These Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings have perfectly crispy skin! Made with a simple dry rub and tossed in a simple, zesty buffalo sauce. 

I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me THIS long to post this easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe! During football season, these crispy wings are our go-to game day food! I used to use a small deep fryer because I love extra crispy wings!

But, thanks to my lovely air fryer, I can make crispy chicken wings without deep frying in oil. Learning to air fry chicken wings is a great way to make healthier wings! 

“They are delicious! We are definitely going to be making these again for the Super Bowl!”

– Ginger S.
Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

I know there are a lot of jokes about air fryers being the newest fad in cooking, but I think we have to agree that they’re saving us from a whole lot of extra oil in our foods!

If you use your air fryer, you only need a little oil in the form of cooking spray to make crispy air fryer wings. The hot air in the air fryer circulates around your chicken to make the skin nice and crispy without a ton of oil. 

These buffalo wings are equally delicious for dinner or as a part of a party spread, like this Wing Charcuterie Board!

“I made these tonight for the first time and they are so amazing! Everyone should try them!”

Julie, Facebook comment
Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Tips for Crispy Air Fried Chicken Wings

There are a few easy tricks I’d like to share for air frying the best chicken wings ever:

  • Take your chicken wings out of the fridge early and bring them closer to room temperature before you start the cooking process.
  • Use paper towels to pat your wings dry for the best results. Having too much moisture on the wings can keep them from getting crispy.
  • Coat the chicken wings in a simple spice rub. I have a suggestion below, but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend!
  • Preheat your air fryer by turning it on for a few minutes before adding the wings. This will allow your wings to hit a hot surface immediately, and for the skin to begin crisping quicker.
Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

There are a few key things you need to do to make the best chicken wings ever:

  1. Take your chicken wings out of the fridge early and bring them closer to room temperature before you start the cooking process.
  2. Use paper towels to pat your wings dry for the best results. Having too much moisture on the wings can keep them from getting crispy.
  3. Coat the chicken wings in a simple spice rub. I have a suggestion below, but feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend!
  4. Preheat your air fryer by turning it on for a few minutes before adding the wings. This will allow your wings to hit a hot surface and for the skin to begin crisping quicker.
Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Chicken Wing Recipes for Sauces- 3 Alternative Options

Now, you don’t have to make Air Fryer Buffalo wings if buffalo sauce if it isn’t your favorite wing sauce! if you’re not a spicy person, use your favorite sauce. Or make another homemade sauce! There are several other easy sauce options, like: 

Air Fryer Asian Chicken Wings: Make a sauce of 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 cup sweet chili sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste, then toss with your cooked wings!

Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken Wings: Make simple barbecue sauce of 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the sauce with cooked wings to make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings! And of course, you can also use your favorite BBQ sauce.

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings: Instead of black pepper in the recipe below, substitute lemon pepper seasoning, and omit the paprika. Cook the wings by following the recipe instructions, then serve without sauce!

Or, try out more adventurous wing sauce flavors with these Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Korean BBQ Chicken Wings or Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings recipes!

If you love these delicious wings, I have other easy air fryer recipes on the blog that I think you’ll love.

Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Serving Suggestions:

I like to serve this air fryer buffalo wings with a side dish made in the air fryer, like Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower or some Air Fryer Potato Wedges! This wings recipe pairs beautifully with this yummy Fried Pickle Dip, too!

Or, these wings make a perfect appetizer served alongside ranch dressing, bleu cheese dressing, carrot sticks and celery sticks! 

Buffalo Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Yield: Serves 4-5
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes

These Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings have perfectly crispy skin! Made with a simple dry rub and tossed in a simple, zesty buffalo sauce. 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh chicken wings

For the chicken rub:

  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons baking powder (to make the wings crispy)
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the homemade buffalo sauce:

  • 1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot)
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra spice)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the chicken wings from the fridge to take the chill off and bring them closer to room temperature. If you have whole chicken wings, separate the whole wings in into two pieces, a drum and flat.
  2. Pat each wing dry thoroughly with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. 
  3. In a small bowl, combine garlic salt, onion powder, baking powder, paprika and black pepper. Stir to combine.
  4. Sprinkle spice rub on wings and rub to completely coat the wings with seasoning.
  5. Preheat the air fryer at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Air Fry: Add wings to the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure the wings do not touch.
  7. Air fry for 11 minutes at 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
  8. Flip the wings and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove when the wings are golden brown, and the internal temp of the wings is 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer.
  9. Remove the chicken wings and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Make the sauce: In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk vigorously the combine the ingredients.
  11. Add cooked chicken wings to the bowl with the sauce, and toss with tongs until coated.
  12. Serve warm!

Notes

The baking powder may seem like a strange addition, but it helps to make the wings crispy without deep frying! 

Use your favorite air fryer, but you will need larger capacity (6-8 quarts). If you have a smaller air fryer, just fry the wings in batches!

I do not recommend lining your air fryer. Liners block the flow of hot air, which will make your wings less crispy! 

Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 972Total Fat 79gSaturated Fat 34gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 39gCholesterol 247mgSodium 1809mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 40g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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