How To Get That Extra Crispy Chicken Skin
Baking powder is the secret sauce, or powder, to make your chicken super crispy. Before cooking the chicken, I coat it with a blend of spices and baking powder. The baking powder works its magic by helping to break down the proteins in the chicken more efficiently and allowing for the most brown and crispy chicken you have ever had.
If you want to take your crisp adventure to another level, you can store the chicken uncovered on a wire rack and baking sheet in the fridge overnight after coating it in baking powder. This will help to dry the skin out even more and cause the skin to become airier and lighter. You may even see what looks like air bubbles in the skin.
For Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken Wings
Cook as directed above.
Note: Internal temp of chicken wings should be 165°F .
How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Wings In Your Air Fryer
Although the 18-30-minute range is a good rule, it all depends on the size of your wings. Obviously, the larger they are, the more time they need to thoroughly cook through.
While frozen chicken wings are generally considered cooked after only 15-18 minutes, you will need to leave the Air Fryer working for longer than that if youre looking for that crunchy bite. We find 30 minutes of air frying to be the crispiest delight.
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Can I Double The Recipe
Yes, you can double the recipe and make up to 2 pounds of frozen chicken wings at a time, if you have a larger air fryer. I have a 5.5-quart air fryer basket and I find that 1.5 pounds of wings is the max that will fit without them being too crowded to get crispy.
When doubling, air fry for 45 minutes, or until the skin is crisp. Make sure you shake the basket at least twice during cooking. With so many wings, you might have to stir them with a spatula instead. Bake time will vary based on the size of your air fryer basket and the size of the wings, so be sure to check the temperature of the wings.
Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer

» You might like these Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli as well.
Chicken wings take just 20 minutes to cook in the air fryer from fresh. Its a very simple dinner or lunch you can make so quickly. But many times we forget to take the chicken out of the freezer and I get the question often: can I make chicken wings from frozen in the air fryer?
You absolutely can make them from frozen. Aside from the extra time it takes to cook, you wont even notice a difference. So if youre pressed for time and havent defrosted the wings yet, dont worry. Just put them into the air fryer and let it do the work. Try these easy frozen pork chops and frozen shrimp in the air fryer and see how easy it really is.
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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Theres so many different brands and types of frozen chicken wings to air fry. First is identifying if the frozen chicken wings are raw or pre-cooked. Secondly, some are plain, breaded or sauced. Once you know which type youre cooking, youre halfway there to making an amazing batch of air fried wings. We were surprised at how well the wings cooked from frozen! Yes, straight from the freezer and rock hard, these frozen wings cooked wonderfully in the air fryer. We couldnt believe how easy they were and even the raw ones cooked all the way through. More info below in our write up and all recipe times and temperature details are in the recipe box below.
Can You Air Fry Other Frozen Food And Meat
Yes. The key is to just check in and watch the food as it cooks. When air frying frozen meat, you want to be sure you check in on it frequently. You want to season the meat before it starts to brown so that the spices and seasoning are cooked into the meat and adds flavor.
Some of my other favorite frozen foods to cook are veggies. Check out my Air Fryer Broccoli and Air Fryer Green Beans.
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Sauce Tip For My Chicken Wings Air Fryer Method
When it comes time to add the sauce to your chicken wings, I recommend melting a bit of butter in a large bowl in the microwave, adding the sauce, and mixing it together. Then dump the chicken wings right into the bowl from the air fryer basket, and toss them around that way.
For ratios, I use about 2 to 4 tablespoons for butter to 1/2 cup of sauce . You can use less sauce if you dont like them too hot.
Its a super easy way to get the wings perfectly coated just toss in the sauce and theyre ready to go!
Look at that crispiness! I love crispy on the outside chicken wings.
How To Make Chicken Wings In An Air Fryer
1. Pat the chicken wings dry with some paper towels before grabbing a large bowl and pouring in your frozen chicken wings. Quickly sprinkle the chicken wings with paprika, garlic powder, pepper and baking powder so the wings dont thaw. Toss the chicken wings well until they are evenly coated in the seasoning. Tossing by hand is usually the best method.
2. Coat the entirety of the air fryer basket in cooking oil then preheat the air fryer for approximately 5 minutes until it reaches 380°. Once pre heated, place your coated chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and bake at 380 degrees for 10 minutes. You may need to do a few batches for the best results, especially if you have a smaller air fryer, because you dont want the wings stacked on top of each other.
3. At ten minutes, pull the basket out and shake the chicken wings to make sure all the wings are separated. Then, put the basket back in the air fryer and bake for 10 more minutes. Once thats done, open the air fryer again and flip over the drumsticks before cooking them for an additional 5 minutes. Pull them out and give the wings one last shake before raising it to a higher temperature of 400° and baking them for 5 more minutes or until theyre golden brown.
4. While the wings are cooking in the air fryer, begin making the buffalo sauce. Do this by combining melted butter, brown sugar and Franks Red Hot in a small bowl and whisking this together until fully incorporated.
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Can You Cook Fresh Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
Yes, you can air fry fresh chicken wings! You may have to adjust the cooking time to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees when you’re cooking fresh instead of frozen, but that’s about all you’ll have to do!
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Sauces To Use For Chicken Wings
1. I love using hot sauce for chicken wings. Here is the detailed Buffalo chicken wings recipe that you can try.
2. Bbq sauce: Smoky, sticky and spicy, bbq sauce enhances any meat. It goes really well with chicken wings. This is my favorite bbq sauce.
3. Cajun spice rub: This spicy rub goes so well with crispy chicken wings. I just add it to about a tbsp. of olive oil and rub it all over crispy chicken wings. They are delicious.
4. Lemon garlic butter: You really cant go wrong with lemon garlic butter. Add a bit of pepper for heat and brush all over chicken wings when done. Lip smacking tasty.
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Can Chicken Wings Be Reheated
If youre left with some leftovers, feel free to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Its completely fine to do so. These leftovers can last for three days. So any time you start to crave this dish again, feel free to reheat the wings by placing them into the air fryer basket and cook for about 3-4 minutes at 350°F.
Will My Air Fryer Chicken Wings Taste Good

If you follow the tips from above, absolutely! All you have to do is nail the desired doneness, season with favorite spices, and voila! Remember, though, that the most important thing is to make sure theyre cooked through. If you cannot quite figure it out, we suggest buying a metal thermometer. Insert it into the meat and see if the internal meat temperature is at least 165 degrees F.
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How Do You Make Leftover Wings Crispy
You can preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Just put parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the wings in one layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until they are thoroughly heated through.
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 dont throw anything away for sure! Leftovers can be resurrected.
Tips For Making Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer
Air fryer frozen chicken wings are beyond easy to make. They have all the crispy goodness of fried wings without the calories or hassle! Here are a few ways to ensure your batch turns out perfectly!
- Dont Overcrowd Basket: Only cook a single layer of wings at a time. You need plenty of airflow in between your chicken wings in order for them to cook thoroughly.
- Add More Spice: If you want your honey buffalo sauce to have more heat, try adding ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper until you reach your desired flavor.
- Use a Meat Thermometer: Always make sure your wings have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming.
- Serve With: Wings always taste great alongside fresh veggies like celery or carrot sticks. You can also serve these tasty wings with other air fryer appetizers like french fries or onion rings!
- Dipping Sauces: Everything tastes better with a dip! Try these recipes for homemade ranch and blue cheese dressing for your next batch of wings!
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What Temp For Wings In Air Fryer
There is a detailed list of ingredients and instructions below but here is a quick step by step for you as well:
Time needed: 30 minutes.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Spray basket with non stick spray. Place frozen wings in air fryer basket so they arent overlapping and in a single layer.
Close drawer and set to 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then open your drawer, flip each piece over and set again for 400 degrees for 10 minutes.After 5 minutes spray wings with olive oil spray so they crisp up even more. Check, if you want them crispier flip them again, spray again, and set for a few more minutes until theyre perfect for you.
Mix 3 ingredients together in a bowl to make sweet n spicy buffalo sauce. Put cooked wings in a bowl and toss together to coat and serve!
If you add any other sort of sauce that comes out killer let us know! You can use bottled bbq, wing sauce or other too if youd rather. Serve with celery and carrot sticks with ranch dressing and enjoy.
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Will The Wings Drip Water
Mine dont. It could be because of the vacuum sealed packaging on the wings I use. Because of this, there wasnt much frozen ice on the wings when I air fried them. The wings themselves were just frozen.
If you have wings that are packed in ice you may notice water drip into the bottom of the air fryer. Drain the water as you check in on the wings if this is the case.
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How Should Buffalo Wings Be Reheated So They Are Crispy Crunchy And Saucy
According to the Buffalo Wild Wings website, you can reheat wings in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Reheating times may vary. The important thing is that the leftover wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Some sources say this will take 10-20 minutes.
Its better if you can reheat wings without sauce. If they already have sauce on them, you may want to toss them with a little additional sauce after heating. Sometimes the sauce on the wings dries out with reheating.
You can also reheat chicken wings in an air fryer. Try air frying the chicken wings at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 minutes. Again, you need to make sure leftover wings reach an internal temperature of 165F.
How Long To Fry Them
Chicken Wings take about 30 minutes in the Air Fryer, shaking the basket every 10 minutes, so the wings crisp up evenly. Cooking the wings at a lower temperature first and then increasing the heat for the last few minutes ensures juicy wings with crispy skin because this allows the fat to render out, so the skin gets extra crispy. This method results in the BEST Chicken Wings!
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How To Cook Raw Frozen Chicken Wings In Air Fryer
Cook Time For Fresh Vs Frozen Chicken Wings In Air Fryer

Once youve coated and chilled your chicken wings, its time to cook them in your air fryer. As per always, preheat the air fryer.
The main difference for fresh vs frozen chicken wings in the air fryer is actual air fry time / cook time.
Youll see my suggested cooking temperature and cook time is different for air fryer frozen chicken wings vs fresh air fryer chicken wings.
Heres my best explanation as to why.
Because frozen chicken wings tend to be pre-cooked, they actually tend to require less cook time. I know mind blown. In the example and photos above , we cooked the chicken wings in an air fryer at 400 for 15 minutes.
For fresh chicken wings, however, I recommend cooking them on a slightly lower temperature for longer, both to let them get nice and crispy and to ensure they reach a safe internal temperature.
This is around 20 to 24 minutes total time in a large, single layer in the air fryer basket, like my Breville or my moms Cuisinart, in my experience. However, youll want to flip the wings half way through.
Then theres fresh wings that youve frozen in your own freezer. In this case, the frozen wings havent been pre-cooked, so youll need to add a bit of extra cooking time on top of the fresh wings instructions around 5 minutes.
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And Now For The Disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
“Keto” recipes on the web may not be appropriate for those using ketogenic diets as part of their medical nutrition therapy. That includes this recipe.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don‘t sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let’s get cooking!
More Air Fryer Recipes
Is this recipe gluten free?
Yes! These air fryer frozen chicken wings are gluten free!
Can chicken wings be cooked from frozen?
Absolutely! Thatâs what this recipe is for. Check out all of the directions, cooking times and recipe amounts below in the recipe card.
What is the best way to reheat leftover chicken wings?
Reheat your leftover chicken wings in the air fryer! Heat it to 400 degrees and cook them for about 10 minutes and they will be hot and crispy again!
Can I save the extra baking powder mixture?
It can be used immediately for another batch of wings however it should not be saved beyond that. Raw chicken was placed in the mixture and keeping it can risk in foodborne illness.
Can I use this recipe with wings that are defrosted?
Yes! Go ahead and use the same baking powder mixture and cook them for a shorter amount of time. Be sure to temp them to make sure they are cooked to 165 degrees.
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