Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
These Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings are a must-make on game day. Or anytime you need a delicious high-protein snack, app, or main course. Fresh chicken wings are seasoned, air-fried, slathered with your choice of BBQ sauce, and then air-fried once more -resulting in a batch of flavorful, ridiculously juicy party wings no one can resist!
Buffalo is a no-brainer, but if you really want to impress your big-game guests, it’s all about giving them a few wing flavors to choose from!
These brand spankin’ new air fryer BBQ wings are among a lineup of air fryer chicken wing recipes, including lemon pepper and jerk, that you MUST add to your super bowl Sunday menu!
Making these wings is mostly hands-off. You are responsible for the seasonings and the BBQ sauce, while your air fryer takes care of cooking the wings to juicy perfection on the inside and golden and crispy on the surface.
I have a Cosori air fryer, and it CRANKS out crisp and juicy, but if you don’t have an air fryer, no biggie. Your old-school oven also has what it takes to make a batch of finger-lickin’ good BBQ chicken wings that the colonel himself would approve of.
Why This Recipe Rocks
- Air-fried chicken wings are healthier. They deliver that deep-fried crunch despite very little oil.
- Perfect for Superbowl, afterschool snacks, or whenever you’re craving crispy wings drenched in BBQ sauce.
- You get to decide on the BBQ sauce. You can make homemade BBQ sauce from scratch or use one of your favorites, including Whole30 and keto-friendly BBQ sauces. Gourmet Warehouse is a personal favorite store-bought barbecue sauce but go with one you love here.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken wings – You can use fresh wings or wings thawed from frozen. If frozen, make sure you have enough time for the wings to thaw in the fridge before cooking.
- Avocado oil – LIghtly coating the wings with avocado oil enhances flavor, gives the dry seasoning something to stick to, and helps the skin get golden and crispy.
- Dry spices – Before saucing, the wings get seasoned with smoked paprika, salt, and a bit of pepper. For a bit of heat, you can also add a dash of cayenne here.
- BBQ sauce – Go with your favorite prepared BBQ sauce –homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce is perfectly fine.
- Cooking spray – To lightly grease the air fryer basket and prevent sticking. I use an avocado oil spray.
How To Make BBQ Chicken Wings In An Air Fryer
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer. Set the air fryer to 400°F and leave it to preheat while you prep the wings.
Step 2: Season wings. In a large bowl, toss the wings with oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until coated evenly.
Step 3: Cook wings in the air fryer. Spray the air fryer basket lightly with cooking oil spray, then add the wings, arranging them in a single layer with room between each for hot air to flow. Set the temperature to 380°F and cook for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes during the process.
Step 4: Sauce, crisp, and serve. Immediately transfer the wings to a bowl and toss with BBQ sauce, then return them to the air fryer and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve hot!!
Recipe Tips
- Dry the wings well – Be sure to pat the wings dry before tossing them with oil and seasoning. You can also set wings in the fridge uncovered for about 2 hours to absorb as much moisture as possible.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket – If you cook too many wings at once, they’ll never get crispy. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the wings in batches.
- If you have a Cosori air fryer (like me!) – You can use the “chicken” setting. Mine were perfect at the 20-minute mark. If you like your chicken wings “fried hard,” add another 3-5 minutes.
- Baked BBQ chicken wings – To make BBQ wings in the oven, toss in avocado oil and dry spices and bake at 425°F for 30 minutes. Toss with BBQ sauce and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until crispy.
- To check for doneness – Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches between 165 and 175° degrees.
Serving Suggestions
Serving pretty much any chicken wing flavor with carrot & celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dressing is never a bad idea.
As for sides that go especially well with BBQ-flavored wings, go with:
- Old-fashioned Cucumbers and Onion in Vinegar
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Old Fashioned Coleslaw with Vinegar
- Sweet Potato Fries
- The Best Southern Potato Salad
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let cool, then transfer leftover BBQ wings to a shallow, airtight container with a secure lid and keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Reheating: To reheat, return the wings to the air fryer and cook them again at 380°F until the meat is hot and the BBQ-glazed skin is back to being crispy (about 3-4 minutes).
Recipe FAQs
Soggy air-fried food is usually caused by overcrowding the basket and cooking too much at once. Make sure the wings have enough wiggle room for the hot air to circulate on all sides of each wing.
Whole wings are less expensive than split. So if you want to buy whole wings, by all means, go for it. You don’t necessarily have to separate the wings into “drums” and “flats,” but doing so makes BBQ wings much easier to eat with your fingers.
More Super Bowl Snacks
- Artichoke Jalapeno Dip
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Spicy Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos
- Southern Style Jalapeno Pimento Cheese
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Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Air Fryer *I used a Cosori air fryer for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fresh chicken wings
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup prepared BBQ sauce *go with your favorite premade sauce or homemade BBQ sauce.
- Cooking spray I used avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss the wings with the oil, salt, smoked paprika, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with a little cooking oil spray and add the wings, leaving space for the air to circulate between each wing.
- Set the air fryer to 380 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Flip wings every 5 minutes for even cooking.
- Transfer the wings to a bowl and toss with the BBQ sauce.
- Return the sauced wings to the basket and cook for 3-4 more minutes. The wings should reach a safe 165 degrees F. with a meat thermometer when done.
- Serve immediately with your favorite wing sides.
Notes
- Dry the wings well – Be sure to pat the wings dry before tossing them with oil and seasoning. You can also set wings in the fridge uncovered for about 2 hours to absorb as much moisture as possible.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket – If you cook too many wings at once, they’ll never get crispy. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the wings in batches.
- If you have a Cosori air fryer (like me!) – You can use the “chicken” setting. Mine were perfect at the 20-minute mark. If you like your chicken wings “fried hard,” add another 5 minutes.
- Baked BBQ chicken wings – To make BBQ wings in the oven, toss in avocado oil and dry spices and bake at 425°F for 30 minutes. Toss with BBQ sauce and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until crispy.
- To check for doneness – Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches between 165 and 175° degrees.
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These wings were perfectly seasoned and coated in a delicious BBQ sauce that had just the right amount of sweetness and tang. I used your homemade BBQ sauce recipe as well and it was great! The sauce caramelized beautifully in the air fryer, giving the wings a sticky and finger-licking glaze. Every bite was a delightful combination of tender chicken, crispy skin, and the bold flavors of the barbecue sauce. I also loved how easy and convenient it was to make these wings in the air fryer. With minimal effort, I achieved that irresistible crispy texture without the need for deep frying.