Chicken wings are seasoned and quickly air fried to crispy perfection before being tossed in your favorite sauce. This Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe can easily be turned into classic Buffalo wings or tasty lemon pepper wings. One base recipe, two kinds of wings!
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If you’ve been following along with me lately, you know how much I’m loving my air fryer. Things just recently got a little more serious between us after I made these Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
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Baked Wings vs. Air Fried Wings
Long before air fryers were a thing, I was heavily into the “oven-fry” method. It was a seriously revolutionary way to avoid messy deep-frying. I still love that method and use it with a lot of my recipes including my Sticky Baked Asian Chicken Wings and Baked Chicken Pesto Parmesan.
But, I have to admit that I am a full-fledged air fryer convert. The air fryer design allows air to circulate around the chicken wings as they cook which results in tender, juicy wings with crispy skin. It’s an ideal method for wings and so many other traditionally fried foods. This healthier method has even won over my guys here who are big fans of the deep fried Wing Stop wings.
If you serve a platter of these buffalo or lemon pepper wings with the seriously yummy dipping sauces for Super Bowl, I promise they’ll be devoured. Make one flavor or both! It’s up to you.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken wings – Party wings are whole wings that have been separated into drumettes and flats. The best of both worlds and perfect for entertaining. They’re typically available in 1.25 to 1.5 pound packages and two packages is enough for this recipe.
- Seasoning – The seasoning for the wings consists of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and granulated garlic.
- Oil – A neutral, high smoke point oil like vegetable oil or canola oil is best for this recipe.
- For the Buffalo Sauce – Frank’s Red Hot Original or Buffalo Wings Sauce and butter. For spicier wings, go with Frank’s Original Red Hot. Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce will result in slightly milder wings.
- For the Lemon Pepper Wings Sauce – Lemon pepper seasoning, butter, and fresh lemon juice.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F. Place about 12 wings in a large mixing bowl and toss with kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and vegetable or canola oil.
- Transfer the wings to the air fryer basket and spread out over the bottom in a single layer. It’s okay if they touch but they shouldn’t overlap. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Use tongs to flip the wings over.
- Increase the heat to 400 degrees F and continue to cook for an additional 11 to 12 minutes , stirring the wings once halfway through. Cook until browned and crispy.
Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Transfer the cooked wings to a large bowl.
- Combine melted butter with Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce or Original. Pour the sauce over the wings and toss until well coated.
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
- Combine melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon pepper seasoning in a small bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked wings and toss until well combined.
Valerie’s Tips
Quantity: This recipe makes 3 pounds of chicken wings, or approximately 24 to 28 drumettes and flats. If you are serving other appetizers and snacks, this is enough to serve 8 to 10 people. For a very big group, I recommend doubling the recipe. To serve chicken wings as a main course, this recipe is enough for 4 to 6 people, depending on their appetites.
Cooking in Batches: To keep the first batch of wings warm while the second batch cooks, preheat your conventional oven to 200 degrees F. Transfer the cooked wings to an ovenproof tray or small baking sheet, cover loosely with foil (don’t crimp), and place them in the oven.
Serving Suggestions: Where there are wings, there must be dipping sauces! For us, a chunky blue cheese Ranch dip is a must with Buffalo wings and honey mustard dip is delicious with the lemon pepper wings. These dipping sauces can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve. Place the wings on a platter with small bowls of the dipping sauces. It’s also nice to include some celery and carrot stick dippers.
More Game Day Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Halftime Chili
- Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich (Pickle Brined)
- Cajun Sloppy Joes
- Buffalo Chicken Tortilla Pinwheels
Check out my other Air Fryer recipes for more cooking inspiration!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Buffalo and Lemon Pepper)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds party wings, a combination of drumettes and flats
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
Buffalo Wings Sauce (enough for 3 pounds wings)
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅓ cup Frank's Red Hot, Original or Buffalo Wings Sauce
Lemon Pepper Wings Sauce (enough for 3 pounds wings)
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 lemon, juiced (I used a good sized Meyer lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
Blue Cheese Ranch Dip (a must with Buffalo wings)
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup Ranch dressing
- ¼ to ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
Honey Mustard Dip (for the Lemon Pepper wings)
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard, not Dijon
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For Serving
- carrot and celery sticks, optional
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes. Preheat conventional oven to 200 degrees F.
- Place half the wings (about 12 wings) in a large mixing bowl and toss with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil. Place in air fryer basket and spread out over the bottom so they are in one layer. It's okay if they touch but they shouldn't overlap. Cook at 380 degrees F for 10 minutes. Use tongs to flip the wings over. Increase heat to 400 degrees F and continue to cook for an additional 11 to 12 minutes , stirring the wings once halfway through. Cook until browned and crispy.
- Transfer cooked wings to an ovenproof tray or small baking sheet, cover loosely (don’t crimp) with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the 2nd batch.
- Repeat with remaining wings, seasoning, and oil. Once all the wings are cooked, place them in a clean mixing bowl and toss with the sauce of your choice.
For the Buffalo Wings Sauce
- Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in the Franks Red Hot.
For the Lemon Pepper Wings Sauce
- Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Combine with the lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning.
Plate and Serve
- Transfer to a serving platter with carrot and celery sticks and serve with optional dipping sauces below.
For the Optional Blue Cheese Ranch and Honey Mustard Dips
- Combine all ingredients for each dip in separate small bowls. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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