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If you checked out my recipe for Air Fryer Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings, then you know that you can easily make crispy, chicken wings in an air fryer. I made these Air Fryer Buffalo Wings in 30 minutes, which, for me, makes this a great weekend or weeknight meal. These wings are one of my favorite recipes to make when entertaining a crowd and watching a football game. I included an easy Blue Cheese Dressing because Blue Cheese Dressing and Buffalo Wings make a great pair (it cools down the heat). I added a special spice to the sauce to take the heat to a new level of spicy. But, if super spicy food is not your thing, then you can absolutely omit it!
This recipe makes about 14 Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings and 1 cup of blue cheese dressing.
How do you make Air Fryer Buffalo Wings?
- Remove the wings from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to cook them
- Make the spice mixture that I share below and toss it on the wings
- Add the wings to your air fryer on 390-400 degrees and cook for 12-15 minutes per side
- Make the sauce and toss the wings in it
- Serve immediately so that they remain slightly crisp
Which air fryer did you use?
When I first shared this recipe, I made these in this air fryer. However, recently, I gave my air fryer away and have been using the air crisp setting on this multi-cooker that’s an air fryer, pressure cooker, steamer, crockpot and much more.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make these Buffalo Wings in an oven
If you don’t have an air fryer or want to make more than 14 chicken wings, then I’d recommend that you make these in an oven as I did in my Oven Fried Chicken recipe. The rest of the steps will be the same. Don’t forget to make more sauce if you’re making more wings!
Where do you get the ghost peppers? Do I have to use them?
I love the addition of Smoked Ghost Pepper Chilis in this recipe. It adds a spicy kick and a smokey flavor. To get this flavor, I picked up the Smoked Ghost Pepper Chilis spice mix from Trader Joes for $1.99.
If it isn’t available in your local Trader Joe’s, I’ve also found it on Amazon (for more money…sigh!). This ingredient is completely optional. I do recommend that you “turn and taste”. This means that as you add one turn of Smoked Ghost Pepper Chilis, stop, and taste the sauce. This way, you’ll be able to have the kick without it being overwhelmingly spicy.
Are the wings fresh or frozen?
I always cook my meat fresh or thawed. For me, when I cook meat that’s ice cold or straight from the fridge, I find that it cooks inconsistently. Some meats also get tough when they are placed in a hot pan while they are cold. In this recipe, I use fresh wings. I typically allow the wings to sit out while the oven preheats (if I’m baking them) or while I prep other parts of the meal.
A recipe note about salting:
I reduced the amount of salt in this recipe (compared to the Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings) because I find that Buffalo Wing sauce is already pretty salty. If you want more salt, feel free to add another 1/4 tsp of salt to the wings after they are cooked. Remember, you can always add salt, but you can’t take it away once a dish is over salted.
Love saucy wings? Check out 10 Finger-Lickin’ Good Keto Chicken Wing Recipes!
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1.5 lbs chicken wings sectioned into flats and drums
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder baking powder (You cannot swap baking soda in this recipe - I promise that the wings will not taste good if you do)
Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce
- 1 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1/4 tsp about 2 turns on the grinder Trader Joes Smoked Ghost Pepper Chiles (optional)
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1/2 cup Real Hellmann’s Mayo
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1/3 cup Blue Cheese crumbles
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp Ground Parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Tool I Used
Instructions
- Remove the chicken wing parts from the refrigerator and pat dry (removing as much moisture as possible helps to have a crispy wing skin)
- Mix the sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and baking powder in a small dish or ramekin
- Sprinkle seasoning mixture on the wings and toss to coat
- Place wings on a flat layer in the airfryer
- Use the air-fryer programmed settings for chicken (400 degrees) and cook for 25-30 minutes. I set my timer 15 minutes, flipped the wings, then checked the wings at 5 minute intervals until the skin was crispy enough for me. Getting the wings crispy quickly requires you to flip them about halfway through.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the Buffalo Wing sauce by stirring them in a small bowl with a fork (keep mixing until the melted butter is well incorporated)
- Mix all of the ingredients for the blue cheese dressing by stirring them in a small bowl with a lid (this made enough dressing to dip the wings, have on my dinner salad, but also another day of salads for lunch)
- Toss the wings in the Buffalo Sauce mixture and serve immediately with a side of Blue Cheese Dressing
Recipe Nutrition Facts
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Danielle
March 27, 2019 at 7:14 pmIs there a way they can be cooked in a regular oven? First time hero and I want to finally lose some weight.
Davinah
March 27, 2019 at 8:56 pmHi Danielle,
The air fryer doesn’t use any oil and cuts down on time. There’s a section in the blog post that shares oven directions – 425 at 25-30 minutes per side.
Thanks,
Davinah