I was sad. Sad because I definitely did not make enough wings. Tossed with ancho peach sauce, these wings were so good it would be almost impossible to eat too many. Slightly smoky. Slightly sweet. And a little heat. And the perfect consistency to stick to the wings and not to the bottom of the plate. Grab some napkins and get ready… there’s nothing but great stuff here!
Try different preserves
Apricot preserves also make for a great ancho wing sauce, so feel free to mix things up a bit. I strongly recommend doubling the sauce. Any leftover can be used on grilled chicken, smoked ribs, pulled pork, you name it. It’s just all-around great and not just on ancho peach wings.
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
Note: I placed all of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and processed until smooth first. I would say it’s optional depending on how chunky your peach preserves are and how chunky you want your wings sauce to be.
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat. Keep warm until ready to use.
Notes
If you have any leftover sauce, warm it up before using.
Aji amarillo is an orange-colored pepper from Peru. I haven’t been able to find it in the US in pepper-form, but you can find a paste made from pureed aji peppers in some foreign food markets. Aji amarillo rates between 35,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale, meaning it’s about as hot as Tabasco sauce. It has a nice fruity flavor that reminds me a bit of habanero, but without the scorching heat. I encountered aji amarillo often in dishes throughout Peru when I lived there long, long ago.
Aji pepper flavor
Since I love chicken wings, I decided to cook up a batch and instead of saucing them with just a traditional Buffalo sauce, I made a variation that adds aji amarillo paste. The end result was just a bit spicy, with a fantastic fruity pepper flavor.
These were fantastic wings, and definitely a nice twist on the usual. If you like your wings to be a bit spicier, just add more of the aji amarillo paste. Since it’s not overwhelmingly hot you don’t have to worry about a-little-goes-a-long-ways: you can add quite a bit and still get great flavor without burning the roof of your mouth.
Yer derned tootin’ I was heavy handed when I seasoned these air fryer Frank’s RedHot Buffalo seasoning dry wings. I love this seasoning. I am never shy with how much I use. These wings made for the perfect lunch. Dry wings rock. If you’ve never tried them, you should. The right seasoning on a wing can make for a wonderful eating experience. I’ll put dry wings up against any wet wings any day of the week. They’re both great.
Bring the Flavor. And More.
These air fryer Frank’s RedHot Buffalo seasoning dry wings start out with a bit of a heat when you take a bite. Right up front. Oh, it’s not overly spicy. Not at all. Just a nice little kick to let you know it’s there.
Then comes the flavor. And lots of it. Garlic. Cayenne. And I swear butter. This is like having a Buffalo wing without having sauce all over your hands and face. Instead, well.. you’ll have seasoning all over your hands and face! Still a win win!
If you want (and you do), don’t be afraid to triple-season your wings. Once before cooking (just a little). Then toss them in more seasoning after cooking (a good dose). And finally, sprinkle them with some more (another good dose). You’ll thank me!
Season the wings with the Frank's RedHot Buffalo seasoning. Don't go crazy with it. You want enough to taste the great flavors, but don't drown the wings in it.
Place wings in fridge for 30 minutes.
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer's recommendation to 350 F.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it's hot!).
Cook wings for 12 minutes.
Flip the wings and cook another 12 minutes.
Increase the air fryer temperature to 400 F and cook another 6 minutes.
Remove wings from fryer and place in a bowl. Toss with more seasoning, to taste. Now's a good time to not be shy with the seasoning.
Let cool slightly (the wings will crisp as they cool) then serve.
Notes
Note: The full 30 minute cook time is for large, meaty wings. If your wings are a bit thinner (er… scrawny) back the times down to 10/10/4 minutes instead of 12/12/6 minutes.
Nothing makes me happier than discovering a wing sauce that can be used on much more than ‘just’ wings. The sauce on these adobo Buffalo wings packs some mild heat, just enough and just right. There’s a little sweetness, a little smokiness, and my favorite, a hint of soy sauce. Each bite is a wonderful combination of flavors.
One great sauce!
The sauce on these adobo Buffalo wings is thick, thick enough for sticking to smoked or grill ribs, chicken, burgers… you name it. I’d definitely recommend doubling the sauce.
Kick it up a bit!
For a little more kick add more adobo, cayenne or red chili flakes. You can also substitute hot sauce for the Buffalo wing sauce, but the Buffalo sauce does add that nice traditional wing flavor.
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
If cooking wings on a grill brush them with the glaze 5 minutes before removing, otherwise brush or toss the wings with the glaze and serve. Click here for our guide on how to sauce wings.
For the glaze
Combine all ingredients except for the cornstarch in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering, stirring, for 15-20 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
Combine the cornstarch with water. Slowly whisk into the glaze.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly before pouring thru a whisk.
Keep warm over low heat until ready to use. If too thick stir in a little (very little!) water a time to get the desired consistency.
Notes
If you end up with leftover sauce, just place it in a resealable container in the fridge. Warm the sauce over medium heat before using.
Remember as a kid how happy you were if you got a gold star at school? I don’t remember getting many, but when I did, I was happy. I’d give Kinder’s Buttery Buffalo Party wings a gold star. Most frozen, pre-battered wings haven’t made me happy. These did a pretty good job of it. The batter was tasty and a little crunchy. As a bonus, they come with a good Buffalo wing sauce, perfect for dipping, tossing or drizzling. Were they the best wings I’ve ever had? No, but for what they are, they were pretty darned good and worthy of a gold star!
Grab A Few Bags For A Crowd
I put a good hurt on my bag of Kinder’s Buttery Buffalo party wings. I got two servings out of a bag. Now, I wasn’t having them as an appetizer, so in the ‘real world’ you could probably feed 4 from a bag. So if you’re planning on feeding a party of people, grab a few bags.
I made my wings in an air-fryer. I think that the air fryer always gives me the best crunchy wing. Well, unless I want to get my deep-fryer out that is. For a crowd, I’d use the oven instead since I can cook a whole lot more at once.
The sauce that comes with these wings is frozen in a bag, like gravy for some turkey roasts. You just dunk it in some hot water before serving. It’s not bad actually. I would recommend serving it on the side so people can dunk their wings. Tossing batter-coated wings in sauce makes them soggy and quick. Plus, some folks might not want a sauce.
Hot Ones hot sauces makes a number of tremendously tasty hot sauces. They aren’t all over-the-top spicy, either. More, they concentrate on flavor over heat. I am addicted to their chili maple hot sauce. It has a low eat level. It’s a little sweet thanks to maple syrup, which also adds an amazing flavor. The spiciness comes from Fresno chilis. With just the right amount of vinegar, this sauce makes for tremendous chili maple wings!
Easiest Sauce Ever
While my wings are cooking up, I like to just mix a little hot sauce with butter. That’s it. It’s the world easiest wing sauce. With such a wide selection of hot sauces available, it’s the best way to make totally different-tasting wings every day of the week! These chili maple wings are a great example! I made mine the ‘mild way’ but all variations are great!
In general, the ratio of butter to hot sauce is as below. For example, if the ratio is 3:1 that means you use 3 parts of butter for every 1 part hot sauce. For a mild sauce: 3:1For a medium sauce: 2:1For a hot sauce: 1:1
I’m not particular when it comes to cooking my chicken wings. Baked, deep-fried, grilled, it makes no difference to me. As long as I’m eating wings I’m one happy guy! During the week, though, if I want wings for lunch I gotta go with a technique that gets wings done with minimum fuss so I can get back to work. That usually means air frying them. I prefer to start with fresh wings, but sometimes they just can’t be found, so I grab some out of the freezer. This is my go-to method. This is how to cook frozen wings in an air fryer.
It’s really easy
This is not a complicated process. There’s nothing fancy about cooking frozen wings in an air fryer. No defrosting. Just cook them up a bit, season them, finish the cooking and sauce them. I sometimes also add more seasoning at the end.
Wing selection
Frozen wings come ‘pumped’. That means they are injected with a broth-like solution that plumps them up and keeps them juicy after cooking. Most frozen turkeys come the same way so don’t let the words ‘contains chicken broth’ scare you off.
I prefer sections when I buy frozen wings. Drumettes and flats, separated. Whole wings are fine, but they’re a bit harder to put into a small air fryer without them overlapping. You don’t want your wings to overlap, you want nice even cooking.
Seasoning
I like to season my wings with a light hand at first. I don’t want the seasoning to burn in the air fryer. So I add a little after the wings have cooked just a bit. When they are done I can add more, along with sauce if I’m using it.
I usually use salt and pepper for my seasoning, but I like store-bought ones too. If I want to make a mix at home, my fire-eater seasoning is my favorite.
Do not add the seasoning when the wings are still fully frozen. It’ll just roll right off the wings.
Saucing
You can use any sauce you want, of course. For homemade Buffalo-style sauces, I’m a big fan of my copycat’s of Hooter’smedium and hot wing sauces.
Dipping
Blue cheese dressing or my copycat of Wingstop’sranch dressing make for great dipping sauces for your air-fried wings.
Cleaning up
I wipe my air fryer basket out after each ‘fry’. Every few cooks I’ll put the basket into the dishwasher for a good cleaning. But, I never put it directly into the dishwasher without wiping it out first. I don’t want all of that chicken grease in my dishwasher or my pipes. Check your air fryer’s cleaning recommendations for further information about cleaning your particular model.
Add wings to the fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes. Do not overlap the wings. Try to not let them touch each other or the sides of the basket so that they cook evenly.
Use tongs to remove the wings to a bowl. Sprinkle with your wing seasoning and toss to coat.
Return to the air fryer and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the wings are golden brown.
Remove from the air fryer. Toss with more seasoning and/or sauce and serve.
Notes
Do not thaw the wings ahead of time. You will cook them directly from the freezer.
I’ve been wanting to make these charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings for a while. It’s not that I don’t make wings over charcoal often. I do. But I use a thing called a Vortex BBQ. It helps me get amazingly crispy skin using very high temperatures. That’s not what I’m doing here, though. I wanted to prove that I can make fantastically crunchy skin wings without my Vortex. And boy did I. These great wings take just a little effort, just a little time, and come out fantastic. And the sauce is nothing to sneeze at either! These are great tasting wings too!
It’s Super Easy
There are just two simple steps to making charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings. First, you need to air dry the wings coated in seasoned baking powder (not baking soda) overnight in a fridge on a wire rack. This helps dry out the skin, making it easier to get it crispy later. And second, when it comes time to cook the wings, make sure you have a pile of super-hot coals on just one side of your grill. That leaves you a less hot zone, called indirect grilling, to cook your wings without worrying about burning them. The high heat circulates around the wings helps crisp up the skin. And of course charcoal adds such a great flavor that you just can’t get in an air fryer, deep fryer or oven!
Don’t Forget The Sauce
Sure, you can use any sauce you want on these wings. But you’ll want to keep that Cajun theme going and make a batch of the sauce below. It has a nice spicy kick to it with a great flavor that compliments the seasoned wings perfectly.
I do still highly recommend a Vortex BBQ. It’s not only great for wings but also ‘fried’ chicken, ribs and oh so much more!
Place the wings in a large bowl or resealable container.
Combine the baking powder and Cajun seasoning.
Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the wings. Using your hands, toss the wings to coat.
Add the remaining seasoning and repeat.
Transfer the wings to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place in the fridge 12 hours or overnight to dry out the skin.
Load up the charcoal chimney about 3/4ths of the way with charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is all lit and lightly covered in ash, dump the coals into the grill along one side. This will create two zones: a hot direct heat zone over the coals and a cooler indirect heat zone for the wings.
Add the charcoal grate and close the grill. Open the top and bottoms vents all the way. Let the grill preheat for 5.
Place the wings on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and turn so that the vent is above the wings.
Cook until the wings are lightly browned and crispy, usually 45 minutes. While the wings are cooking make the wing sauce.
These fire-eater chicken wings from Steven Raichlen’s The Barbecue! Bible are absolutely amazing (as are the other recipes in the 575 page book). Yes, they have some kick, but it’s not overwhelming at all. They’re perfect. I plan on using the rub recipe on whole roasted chickens and turkey from my Big Easy, it’s just that good.
Great Flavor In Every Bite
I cooked the wings for about 30 minutes in my Char-Broil Big Easy, then I tossed them onto a hot grill for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. You can skip that final step and still enjoy really fantastic wings.
I served my Fired-Eater wings with plenty of Ranch dressing for dipping. But you can skip that dippin’ and just enjoy the tremendous wing flavors as they are!
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
Oh how many thousands of wings have I eaten? I sure do love my wings. But you know, maybe a little something was missing. Once you get inside the wing, well, there’s just chicken. Good tasty moist chicken, sure. But no sauce. What if instead of tossing my wings with sauce I injected them with it instead? So I did. Buffalo sauce-injected wings are crazy good and fantastically different. Crispy skin on the outside with a burst of wing sauce in the middle. No lame wings here.
Different. And Cool.
I really enjoyed these Buffalo-sauce injected wings. It’s like I get the best of all the tastes. I get to enjoy my wing seasoning. None of it is diluted after the wing has been covered in sauce. And I get my wing sauce, and lots of it. I didn’t end up with a lake of sauce at the bottom of my plate. It was definitely a chicken wing win, and a real attention-getter at a party.
Of course, you don’t have to use just Buffalo wing sauce like I did. Any wing sauce will work, but you’ll want to try and use ones that are thin enough to make it through your injector. And don’t skimp on the injector either.
Insert an injector into the bottle of wing sauce and fill the injector. Alternatively, pour some of the sauce into a tall glass or cup and fill the injector from it.
Insert the end of the needle into each wing and gently push down on the plunger to fill the wing with sauce. Slowly remove the needle and inject the remaining wings. Serve.
