Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings

These Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings are loaded with flavor. We used a seasoning blend cooked perfectly in the air fryer and then tossed with your favorite tangy BBQ sauce. The wings are crispy on the outside and fall off the bone tender inside, perfect for game day snacks or parties!!

More air fryer recipes you may love are these easy air fryer buffalo chicken wings, air fryer buffalo cauliflower and these delicious air fryer twice-baked potatoes.

Air Fryer chicken wings

Air fryers cook chicken wings to crispy perfection, similar to frying them in a restaurant, but using much less oil with much less mess!!

It is the best way to consistently enjoy amazing chicken wings every time you make them.

We’ve used a spice blend that gives you a homemade BBQ sauce flavor with very little time and effort.

When you bite in the crispy but tender air fryer wings this dry rub with BBQ sauce takes them to a whole new level of deliciousness that leaves you coming back for more!!

We enjoy these barbecue chicken wings served with carrots and celery with blue cheese or ranch dip, parmesan French fries, tater tots, Greek potatoes, potato salad and garlic bread.

If you are having a game day party feeding a crowd you may also enjoy brats, Doritos chicken tenders, chicken tenders, Buffalo cauliflower bites and pigs in a blanket!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy air fryer crispy wings with delicious flavor every time
• Amazing spice blend for a shortcut homemade BBQ sauce
• Perfect appetizer or snack for game days and parties
• Easily double this wings recipe if feeding a crowd

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken Wings – thawed if using frozen chicken wings
• Garlic powder
• Onion Powder
• Paprika
• Oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• Baking Powder – helps to dry out the wing skin for crispier chicken wings
• Olive Oil
• BBQ sauce – use your favorite BBQ sauce, you can also use more for dipping the wings

Step by step instructions for how to make air fryer BBQ chicken wings

STEP ONE – Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F (or 182 degrees C).

STEP TWO – Remove the chicken wings from the package and separate the wing tips and the flats from the wingettes.

Toss the wing tips. (If they’re frozen, make sure to remove them from the freezer the night before. Place them in the fridge to thaw or in a bowl of cold water changing the water every hour.)

STEP THREE – Pat the flats and wingettes dry with a paper towel.

STEP FOUR – Place the separated chicken wings in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

STEP FIVE – In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Using a whisk or a fork, stir to combine the spices.

STEP SIX – Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken wings and toss to coat them all.

STEP SEVEN – Add the spice mixture over the top of the chicken wings, and using tongs, wooden spoon, or a spatula stir to combine until all of the chicken wings are fully coated with the spice mixture.

STEP EIGHT – Working in batches, place the chicken wings in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer with space around each chicken wing. This will help the chicken wings to cook evenly. You should get between 6 and 8 wings per batch.

STEP NINE – Cook the chicken wings for 10 minutes. Flip the wings over and cook for another 10 minutes.

STEP TEN – Add the cooked wings to a bowl then drizzle the bbq sauce over the top, using a spatula or tongs, stir to combine so the wings are evenly coated with bbq sauce.

STEP ELEVEN – The wings are done here. OPTIONAL – If you want, you can follow the next step if you like the bbq sauce caramelized to your wings. I highly recommend it!

STEP TWELVE – Place them back into the air fryer and cook for 3 more minutes at 360 degrees F (or 182 C) to allow the sauce to caramelize to the wings.Serve immediately.

Variations

• Honey BBQ chicken wings – by adding honey or maple syrup to your BBQ sauce
• Spicy BBQ chicken wings – kick up the heat by addling cayenne pepper, hot sauce or red pepper flakes to your BBQ sauce

Sandra’s top tips for making the best barbecue chicken wings

• When working in batches cooking your barbecue wings you can preheat your oven to 250°F and place your cooked wings on a baking sheet in the oven while you air fry the rest of your wings
• Pat the flats and wingettes chicken wings dry with a paper towel before seasoning to to help get crispy wings
• Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket leaving space between each wing for proper air circulation and even cooking
• For food safety use a food thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of your cooked chicken is 165°F for safe eating

How to reheat BBQ chicken wings in the air fryer?

Reheat your BBQ chicken wings in the air fryer at 360°F for 5 to 8 minutes. You can reheat them in them microwave in short 15 second intervals but they may dry out. You can add some extra BBQ sauce to the wings before reheating them.

How long do you cook chicken wings in the air fryer for?

Cook your air fryer wings for 25 minutes total time, flipping them over after cooking for 10 minutes. Then after the second 10 minutes of cooking time, coat the wings in BBQ sauce and then cook them for another 5 minutes.

Why are my wings not crispy in the air fryer?

If your wings do not come out crispy you may have added too many wings to your air fryer basket at once. It is important to leave space in between each wing so the air can circulate. You should be able to fit between 6 to 8 wings in your air fryer basket at once.

Storage and freezing instructions

Store any leftover cooled, cooked chicken wings in an airtight-container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Freeze using a freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

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