Crispy baked chicken wings being our most favorite snacking item, these air fryer chicken wings with a spicy kick from Piri Piri seasoning could be named as the winner of all chicken wings recipes that I have shared till date!
After sharing uncountable chicken wings recipes in my blog, it is high time to share an air fryer chicken wings recipe! And not just any air fryer chicken wings; but the best one!
And that’s exactly what you are seeing here today! But the good news is that you not only get the written recipe today, but also get to see the video of how I make these best air fryer chicken wings real time!
If you love crispy & juicy chicken wings but can’t enjoy them because you are trying to follow a low-calorie diet, then try these air fryer chicken wings once in a while.
About 2 pounds of chicken wings are cooked in just 2 tablespoons of olive oil which means your air fryer chicken wings are not soaked in oil the way deep fried ones are!
But of course, please keep portion control in mind! I know these crispy chicken wings are insane and it’s way too easy to go overboard with them!
What are air fryer chicken wings?
Air fryer chicken wings are those delightful game day snacks which you can devour guilt-free as they come with less than 10 percent of the calories of crispy fried chicken wings!
If you are skeptical about the crispiness of these air fryer chicken wings, then worry not! These chicken wings are superbly crispy as well as juicy!
Air frying cooks the food by circulating hot air around the food at the set temperature thus ensuring even cooking.
Just ensure not to pile up the food on top of each other so that all sides are appropriately exposed to the hot air. And do not overload your air fryer basket!
Mine was just on the verge of being overloaded which I realized little later, but by then all were half-cooked and I had to go ahead with it! Do not make that same mistake!
Ingredients for air fryer chicken wings
Chicken wings: For making the crispiest and juiciest chicken wings, use a fresh batch of chicken wings and not the ones lying in your freezer for a long time!
If you have got full wings, cut each into drumette & wingette and discard the wing tips; or you can save those for making chicken stock.
Aromatic powders: As with most of my air fryer recipes, here also I preferred to use the powdered form of aromatics i.e. garlic powder and onion powder.
Grated garlic or onion may burn in the high temperature of the air fryer making a bitter coating around the wings.
Italian seasoning: Yes, yet again I have used my favorite Italian seasoning! This seasoning creates magic in these air fryer chicken wings too while keeping things simple at the same time!
Piri Piri spice mix: We needed a spicy kick in our crispy air fryer chicken wings and to keep things simple & easy again, I just used a dash of Piri Piri spice mix!
Having such seasoning mix handy makes our busy life somewhat manageable especially when you prefer making your own meals at home!
Salt & pepper: Season your chicken wings with salt to taste. Also add freshly crushed black pepper for a kick!
Extra virgin olive oil: Finally, you will need a little amount of oil to allow the dry spice rub to stick to the chicken wings. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil which will also add a beautiful flavor.
How to make air fryer chicken wings?
Step 1: First make the dry spice mix by combining garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Piri Piri spice mix, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
Step 2: Give everything a good mix using a wire whisk to make an evenly combined dry spice rub for your chicken wings. Take time at this step for best results. Set it aside.
Step 3: Now prepare the chicken wings by cutting each whole wing into 3 pieces – drumette, wingette and wing tips.
Step 4: Discard the wing tips or save them for chicken stock and take remaining pieces in a large mixing bowl.
Step 5: Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken wings. Using a spatula, stir the wings to evenly coat each one with olive oil on all sides.
Step 6: Now sprinkle half of the prepared dry spice mix over the chicken wings and give them a very good mix using the spatula.
Step 7: Once half of the spice mix is evenly mixed with the wings, sprinkle the remaining half and give a good mix again making sure each chicken wing piece is nicely coated with the spice rub on all sides.
Step 8: Now you are ready to air fry your chicken wings. Preheat your air fryer at 200 C and set the timer at 20 minutes.
Step 9: When the air fryer is preheated, arrange the chicken wings inside the fryer basket in a single layer making sure one is not on top of another.
Step 10: Air fry the chicken wings at 200 C for 20 minutes flipping them over halfway through the cooking time to ensure both the sides crisp up beautifully.
Step 11: Air fryer chicken wings are done! Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce or ketchup! Enjoy!
More delicious air fryer recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken wings - 1 kg, skin-on & bone-in
- Garlic powder - 1 & ¼ tsp
- Onion powder - 1 & ¼ tsp
- Italian seasoning - 1 & ½ tsp
- Piri piri spice mix - 2 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
- Black pepper powder - ¼ tsp
- Extra virgin olive oil - 2-3 tbsp
- First make the dry spice mix by combining garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Piri Piri spice mix, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
- Give everything a good mix using a wire whisk to make an evenly combined dry spice rub for your chicken wings. Take time at this step for best results. Set it aside.
- Now prepare the chicken wings by cutting each whole wing into 3 pieces - drumette, wingette and wing tips.
- Discard the wing tips or save them for chicken stock and take remaining pieces in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken wings. Using a spatula, stir the wings to evenly coat each one with olive oil on all sides.
- Now sprinkle half of the prepared dry spice mix over the chicken wings and give them a very good mix using the spatula.
- Once half of the spice mix is evenly mixed with the wings, sprinkle the remaining half and give a good mix again making sure each chicken wing piece is nicely coated with the spice rub on all sides.
- Now you are ready to air fry your chicken wings. Preheat your air fryer at 200 C and set the timer at 20 minutes.
- When the air fryer is preheated, arrange the chicken wings inside the fryer basket in a single layer making sure one is not on top of another.
- Air fry the chicken wings at 200 C for 20 minutes flipping them over halfway through the cooking time to ensure both the sides crisp up beautifully.
- Air fryer chicken wings are done! Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce or ketchup! Enjoy!
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