Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings are an easy game day snack! These wings are so simple to make with an easy easy dry rub of pantry staple spices. Then after air frying, just brush or toss with your favorite buffalo sauce (store-bought or homemade).
Making chicken wings in the air fryer only take about 20 minutes and just a few ingredients. These Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings have a super crispy skin but are moist and tender on the inside. Toss with your favorite buffalo sauce and enjoy! Serve with carrots, celery, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
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Ingredients You'll Need:
- Chicken Wings - separated into the flats and drums. You can buy them like this (my preferred choice) or do it yourself. Here's a tutorial.
- Canola Oil
- Spices - Garlic Powder, Paprika, Salt and Pepper
- Buffalo Sauce - Store-bought or homemade (here's a recipe!)
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare the Wings. If needed, split and trim your wings and then pat dry.
- Toss Wings. Next, toss the wings with the olive oil and spices.
- Air Fry. Depending on your air fryer and the size of your wings, the cook time will vary slightly. The wings should take about 20 minutes (flipping halfway through). After the 20 minutes, check the temperature of a wing (to ensure it is fully cooked) and if you want them crispier you can crank up the heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the Buffalo Sauce. Either toss the cooked wings or use a brush to apply the buffalo sauce, being sure to coat both sides. Then I like to pop them back into the air fryer for just two minutes.
- Enjoy! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce - ranch or blue cheese dressing is a classic choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
An air fryer is essentially a compact countertop convection oven. A fan circulates the hot air at a quick speed which creates a crispy layer on foods without needing to fry in oil.
It all depends on the buffalo sauce the you use. If you're making your own homemade buffalo sauce, you can just use more melted butter vs hot sauce to make the sauce more mild.
If you don't like any spice, you can also make some dry rub wings. These Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings use lemon pepper and aren't very spicy.
Yes! I often make 2-3 pounds of wings to feed a crowd. But you will need to air fry them in batches. If you crowd your air fryer, instead of cooking in an even layer, the wings will not get as crispy.
Variations
- Oven instead of Air Fryer - These can be baked instead of air fried, but they won't be quite as crispy. I recommend baking in a 400˚F preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, flipping halfway through. Until fully cooked and golden brown. Then toss with the buffalo sauce and serve or broil for just a minute or two.
- Other Spices - The wings are tossed in just a few simple spices - paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. But you could experiment with other spices. Or, since the wings are being toss in buffalo sauce, you could make them even simpler with just salt and pepper - if that's all you have on hand.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the air fryer to restore their crispiness.
Serving Ideas
Ranch is my favorite, store-bought or homemade, or blue cheese dressing is another popular choice. I like to add them to a platter with carrot and celery sticks to also dip into the dressing.
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PrintRecipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Making chicken wings in the air fryer only take about 20 minutes and just a few ingredients. These Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings have a super crispy skin but are moist and tender on the inside. Toss with your favorite buffalo sauce and enjoy! Serve with carrots, celery, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1lb Chicken Wings, split into flats and drumettes
- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Buffalo Wing Sauce, not just regular hot sauce
Instructions
- Dry Wings. Pat dry the chicken wings and add to a medium bowl.
- Toss Wings. Toss the dried wings with the canola oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
- Air Fry. Add to air fryer basket in an even layer (do two batches, if needed, see note). Air fry for 20 minutes at 375˚F, flipping halfway. After the time is up, the wings should be fully cooked (165˚F) and crispy.
- Buffalo Sauce. Either use a large bowl and toss the wings with the sauce, or use a brush to brush the wings with the buffalo sauce. Air Fry again at 400˚F for 2 minutes so the sauce gets just slightly bubbly.
- Serve and Enjoy. If desired, you can brush with any remaining sauce. Serve with dipping sauce of choice and enjoy!
Notes
If you air fry in batches, I recommend wiping out the grease in between to avoid smoking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4oz
- Calories: 206
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 629.8 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
- Protein: 25.1 g
- Cholesterol: 64.6 mg
Keywords: Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Wing Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Katie says
These were the best wings!
★★★★★