Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings are so good you’ll never want to buy wings at a restaurant again! These healthy, crispy, and delicious air-fried chicken wings will become your new favorite.
BBQ chicken wings are our favorite side order with pizza. I never made chicken wings at home because of the deep frying.
Now I can make restaurant-quality chicken wings at home in the air fryer in minutes. These air-fried chicken wings are crispy, juicy, and so delicious. And they’re low in calories compared to the deep-fried ones and so healthy.
These wings are tossed in a bit of oil, spices and baking powder and air fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown. They’re tossed in bbq sauce for that smoky bbq taste and flavor.
Wings are always a hit in my house. It’s a great appetizer your whole family will love. If you love air fryer chicken wings like we do, check Dry Rub Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Wings, or Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings for different flavors or just this simple recipe for crispy wings. For more delicious Air fryer recipes, check my Air Fryer Recipe Collection.
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Why We Love This Recipe:
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Simple ingredients
- Perfectly seasoned and great bbq flavor with your favorite sauce
- Crispy skin, tender, and juicy wings
- Delicious game day appetizer or a quick family dinner
Ingredients and Notes
Here’s what you need to make super delicious Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings recipe:
- Chicken wings – Separate the whole chicken wings and use only flats(wingettes) and drums (drummettes). Use a knife or kitchen shears and separate them at the joints. You can save the wing tips for making chicken stock later.
- Olive oil – Optional but makes seasoning stick to the wings. Highly recommend.
- Baking powder – Makes a nice coating and absorbs moisture.
- Spices – I use the spices below but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend or a BBQ rub.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Red chili powder/Cayenne pepper – substitute with smoked paprika for less heat.
- Salt
- BBQ sauce – I love Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce but use your favorite barbecue sauce here. Stubbs BBQ Sauce, and G Hughes are good options too.
How To Cook Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
⁕Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
Pat dry the chicken wings with paper towels. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Into a large bowl, add the wings, oil, spices, and baking powder. Toss to coat.
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray. Cook for 20-25 minutes flipping them halfway through until golden brown and crispy.
You can also check with a meat thermometer for doneness. The internal temperature of the wings should be 165 degrees F.
Remove the wings from the air fryer and toss them in your favorite BBQ sauce. You can return the wings to the air fryer for another 1 or 2 minutes to heat up the sauce and caramelize the wings.
Brush with more barbecue sauce if you prefer and serve warm.
Tips For Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Pat wings dry before seasoning. Using a paper towel pat wings dry to absorb extra moisture and prevent steaming. This makes extra crispy chicken wings.
- Spray or line the basket. Spray the basket with an olive oil cooking spray to avoid sticking and burning. Line the basket with parchment or foil for easy clean-up, if you prefer. If you’re lining the basket make sure you leave enough space around the edges for airflow.
- Single layer. Place the wings in a single layer without stacking them up. This helps them cook evenly. Cook in several batches if you’re cooking more than 1 pound or if you have a small air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
These bbq wings are good on their own but you can serve with a dip like ranch dip or a blue cheese dip for an appetizer.
Serve Air fryer bbq wings with these delicious side dishes.
Storage
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days.
Reheat chicken wings in the air fryer at 380˚F for a few minutes until warm.
Freeze – once cooled, freeze the wings in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How To Cook Frozen BBQ Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer?
Frozen BBQ chicken wings are already seasoned and sometimes come with a sauce packet. Some brands include a dry rub if they’re not seasoned. Read the instructions on the packet to determine whether to season the wings or not before air frying.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Place the frozen chicken wings in the Air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Cook for 30 minutes flipping the wings halfway through. The wings should be crispy and golden brown.
- Remove wings from the air fryer and toss in bbq sauce.
Common Questions
Yes, you can but you don’t want to cook them for too long as the bbq sauce might burn. Toss the wings in the sauce and air fry for a couple of minutes if you prefer.
I use this technique in my Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs recipe.
To make sweet and delicious honey bbq wings, just add one or 2 teaspoons of honey to the bbq sauce and toss the wings in.
Cook them for 25 to 30 minutes if they’re raw. For precooked wings reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
- Crispy and Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Grilled Chicken
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Recipe
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken wings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp red chili powder/cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Pat chicken wings dry. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl add chicken wings, olive oil, spices, and baking powder. Toss well to coat.
- Place the chicken wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Working in batches, air fry chicken wings for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway until crispy and golden.
- Remove the chicken wings from the air fryer and toss them in BBQ sauce. You can return the wings to the air fryer and cook for a few more minutes if you prefer.
