice. 

It’s not only on the grill or summer that you can enjoy bbq chicken. With this air fryer bbq chicken wings, you can enjoy healthy chicken all year round without getting smoke in your eyes or sweating over the grill. 

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe

This air fryer chicken wings recipe uses few ingredients and it is ready in less than 30 minutes. For this recipe, you can use the whole wings uncut or cut into drumette and flats as I did with the ones used in this post. I prefer cutting when hosting as it’s easier to eat and perfect as finger food but when it’s just for my family, I sometimes leave uncut. 

For this post, I have used my homemade bbq sauce which is easy to make, takes less than 10 minutes to put together and so very good but you can use store bought bbq sauce if you can’t be bothered to make yours.

No need for baking powder or cornflour with this recipe as you still get crispy skin without.

Ingredients for Air fryer BBQ Chicken Wings

Chicken Wings

Paprika

Black pepper

Garlic powder or garlic granules

Onion powder

Salt

Olive oil

Bbq Sauce

How to make Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

Pat chicken wings dry with a kitchen towel.

Season with paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, oil and a tablespoon of bbq sauce. Mix well to combine.

No need to marinate but if you have the time marinate for 30-60 minutes. If you don’t move to the next step immediately.

Arrange the seasoned wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Switch on the air fryer and set to a temperature of 180C for 20 minutes. Air fry the chicken wings on this settings.

Halfway through cooking, flip the wings so the other side is browned and crispy too.

When the time is up and it’s cooked bring wings out of the air fryer and add into a bowl.

Add the remaining bbq sauce to it and mix till well combined.

Serve and enjoy delicious air fried wings.

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

If you have already marinated frozen wings in the freezer, you can cook them in the air fryer from frozen.

Make sure the wings are not sticking together and in seperate pieces (If they are stuck together, after a few minutes of cooking in the air fryer you can then easily seperate them with a spatula) then put in the air fryer basket and set to air fry for 30 minutes at a temperature of 180C.

Halfway through cooking, bring the basket out and turn the wings to the other side so all sides are cooked and crispy. 

VARIATIONS

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings 

For air fryer lemon pepper chicken wings, follow the ingredients and directions as detailed in this post but replace bbq sauce with lemon pepper sauce. You can use storebought or homemade lemon pepper sauce.

AIR FRIED BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

Follow the ingredients, steps, and directions as above but use buffalo sauce instead of bbq sauce. You can use store-bought buffalo sauce or make yours using my homemade buffalo sauce recipe which you can find in my instant pot wings recipe post.

Other variations include air fryer teriyaki chicken wings, honey soy, garlic butter and more. The possibilities are endless.

Serving Suggestion

Serve air fryer wings with dips like ranch, hot sauce, or with sides such as:

Air fryer roast potatoes 

Air fryer vegetables , sauteed vegetables

Rice dishes such as spicy rice and curry rice, Spanish rice, Jollof rice

How to store

First, allow to cool completely then package in a freezer bag or airtight container then store In the fridge where it will last up to 5 days.

In the freezer, it will last for up to 3 months

To reheat, bring out of the fridge or freezer, and microwave or reheat in the air fryer. To reheat in the air fryer, put the wings in air fryer basket and cook at a temperature of 170C for 5 minutes or till heated through. Adjust time accordingly.

Tips

• If you wash your chicken as I do, immediately clean the surfaces it comes in contact with to avoid contamination.
• Pat the wings dry before seasoning so as not to dilute the seasoning and bbq marinade. 
• You can take part of the skin off if you are aiming for lower calories and healthier chicken. 
• Put in the fridge to marinate for an hour if you are not in a hurry to get it cooking. 
• Adjust the black pepper quantity according to preference.
• No need to preheat the air fryer.
• The brand of bbq sauce you use may affect the taste.
• You might need to adjust cooking time if using smaller or bigger pieces of wings.

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

Air fryer chicken thighs

Best Air fryer chicken legs

Air fryer fried chicken

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do. If you find this post helpful, please rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below. I love reading from you.

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