These lemon garlic air fryer wings might be the crispiest wings you will ever try! Prepared in under 30 minutes, these are super easy to make, lip-smacking, and better than the ones you get in restaurants.
If you own an air fryer, here are a few more recipes that you must try – Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Air Fryer Broccoli, Air Fryer Frozen French Fries and Air Fryer Tater Tots.
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About This Recipe
Crispy chicken wings are one of my favorite party appetizers and I keep experimenting with various flavors and cooking styles.
Ever since I have tried these lemon garlic air fryer wings, there is no going back. Prepared in just 30 minutes, these super crispy wings are a must for your house parties, get-togethers or to enjoy on a game or movie night.
I prefer this method over oven-baked wings as the forced circulating hot air makes the skin super crispy but keeps the center of the wings tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked. This is hard to achieve in a conventional oven.
The process of air frying the wings is quick, fuss-free and the mess is minimal. It also uses very little oil, which means it is healthy and low on calories.
Double or triple the recipe if you are making it for a gathering but make sure to air fry the wings in a single layer. You might have to fry them in a few batches.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients
Wings – Use fresh or frozen chicken wings. If using frozen, thaw them completely, pat dry using kitchen paper, and then use in the recipe. You can either use full chicken wings or cut them into drumettes and wingettes (flats).
A lot of stores these days sell pre-cut chicken wings. They could be labeled as “party wings” or “wingettes and drummettes”. Most of the time, I prefer buying pre-cut wings as it saves time, but full wings are cheaper and if you want to save some dollars, then cut them at home.
The drummette is the part of the wing that looks like drumsticks and is the meatier part of the wings. Wingette is the flat part.
To cut the chicken wings into thirds, firstly feel the 3 main parts of the chicken wing – the wingtip, the flats, and the drumette. Now bend the joints backward to loosen them.
Cut down hard where the bones come together using a sharp knife.
Discard the wing tip as they often don’t have much meat to include in the wings.
Baking powder is my secret ingredient to get super crispy wings. It raises the Ph level of the skin making it extra crisp when baked. Make sure to use aluminum-free baking powder.
Seasoning – I have seasoned the wings using salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon pepper but you can always experiment with different seasonings.
Oil – I used vegetable oil but go for any that you prefer. Want an extra rich flavour? Then opt for butter.
How to make Air Fryer Wings?
Preheat the air fryer at 380 degrees F (190 degrees C). If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, then let it run empty for 10 minutes at the required temperature.
Wash 1 lb (500 g) chicken wings and pat them dry using a paper towel. I cooked whole wings but you can cut them into drumettes and flats.
Toss the wings with salt & pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Arrange them in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. I lined the basket with aluminum foil to reduce the mess. Make sure that there is space on the sides for air circulation. You can also use perforated parchment to line the basket.
Insert the basket into the air fryer. Cook for 25 minutes shaking the basket every 10 minutes.
Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
Cooking the wings at a lower temperature initially helps the fat under the skin to slowly break down. This makes the wings really juicy and tender from inside. The last few minutes of cooking on high temperature crisp up the skin perfectly.
If you cook the wings on high heat from the start, it will make the inside dry and chewy.
Serve hot with a dip of your choice.
Variations
You can rub the chicken wings with seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Use a homemade BBQ rub, taco seasoning, cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning to coat the wings.
You can also toss the ready air fryer chicken wings with your favorite sauces such as honey garlic sauce, teriyaki sauce, buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or garlic parmesan sauce.
Try these cajun wings or Gochujang wings in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always pat dry the wings after washing! If there is any liquid left, it will turn them soggy instead of crispy.
To make the wings in an oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the seasoned wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes until crispy.
The internal temperature of cooked wings must reach 165 degrees F.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve air fryer chicken wings with your favorite dip. Some of my favorites are Bang Bang Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce.
A refreshing salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw, or fried mozzarella sticks also makes for a perfect side with these crispy wings. Prepare some french fries or tater tots in the air fryer and serve by the side. Simple raw veggie sticks also sound great!
Storage Suggestions
These lemon garlic air fryer chicken wings will last in the fridge for about 3 days when stored in an air-tight container.
Reheat the refrigerated wings in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes. To make them extra crispy, increase the temperature to 400 F and cook further for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Recipe Card
Air Fryer Wings Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken wings (500 g)
- salt (to taste )
- ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 380 degrees F (190 degrees C). If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, then let it run empty for 10 minutes.
- Wash the chicken wings and pat them dry with a paper towel. You can cut the whole wings into drummettes and wingettes.
- Toss the wings with salt, pepper, baking powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper and vegetable oil.
- Arrange the wings on the basket of the air fryer in a single layer.
- Cook for 25 minutes and shake the basket every 10 minutes.
- Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cook for another 5 minutes or until the skin is crispy.
- Serve hot.
Lisa
Excellent! I used your oven method. I don’t have a basket for my air fryer and have tried and failed just putting it on foil or straight onto the tray in the past.
I loved the simplicity of the recipe. None of this add this or that ingredient that is not common to most home kitchens.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.