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Crispy Skin Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Perfect for game day or a quick dinner, these air fryer chicken wings deliver a crispy exterior and juicy interior with a classic buffalo flavor. Using just three main ingredients—skin-on chicken wings, hot sauce, and butter—they come together in under 30 minutes without the mess of deep frying.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds skin-on chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce Frank's is preferred
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Tongs
  • Cutting board

Method
 

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
  2. Trim the chicken wings by discarding the wing tips and separating the drummets from the wingettes to increase the surface area for crispiness.
  3. In a mixing bowl, melt the butter and combine it with the hot sauce. Toss the wings in the sauce, ensuring each piece gets a good coating.
  4. Allow the wings to marinate for at least a couple of hours, or up to 24 hours for even more flavor.
  5. Place a single layer of wings in the air fryer basket (work in batches to avoid overcrowding) and cook for 12 minutes. Halfway through, toss the wings to ensure even cooking.
  6. Repeat the process for the remaining wings. Once all batches are cooked, return all the wings to the air fryer for a final 2-minute blast to ensure they are piping hot and extra crispy.
  7. Serve immediately with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and your choice of ranch or additional buffalo sauce, if desired.

Notes

For best results, allow the wings to marinate well so they absorb all the flavors. You can experiment by substituting the buffalo sauce with a dry rub or even an Asian-inspired marinade using soy sauce, ginger, and honey. If using frozen wings, simply add 5 minutes to the cooking time. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the air fryer to maintain crispiness.