A simple recipe for cooking Air Fryer Frozen Wings. Cooking frozen chicken in the air fryer is a fast process. Why waste time thawing chicken when you don't have to? Check out how to make frozen wings fast.
When it comes to creating a fast and simple appetizer or main meal, using your air fryer is the best. Not only does it cut down on the cooking time, but it also means that you can add frozen chicken directly to the air fryer basket from the freezer to cook as well. This is a great way to get crispy chicken wings in a very short amount of time.
It is the perfect appetizer for game day with less prep than using fresh wings to keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying time with friends and family.
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Ingredients
Chicken Wings - Just one simple ingredient is needed to make this air fryer frozen chicken wings recipe. We prefer frozen to fresh chicken wings because they are ready to go and don't need to be sectioned into drumettes and wingettes.
You can always add other ingredients and your favorite wing sauce to change up the flavor and taste. Crispy skin is the most important base to any cooked wings.
How To Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Step One: Preheat the air fryer. Line the air fryer basket with a silicone liner, brush with olive oil, or spray with non-stick cooking spray for the best results.
Step Two: Add the frozen wings and cook for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes. They will be golden brown and extra crispy.
Step Three: Transfer to a large bowl and toss in your favorite sauce or dry rub.
Variations
Buffalo style - Toss in buffalo sauce and serve the classic Buffalo chicken wings with a side of blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, and carrots.
BBQ sauce - If you want to add flavor, you can cover the wings with your favorite barbecue sauce once they're done frying. When you flip them, you can also coat them, but it will make a bigger mess in the air fryer basket. Good options would be our Maple Bourbon Glaze or Hot Honey BBQ Sauce.
Salt + Pepper - You can easily keep this air fryer chicken wings recipe simple by adding just a tiny bit of salt and black pepper to them.
Lemon Pepper - We love these Honey Lemon Pepper Wings which use honey or hot honey and lemon pepper seasoning.
Common Questions
What ingredients are used in dry rub?
The great part about making a chicken rub is that it's versatile. Some common ingredients used are garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. Mix and match with what you like to easily change up the flavor.
How do I get crispy chicken wings?
When you air fryer wings, this gives me that crispy outer layer. This really is the best way to cook delicious wings from frozen.
You'll want to cook them in small batches and make sure that you're adding them to the air fryer basket in a single layer so the hot air can circulate all around. Time their cooking by the recipe below and use tongs to flip them quickly.
What temperature is chicken safe to eat?
It's important to make sure that the chicken is done and cooked all the way. The easiest way to check the internal temperature of chicken is to use a meat thermometer. This will give you an accurate reading so that you can know that the chicken is done.
For chicken to be considered cooked, the internal temperature should be at least 160-165 degrees. To properly take the internal temperature, insert the metal portion into the thickest part of the chicken. Make sure that you're away from any bones, as those will read hotter than the meat, which will give you an inaccurate reading.
What do you serve with chicken air fryer recipes?
For side dish options, you can't go wrong with carrot sticks or celery sticks. They're a great addition to add some health and clear your pallet. For a heartier side dish, you can't go wrong with fries. (and if you're impatient like we are, you can cook the fries in the oven during the same time that you're cooking the wings in the air fryer)
For sauce options, toss the wings in your favorite buffalo sauce or have blue cheese or ranch dressing as a dip are the most popular choices. You can literally use your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy them however you'd like. Add to a bowl, and dip!
How to store leftover wings
Any leftovers need to be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. To get them crispy again after storage, you can reheat them in the air fry basket to bring back some of that crunch.
What are the benefits of cooking with an air fryer?
Air fryer cooking has become quite popular over the past few years for a variety of reasons. Not only does using the air fryer give foods that "deep-fried" texture, but it accomplishes that with minimal oil if any.
This means that using the air fryer is a healthier cooking option while not making you feel like you're missing out on anything.
The air fryer is also great for containing the mess, making for a much easier clean-up at the end of the meal. Most are coated and easy to clean, while some may even be dishwasher-safe.
Some of our favorite air fryer recipes are Air Fryer Hot Pockets, Air Fryer Sausage Balls, Spare Ribs, Shrimp, and Cheesecake.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen chicken wings
- dry rub or sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400. Spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the frozen chicken wings and air fry for 20 minutes. Flip them over. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Toss with your favorite dry rub or sauce and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Originally Published . Revised and Republished January 16, 2024.
Brandy
These cooked up perfect in the air fryer! This will be a go-to for game day!
Ashley
These came out perfect. I will definitely make them again. My entire family loved them!