Air Fryer Recipe
Chicken wings
This guide will show you how to make perfectly crispy and juicy chicken wings in an air fryer, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Method
- Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken wings and toss them well until they are evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (392°F) for about 5 minutes.
- Arrange the seasoned wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook the wings for 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time, until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through.
- Once done, remove the wings from the air fryer and let them rest for a few minutes. Serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air fryer convection strips moisture from the wing skin while the oil helps the spice coating conduct heat evenly. Starting with very dry wings is crucial: once surface water evaporates, rendered chicken fat can fry the skin, giving crisp edges without deep-frying.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5.5-6 litre basket can hold 1 kg wings in a loose single layer; smaller baskets need two batches. In a single-drawer model, place larger drumettes towards the hotter outer edge. In a dual-zone fryer, split the wings evenly between drawers and shake or turn both drawers halfway, allowing 2-4 extra minutes if one drawer browns more slowly.
Common pitfalls
- Pale, rubbery skin at 20 minutes means the wings were too wet or crowded; pat them dry again before cooking next batch and leave visible gaps between pieces.
- Spices look dark but meat near the bone is underdone: the heat is too high for very large wings; drop to 190°C and cook 5-8 minutes longer, checking the thickest piece reaches 75°C.
- White, floury-looking patches of seasoning indicate dry spice was not fully coated in oil; toss for longer or add another teaspoon of oil so the rub clings and browns evenly.
- Tips are crisp but drumettes are soft where they touched the basket: they were not turned enough; flip and rotate positions halfway, then give an extra 3 minutes skin-side up.
Variations & substitutions
- Use smoked paprika instead of standard paprika for a barbecue-style flavour; it browns similarly, so the cooking time stays about the same.
- Add 1 teaspoon baking powder to the seasoning for extra blistered skin; it raises surface pH, so watch closely in the final 5 minutes as browning speeds up.
- Swap cayenne for chilli flakes if you want visible heat rather than an even burn; flakes can scorch, so shake the basket well halfway through.
- Brush with honey, maple syrup or sweet chilli sauce only for the final 3-4 minutes; added sugar will burn if it goes in from the start.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked wings covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 5-7 minutes, turning once, until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 450
