Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings {with cornstarch}
These crispy air fryer chicken wings use cornstarch as the secret ingredient to get that extra crispy skin that everyone loves! Perfectly crisp and seasoned, these wings are perfect for parties and game day! Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauces (don’t forget this Wingstop Ranch!) and watch them disappear!
Five Star Review
“We were cravings for chicken wings tonight and we made this recipe. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Will be one of my go-tos from now on. Thanks for sharing.“
– KARINA
What makes these wings so special?
I don’t love deep-frying so I thought crispy, juicy wings at home were OUT for me! Enter the air fryer. You’ll be shocked at how crazy crispy these wings get without the mess of deep frying! A quick toss in cornstarch, butter, and spices is all it takes for wings that are juicy inside, crispy outside, and totally irresistible.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these delicious crispy air fryer corn starch chicken wings:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Chicken wings: Plain (unseasoned) frozen chicken wings are always my go-to. I like the “variety pack” that include both “flats” and “drumettes,” but go with whatever you like! I avoid buying wings with the wing tips–they are a pain to cut off!
Corn starch: This is the secret ingredient for making the crispiest chicken wings!
Spices: My trifecta of spices for these air fryer wings is garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. However, you can use your favorite premade rub, too.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS WITH CORNSTARCH: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
CASEY’S TIPS
- Storage and reheating: Store leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat chicken wings in the air fryer at 400°F for about 5 minutes or until warmed through.
Casey’s Top Tip: Be sure not to over-crowd the air fryer basket! I usually air fry 8-10 wings at a time. When I have to cook in multiple batches, I place the cooked wings on a plate while the others are cooking. When all the wings are cooked, I place them all back in the air fryer (they won’t be in a single layer and that’s OK). Set air fryer temperatures to 390°F and warm all the wings for 5 minutes. They’ll be nice and warm and ready to be enjoyed…and still crispy!
CRISPY CORNSTARCH CHICKEN WINGS: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
How to Serve
- Traditional buffalo wings: Once the wings are cooked, toss them with your favorite buffalo sauce. Serve with carrots, celery, and this Wingstop ranch dressing.
- BBQ wings: After air frying, toss the hot wings in your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Make it “fancy”: Once the wings are cooked, brush them with melted butter and toss them in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with parsley!
- Easy dinner: We typically think of wings as a party food but why wait for a party? Air fry a batch of wings any night of the week! While they wings are cooking, whip up a simple corn salad, or pasta salad and it’s a quick, delicious meal!
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know your thoughts these crispy cornstarch chicken wings by leaving a star rating below or sharing it on Instagram!
Thank you! ~ Casey
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings {with cornstarch}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. thawed chicken wings See Note 1 on how to cook from frozen
- 2 tbsp. salted butter, melted and cooled just slightly
- 1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Add butter: Place the thawed chicken wings in a large bowl. Pat dry with a paper towels to ensure there is no excess moisture. Pour the melted butter over the chicken. Your butter is room temperature and the chicken wings are cold, so when pouring the butter, it may congeal a bit. That's OK! When you place the wings in the air fryer, the butter will melt and give you the most tender, juicy chicken wings you've ever had!
- Add seasonings: Sprinkle the seasonings: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper over the chicken wings. Rub the seasonings on the chicken wings to coat every one of them with flavor.
- Add cornstarch: Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken wings. Using your hands or 2 spoons, toss to coat every chicken wing in cornstarch. Remember, cornstarch is the key ingredient to getting super crispy wings, so you want every wing well-coated!
- Air fry: Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd the basket. Leaving space in between the chicken wings makes them cook (and crisp!) evenly. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do a few batches. Air fry at 400°F for 7 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Internal temperature should be no lower than 165°F. When the wings are done and nicely crisp, they will typically be about 180-185°F. Note: exact cooking time will depend on your air fryer.
- Serve: Allow the wings a minute or two to cool, then serve with your favorite sauce or sides (celery sticks, carrot sticks, store-bought or homemade ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese dressing).
Notes
CASEY’S TIPS – HOW TO SERVE
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- Traditional buffalo wings: Once the wings are cooked, toss them with your favorite buffalo sauce. Serve with carrots, celery, and this Wingstop ranch dressing.
-
- BBQ wings: After air frying, toss the hot wings in your favorite BBQ sauce.
-
- Make it “fancy”: Once the wings are cooked, brush them with melted butter and toss them in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with parsley!
-
- Easy dinner: We typically think of wings as a party food but why wait for a party? Air fry a batch of wings any night of the week. While they wings are cooking, whip up a simple corn salad, or pasta salad and it’s a quick, delicious meal!
Who says you have to wait for game day to have wings?! I don’t hesitate to whip these wings up on a weeknight! They are so easy to make. I hope you love them as much as we do! XO ~ Casey
These crispy air fryer chicken wings look amazing! I always look for quick recipes like this after long shifts. By the way, I recently discovered harmony scrub hats—super comfy and stylish for work!
I usually use a bit of olive oil but tried the butter this time, I found most of the butter and spices seemed to stick to the stainless bowl instead of to the wings.
These crispy air fryer chicken wings look absolutely delicious! I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipes like this. By the way, have you heard about Vorwarts Pharma? They’re making some groundbreaking advancements in pharmaceuticals. Definitely worth checking out!
I made these wings last night and they were the best! The butter on the wings is the key for the most juicy wings I’ve made so far. I also prefer using the cornstarch over baking powder which I have used in the past. Wings were both juicy and crispie. This recipe is now my go to buffalo wing recipe. Thanks so much!!
We were cravings for chicken wings tonight and we made this recipe. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Will be one of my go-tos from now on. Thanks for sharing.
Love these simple and oh-so-crispy chicken wings. Using cornstarch is a game-changer!
I can’t wait to make this! I’m a big fan of using cornstarch to get that crispy skin instead of a lot of breading. Your recipe looks great!
How flavourful and amazing these wings are! I love my air fryer and make many dishes using it.
Quick question. Instead of cornstarch, why not all purpose flour? Or half flour and half corn starch?
Thank you!!!
You can do that! But after testing this recipe over and over, cornstarch truly makes the CRISPIEST wings. Let us know how they turn out! XO ~ Casey
These wings look so tasty! I’m sending this recipe to my friend who has an air fryer with the subtle suggestion she make them for us!
The cornstarch makes all the difference in this recipe. They came out so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. My entire family loved them!