Parmesan Air Fryer Chicken Wings

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If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to fried chicken with the same great taste and crunch this Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe is it. These crispy chicken wings in the air fryer are so versatile and the perfect family-friendly meal for a snack, picnic or game day spread.

Suitable for Gluten-Free, Low Carb and Keto dieters. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings served with dipping sauce and garnished with fresh herbs

Chicken wings have been more or less off limits in my book. Something that OH and friends would indulge in on when watching a really important match, or the family would eat on a special occasion, but otherwise far too unhealthy to be served up on a regular basis.

But then the air fryer came into our lives and changed all that. Now I can whip up all sorts of formerly blacklisted foods and enjoy them guilt free.

And this absolutely delicious recipe for crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Parmesan, as well as these Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings and these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, is great snack or game day fare that is perfectly healthy too.

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

And did I mention that they taste amaaaaazing? Peeps, you need to try chicken wings in the air fryer like yesterday. And if you prefer your tasty Wings plainer, then I show you how to make those too.

Like Air Fried Chicken Breast, cooking chicken wings in the air fryer saves so many calories because you only need a little bit of oil or cooking spray to get your wings to crispy perfection. All of the excess oil from the chicken wings drips into the pan so they’re not overly greasy to eat either.

close up of finished Air Fryer Chicken Wings served with ranch dipping sauce and fresh herbs

The mini chefs have been enjoying allllllllll the air fried food they’ve been eating lately. And my little taste testers ate every last bite of their Air Fryer Wings.

Why Make This Recipe

  • These will be the best perfectly cooked crispy chicken wings recipe you’ve ever had. I’ll bet the farm you’ve never had wings as crispy as this before.
  • This is an easy recipe and can be made with whatever spice rub or seasoning blend you have in your pantry (see suggestions below).
  • Or serve them up with nothing more than a little bit of salt and pepper. Air Fryer Chicken Wings are juicy and tender on the inside and the skin is nice and “fried” without adding any flour or baking soda or baking powder.
  • They are a great budget-friendly eat for a snack, mains for dinner tonight, lunch boxes and more.

Ready to make yummy Wings? Grab your ingredients and I’ll show you how…….

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings Step by Step

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. Pat each chicken wing dry and set aside in a bowl.
  2. In a small bowl mix together Parmesan, Paprika, herded de Provence and salt.
  3. Coat the wings in your Parmesan mix.
  4. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F (180C) and then spray the basket with cooking spray.
  5. Cook the chicken wings in batches for 15 minutes, turning half way through.
  6. If not crispy enough for you then cook wings for a few more minutes.
  7. Using a meat thermometer test temperature of the chicken wing to make sure it has reached 75 C (165 F).
  8. Garnish with extra parmesan and fresh herbs.

image collage showing how to make Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Wings

If you don’t have an air fryer you can make oven baked crispy chicken wings. However, you will need to toss the raw chicken with oil to get that crispy skin you’re looking for.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake on a wire rack over a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 45-60 minutes.

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure the chicken wings are not touching. This is really important when cooking with the air fryer. This allows maximum hot air circulation inside the fryer, so your chicken wings will cook evenly and turn out crispy.
  • Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken wings. Check out the “Cooking Time for Air Fryer Chicken Wings” section for time estimates.
  • For the best result pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning wings.
  • You do not need to coat your wings before putting them in the air fryer. I mean it. Your chicken wings will come out soooooooo crispy without the extra step of adding any coating like flour.
  • Spray the basket with olive oil or cooking spray before adding the wings.
  • Save time and buy pre cut up chicken wings. However I show you how to cut them below if you want to save some money by buying whole chicken wings.

And more tips……

  • Too much oil can cause soggy rather than crispy wings. Just another reason why the air fryer is healthier. Less is more when it comes to the use of oil and cooking spray. For crispier chicken wings in the air fryer try to use 1 to 2 tbsp of oil. That’s it. That’s all you’ll need for the crispiest wings you’ve ever had.
  • Serve air fryer fried chicken wings immediately or use a cooling rack so the underside of the chicken does not end up soggy.
  • Season how you wish and sauce how you like. These chicken wings turn out sooooooo crispy in the air fryer even your sauce won’t make it soft. Check out the “Different Ways to Season Air Fryer Chicken Wings” for a lot of inspiration.
  • Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F) before serving.

Different Ways to Season These Air Fryer Wings

Chicken wings are one of my favourite things to make because they’re sooooooo versatile. You can really season your wings however you choose.

I can make the same chicken wing over and over but make it different using a variety of flavours.

I love a good dry rub on a really crispy chicken wing but also enjoy the classic Buffalo chicken wing. Here are some amazing ways you can season your Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings. baking powder or baking soda

Dry Seasonings for Air Fryer Wings

Dry rubs is one of my favourite ways to enjoy crispy chicken wings. My kids will eat a Ranch flavoured chicken wing faster than they can say “Best Chicken Wings.” Heck, I will too.

The chicken wing stays at peak crunch with tender chicken on the inside and the dry rub gets into every little nook on the chicken wing. No sauce needed with a dry rub wing.

Try some of my favourite spices: Ranch seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder and Homemade Poultry Seasoning.

Sauces 

We all love the classic Buffalo sauce in our house but there are so many options to choose from when it comes to wings. I love how versatile this chicken wing recipe is.

You can sauce your Air Fryer Chicken Wings so many different ways and each of these recipes can be made spicy hot if you like the heat or on the sweet side if you’re serving for a crowd or kids.

  • Sweet Chili Sauce
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Chipotle Sauce
  • Chili Lime Sauce
  • Garlic Parmesan Sauce
  • Miso Glaze

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

You can air fry chicken wings with your favourite taste. Simple season the chicken with salt and lemon pepper and fry the chicken wings as normal.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings With Buffalo Sauce

Love buffalo wings? You can make crispy chicken wings with classic buffalo sauce. Simple fry seasoned wings as normal. Then mix the cooked wings with some buffalo sauce before serving.

A hand dipping one of the Air Fryer Chicken Wings into ranch sauce next to the rest of the chicken wings that are set on white parchment paper

FAQs

How To Make Sure Your Chicken Wings Stay Healthy?

You want to use a very small amount of cooking spray on the wing. I really do mean light as if it is swimming in oil you will end up with oily wings (and loose the benefit of the air fryer aka cooking with minimal oil).

These are much healthier than deep frying.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer?

Yeap, you can cook frozen wings in air fryer. Increase the temperature to 390 F (198 C) and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Or you can use thawed wings and cook as usual.

Use a meat thermometer and check to make sure the chicken wing has reached an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F) before serving. Air fryer frozen chicken wings are that easy.

How Long To Cook Chicken Wings In Air Fryer

Cooking with the air fryer is a learning curve. There are a lot of variables that can go into making a recipe perfect when you’re using the air fryer.

My wings were on the smaller side so air frying took 15 minutes with flipping them over halfway through the cooking time.

If your wings are larger it can take up to 24 mins to get the chicken wings cooked.
 Leave your wings in longer if they’re not fully cooked.

Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model, so it is important to always check your food for doneness halfway through. And when cooking meats, always check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached a safe temperature.

How To Check If The Wings Are Cooked

Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F) before serving. So use a meat thermometer to check the temperature if you are unsure.

After cooking chicken wings in air fryer they are set on a white parchment and served with dipping sauce

How to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

It is simple really. Just lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, add the wings and cook at 400F (200C) for 5-8 minutes, until they are heated through.

How to Cut Chicken Wings

If you’re lucky and you’ve found chicken wings that are cut and ready to fry up, great. But if your store only has the whole wing don’t be intimidated.

Follow these steps for cutting your chicken wings before dropping them in the air fryer.

  • Place on cutting board and using your fingers, locate where the two joints connect.
  • Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife cut through the center of both joints to separate the drumette, flat, and tip.
  • Use the drumettes and flats in your recipe, discard the tip.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Check these other air fryer recipes for more inspiration.

 Serve Suggestions

Serve these with with your favorite dipping sauce like frank’s hot sauce, or homemade buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, barbecue sauce, Chick Fil A Sauce and Yum Yum Sauce or this Bacon Cream Cheese Dip.

Alternatively you can serve it with this Air Fryer Frozen Hash Brown, and Air Fryer Tater Tots and this Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

If you’re looking for a really quick way to make delicious wings check out my Instant Pot Chicken Wings recipe. I’ve also included 3 amaaaaaaaazing sauce recipes – Buffalo, Teriyaki and Honey Chili.

Weight Watchers Points 

  • There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving with Parmesan.
  • There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving without Parmesan.

**Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video**

Thank you for reading my Air Fried Chicken Wings recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Previously published Oct 2018.

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Air Fryer Chicken Wings served with dipping sauce and garnished with fresh herbs
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

This Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe will be the crispiest you’ve ever had!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: American, Western
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Parmesan version

  • 2 lbs chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
  • ½ cup (6 tbsp) grated Parmesan Cheese plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
  • salt
  • cooking spray

Plain version

  • 2 lbs chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
  • salt
  • black pepper ground
  • cooking spray

Instructions

Parmesan Version

  • Pat chicken wings dry and set aside in a bowl.
  • In a small bowl mix together Parmesan, Paprika, Herbes de Provence and salt.
  • Coat the wings in your Parmesan mix.
  • Preheat air fryer to 350F (180C) and then spray the basket with cooking spray.
  • Cook the chicken wings in batches for 15 mins, turning half way through.
  • Using a meat thermometer test temperature of the chicken wing to make sure it has reached 75 C (165 F).
  • Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs.

Plain version

  • Pat chicken wings dry and set aside in a bowl.
  • Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
  • Preheat air fryer to 350F (180C) and then spray the basket with cooking spray
  • Cook the chicken wings in batches for 15 mins, turning half way through
  • Using a meat thermometer test temperature of the chicken wing to make sure it has reached 75 C (165 F).
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Video

Notes

Tips
  • Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F) before serving.
  • Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken wings.
  • Make sure the chicken wings are not touching to allow maximum air circulation inside the fryer.
  • You do not need to coat your wings before putting them in the air fryer.
  • Spray the basket with oil or cooking spray before adding the wings.
  • Use 1 to 2 tbsp of oil or cooking spray MAX.
  • Serve your chicken wings immediately or use a cooling rack so the underside of the chicken does not end up soggy.
  • Season how you wish and sauce how you like.
  • Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F) before serving.
Weight Watchers Points 
  • There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoint in a serving with Parmesan.
  • There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of plain  Wings.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 219mg | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 1.7mg

 

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5 from 10 votes

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Recipe Rating




19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These wings are FABULOUS!! Made them last night and loved them!!! We did not use any oil at all. Crispy, tasty, delish!! Will def be making these often. Next time we may add a little garlic salt. Thank you for sharing! Yummo!

  2. 5 stars
    Yum Yum Yum! Made these tonight. Excellent! Try dipping them in “Franks Hot Sauce”, kicks it up a notch! So good! Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    I am a sucker for wings and this is such a great recipe! Air Fryers are such a good tool and a great replacement for those looking to lighten up on the fat and calories.

  4. 5 stars
    Well you have officially convinced me that I must get an air fryer! Those chicken wings look perfect! I love all the options that you suggest, too!

  5. 5 stars
    I just got an air fryer so I can’t wait to try this recipe out in it. I am still amazed at how “fried” everything tastes with out any oil added. It’s been great so far.

  6. I tend to over salt everything! Can you tell me approximately how much salt and pepper you used to the amount paprika and herbs you listed? Looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!

  7. 5 stars
    This looks like my kind of appetizer idea! I know my whole family will love this and I can’t wait to give it a try!