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!
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
Cooking wings from frozen: To cook wings from frozen, place your plain, frozen wings in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes. Take the wings out of the basket and transfer to a large bowl. Pour melted butter over them and toss to coat. Then, sprinkle on seasonings and cornstarch. Mix until the chicken wings are evenly coated. The wings will be hot, so I use big serving spoons to toss the chicken wings. Place the seasoned wings back into the air fryer and air fry for an additional 10 minutes until the internal temperature is 180-185°F and the wings are crisp and golden brown!
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.
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- BBQ wings: After air frying, toss the hot wings in your favorite BBQ sauce.
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- 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!
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- 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 808kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 45.4gFat: 55.3gSaturated Fat: 16.9gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 1349mgPotassium: 344mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin D: 4µgCalcium: 52mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!