Hot wings in air fryer are the best healthy appetizer you’ll ever make. Extra crispy skins with tender meat inside. Cheap and delicious finger food dinner idea that is family friendly. Make our air fryer wings dry rub recipe sauced at the end or crispy with hot sauce.
Make a few or a bunch of air fryer hot wings in air fryer to serve a crowd, either way they’re always a hit! Ready to make the best holiday or Super Bowl appetizer for your friends? This easy air fryer recipe is it my friends! (affiliate links present)
Air Fryer Hot Wings
You can use our air fryer frozen chicken wings instructions if you had a mommy moment and forgot to defrost them ahead of time. If not the timing below will be just perfect. Of course there is a slight variation to how large they are. I like them medium and not oversized personally.
I buy meat in bulk that is organic so that’s what I have on hand. You can see them below, there is a mixture of both the wingette and drumette.
If you love easy air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite Air Fryer is a Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more easy air fryer recipes here, we have Ninja Foodi recipes as well; bookmark them both!
- If you are active on Facebook we have a page specifically for sharing easy air fryer recipes.
- This is the best air fryer cookbook. It’s important to know and remember how to preheat air fryer for best results.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
- Then join our Facebook page below where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love.
Ninja Foodi Hot Wings
When it comes to the sauce there are tons of options. You can make your own homemade hot sauce or just buy bottled and get it done quicker. If you have a favorite mixture then I would go with that. I typically make my own chicken wing dips and sauce below but occasionally I’ll use the ready made Buffalo Wild Wings one listed above.
You are going to need:
- A tray of chicken wings that are defrosted. If yours are frozen there is a link above to handle the different timing for those.
- If you want to make spicy air fryer turkey wings use this timing
- For air fryer boneless wings use these instructions
- Bit of flour to thicken the sauce if you’re making it homemade
- Fresh peppers and jalapeno
- Salt and pepper
- Sriracha
- Vinegar and a bit of white sugar to tone down the heat and add a bit of sweetness like in our sriracha chicken wings recipe.
- Garlic and a bit of broth or water
First you’re going to season those babies and cook them alone to get that nice crispy chicken skin. Make sure they’re in one layer and you shake in between to get nice and golden brown.
Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
This will take about 20 minutes so during that time you can make your own sauce if you choose to add that step to the evening. The plus to this is that you can really adjust the heat to your liking. Once you find just the right balance you may want to make a double or triple batch and save it for later too!
I mean you’re going to want to make these Ninja Foodi chicken wings over and over again so mind as well skip the sauce step next time.
Yes and no. You don’t HAVE to in order for them to cook all the way through but if you want to get a more even and really crispy skin on the outside it is suggested you do so yes.
You don’t want them overlapping but typically they’re going to a little bit. If you flip them those edges that are touching will still get crunchy.
This machine is pretty amazing. With the holes in the bottom of the basket there isn’t a huge need to flip but I still do. The top is still going to get hotter and provide more crisp than the bottom, period.
Homemade Chicken Wing Hot Sauce
Once they are done to perfection and as brown as you would like you’re going to toss the goodnesses together! Use a bowl and you don’t even really need a spoon. Drizzle sauce over the top and just kinda’ pick up the bowl and heave it in front of you and the back to you to catch them as they toss around and get nicely coated with heat.
- Place wings on paper towels to remove moisture from outsides. Spray inside of basket with non stick cooking spray (I like the olive oil version). Sprinkle salt and pepper all over, use any other seasonings you would like too. Garlic powder is a great choice too.
- Place into a single layer without overlapping to achieve a super crispy outcome. Make sure your air fryer basket has been preheated at 350 degrees for 5 minutes before adding food. Cook the wings for 20 minutes cooking time.
- Toss the wings half way after 10 or 12 minutes or so. Remove once air frying is complete and they are as crispy as you’d like, set aside.
- While they’re cooking make dipping sauce for chicken wings in a saucepan on the stove. Add all ingredients except flour and set hot peppers aside.
Half hot peppers and remove seeds, then put into saucepan once bubbling and cook for 10 minutes stirring intermittently, cool for 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to make smooth or pour into blender and then return to the pot. Heat again and whisk in flour to thicken sauce.
In a large bowl put cooked wings and drizzle sauce over the top. Toss together so each one is nicely coated well. Then serve them up!
Chicken Wing Sauces
I mean you could use just about anything for dipping and more ideas are fun and you never know if you might find a new favorite. Here are a few you could try or serve on a dip bar for guests:
- Blue cheese and ranch are a given
- Buffalo wing hot sauce right out of the jar is easy
- Bang bang sauce is probably a new one and oh so good
- We love fry sauce
- My kids love bbq sauce where my husband and I love a thick teriyaki
Heating leftover chicken wings
You can preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes flipping halfway through. BUT this is how to reheat wings in air fryer. I personally like this best where I can just throw them back into my Cosori for about 4 and they are done much faster.
Is it safe to reheat chicken wings?
I mean I don’t know what would be dangerous about it, unless you didn’t refrigerate them beforehand. Allow leftovers to reach room temperature and then store in a sealed container or freezer bag. It is best to save them without the sauce on it, that way you can reheat in the air fryer again and toss with the sauce after that.
Looking for other yummy air fryer appetizer recipes done under 30 minutes? We have a bunch but will share just a few of our favorites here. Some are healthier than others of course and others are just pure comfort food y’all:
- If you want to use this same sauce later on veggies, try these air fryer cauliflower wings!!
- You can provide toothpicks and serve air fryer steak bites as a great starter when people come over. Protein packed and use one of our dry rub recipes too.
How to Make Hot Wings in Air Fryer
Hopefully we have answered that question for you here. If you have any other head scratchers just leave them below in the comments and I will do my best to answer them for you. Have fun with it! Use all sorts of different sauces when you toss them at the very end, that way you can mix it up and enjoy over and over and over again.
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Hot Wings in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 24 chicken wings approximately depending on size, defrosted
- salt and pepper
- 2 sweet peppers diced
- 1 jalapeno or hot pepper of choice, seeded
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 c water or broth
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp flour
Instructions
- Place wings on paper towels to remove moisture from outsides. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over and place into preheated air fryer at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Shake half way through at minute 10. Remove once crispy as you'd like and set aside.
- While they're cooking make hot sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Add all ingredients except flour and set hot peppers aside.
- Half hot peppers and remove seeds, then put into saucepan once bubbling and cook for 10 minutes stirring intermittently, cool for 10 minutes.
- Use immersion blender to make smooth or pour into blender and then return to the pot.
- Heat again and whisk in flour to thicken sauce.
- Toss with cooked wings and serve.
Billy
Thursday 21st of October 2021
I’m confused. I understand about preheating the air fryer itself. Are you saying one should preheat the air fryer basket, too? Then remove it, spray it, and fill with the chicken wings? Thanks. Haven’t used my air fryer oven yet. This looks good.
The Typical Mom
Friday 22nd of October 2021
Yes I would preheat beforehand. You don't have to remove the basket you just spray it before adding your food so it doesn't stick.