Frozen chicken wings in the air fryer actually turn out great! You get tender meat on the inside with a super crispy skin in 30 minutes. You can even use your Ninja Foodi if you forgot to defrost dinner!
Are you forgetful like me? Or are there occasions when you need a quick appetizer? This recipe is just for these occasions! It’s one of our favorite air fryer recipes because it is so fast to make on busy days.
We’ve made tender pressure cooker frozen chicken wings before, but these are even better! I mean yes you want them cooked thru but crispy chicken skin is where it is at right? Especially when it comes to wings for sure. I’m sure you will agree with me. There are so many ways to serve them but it all starts with the texture before they go out for guests to enjoy them.
We shared how to bake frozen chicken wings in the oven not too far back, this is faster with better crisp too! Before you move on any further, you can look up and LIKE our easy air fryer recipes page to get new ideas for meals and snack ideas like this one daily too!
Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken Wings
If you are going to make these as Ninja Foodi recipes the temp and timing is the same but you use the lid that is attached with the air crisp button on the front. These are the best frozen foods for air fryer you will want to make all the time.
Frozen meat can take a long time to cook when normally, however thanks to air fryer technology you can now cook a variety of frozen meat products in no time at all! If you have never done this before it is a guaranteed game changer for us all. And you have to try it like right now….. When they’re done you’ll never know they were rock hard when you first put them in.
There’s NO prep work for these babies! That means when I’m having a blonde moment and totally forgot to defrost my meat for dinner, I can still save the evening. Don’t worry about the lack of flavor because when they get warmed and moist on the outside you can add dry rub on the outside if you want.
How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
This will take just 30 minutes from taking them out of the freezer to biting into the crispy chicken skin which is incredible. Beyond the meat all you need is olive oil to keep them moist and crisp at the end.
Frozen Whole Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
These will be sold in the frozen meat section and already separated into drumettes and wingettes. If you wanted to cook Whole Chicken Wings in Air Fryer they will take a bit longer, maybe an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Can you season frozen chicken wings?
Yes however there is a trick. You have to sprinkle on half way thru so the skin is wet and it will adhere well. I use a sweet and savory blend for our air fryer wings recipe. I share the ingredients for our dry rub for chicken wings here, or just use salt and pepper.
When to add Sauce
Buffalo sauce is what was used to toss them in here once they were done and crispy. This is how to make fry sauce which we love, or with teriyaki sauce you will want to wait until done. Add into a bowl with a drizzle of sauce you prefer. Gently flip bowl and toss gently until coated, then serve.
Tips for Success
Always put a single layer of air fried chicken wings in your air fryer basket, you do not want them to overlap. Close drawer or lid and set to 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Then flip them over and continue cooking the wings for another 10 minutes. Flip again, spray with olive oil spray and continue for 5 more minutes. Flipping them a few times is really important to getting them as crispy as possible and the middle tender at the same time.
You could enjoy them at this time but if you want perfectly cooked crispier skins flip the wings again. Spray with olive oil and add another 3-5 minutes at a time. Remove when your frozen air fryer chicken wings are as crispy as you’d like. Put on paper towels when done, sauce and enjoy! Total cooking time will be about 30 minutes per batch.
FAQ
You need to make sure that you lay them in a single layer first off. Secondly, they need to be separated from one another. If they are stuck together, run under cool water and pull apart before laying on your pan or in your air fryer.
I like to do a bit of both, unless they are frozen. In that case add seasoning halfway thru when slightly defrosted or wait until the end. If fresh or defrosted I would lightly sprinkle salt and pepper (or dry rub) on at the beginning and then add a bit more when done for the boldest flavors.
Technically yes you can as long as they are cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container. However, I don’t think it is recommended because the texture when reheated again will not be as ideal.
I personally prefer reheat chicken wings in air fryer though. Just a few minutes in a preheated air fryer at 400 F. usually does the trick. Of course fresh is always best but don’t throw anything away for sure! Leftovers can be resurrected.
Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 8 large chicken wings, frozen
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 spray olive oil
Instructions
- Place wings in air fryer basket so they aren't overlapping.
- Close drawer and set to 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Open, flip each one over and set again for 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
- After 5 minutes spray wings with olive oil spray so they crisp up more.
- Check, if you want them crispier flip them again, spray again, and set for a few more minutes.
- If you want to add a sauce once they are golden brown and crispy, throw into a bowl and add buffalo, teriyaki or bbq sauce. Toss together to coat and serve!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to serve
I mean side dishes are very personal so choose whatever you like! Since these are packed with protein you can just pair them with some easy dinner rolls and air fryer vegetables and serve. Or make: French fries, with Air fryer zucchini chips, A salad is my go to on really busy days, with crunchy air fryer frozen corn dogs or some pasta salad
The beauty of the air fryer is that you don’t need to defrost frozen foods before cooking them. Take these air fryer frozen tater tots. They work just like if you were to cook them in the oven. Just throw them in rock solid and they’ll come out tender, but crispy on the outside. Actually, crispier than if you put them into the oven.
Love deep fried wings but want a healthier version ? This is it!! If you want to decide whether naked wings in the oven, or these are better, follow our how to bake crispy chicken wings recipe here. Poultry isn’t the only thing you can cook this way either, try our Air fryer frozen fish too.
Was such a simple recipe. Great for football Sundays.
This was so easy to make! They turned out super crispy and moist thank you!
OH yay
This is a game changer!! Wings are a staple in our during football season.
Right??!!
I love how easy and seamless this is! Makes doing wings so much simpler.
Glad they were a hit for y’all too
Fixed these tonight . Thank you for sharing this. After adding the sauce I placed under broiler to crisp up more.
Great idea, glad it was a hit
Too much writing about the dishes in this site it makes it near impossible to find the recipe in the pages of text
Just hit the jump to recipe at the top of the screen if you don’t want to read the article
@Ryan,
@Ryan, true!!
@Ryan, agree !
Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell. Yours?
Awesome
I am new to afng! and I want to know is it best to line your af basket with parchment paper and do u need to poke holes in it, all this for better clean up? I am so lost, some sites say use no cheese, some recipe’s show cheese, I am so lost! AND HUNGRY! I LOVE YOUR RECIPES! Thank You so much , Gloria
I never use parchment paper, unless I am making cookies in it. There is no need and will inhibit the crispiness of your food. Only big no no is not using wet batter, other than that I have done all sorts of things
I’ve tried several recipes for air fried frozen buffalo wings and this one was the best. Crispy wings and the meat was so tender. I’m saving this recipe for the next time I make wings! Yum!
Yay!!