Description
These crispy and juicy chicken wings are perfectly cooked in the air fryer with a flavorful dry rub made from a blend of brown sugar, baking powder, and spices. This foolproof recipe delivers delicious wings with less mess and cooking time, great served plain or tossed in your favorite sauces like buffalo or BBQ with a hint of sriracha.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Dry Rub Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer: Set your air fryer to 400°F in air fryer mode to ensure it's hot and ready for crispy wings.
- Dry wings: Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels to remove moisture, which helps achieve a crispy texture. Transfer wings to a large bowl afterward.
- Coat the wings: Toss the wings in 1 tablespoon olive oil until evenly coated. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the wings and stir thoroughly to coat them evenly.
- Air fry: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Arrange the wings in a single layer in the basket, making sure not to overcrowd. Cook the wings for 7 minutes, then flip each wing over and continue cooking for an additional 8 minutes or until the wings are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve: Enjoy the wings plain to savor the dry rub flavor or toss them in your favorite sauces such as ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, or a BBQ sauce with a touch of sriracha for added heat and flavor.
Notes
- Patting the wings dry is essential for crispiness—don’t skip this step.
- Use baking powder in the dry rub to help render the skin and produce extra crisp texture.
- You can toss wings in buffalo sauce after cooking for a classic spicy flavor or try BBQ with sriracha for a sweet and spicy kick.
- Cook wings in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, which can cause steaming instead of crisping.
- Feel free to swap olive oil for other neutral oils like avocado or vegetable oil if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 3-4 wings)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
