Air Fryer Maple Wings

Yowsa. Now we’re talking about some seriously devour-worthy wings. These air fryer maple wings are beyond finger-lickingly good. As soon as I took my first bite I instantly regretted not making more wings and sauce. The wings are your standard air fryer wings. A little seasoning and cooked until the skin is crispy. The sauce, though, is the star of the show. The right sweetness. The right umami thing. And just a kiss of heat. These are great wings!

Air Fryer Maple Wings

Step Up Your Teriyaki Game

You can use whatever teriyaki sauce you like to make these air fryer maple wings. But for me, my go-to teriyaki sauce is from the fine folks over at Bourbon Barrel Food. They have two versions actually. The Kentuckyaki sauce is a wonderfully bourbon-infused sauce that has such a great, deep flavor. It’s great anywhere I need a teriyaki sauce. And of course their spicy version is … spicier! It also makes for a great sauce for these wings!

The maple syrup in this sauce gives off a wonderful, sweet, warm aroma. It kind of ‘sets the mood’ for these wings. Turn down the lights, sit down, and enjoy some great wings!

Oh, The Sauce!

As easy as it is to make, and as simple as the ingredients are, the sauce is really amazing. Wings are not this sauce’s only perfect match, either. It’s perfect for dipping chicken nuggets or fingers. Like beyond perfect even. Slather it on grilled chicken breast just before you put it on a bun for a chicken sandwich. Yum.

Ribs are another great use for this sauce. Asian-inspired flavors and pork are the perfect marriage. Try it and you’ll never go back to using traditional BBQ sauces on your ribs.

Oh, and burgers too! Ground pork or chicken burgers are even better with the sauce on them!

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Bourbon Barrel Kentuckyaki, 375 ml
  • Kentuckyaki is teriyaki sauce made Kentucky-Style…
  • This all-natural sauce is sweetened with…
Spicy Kentuckyaki
  • BOURBON marinade grilling

Also try my Kentuckyaki wings!

Air Fryer Maple Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Maple Wings

Fantastically delicious wings!
Inspired by a recipe from The Food Network
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 582kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

  • Season the wings with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 350 F.
  • Working in batches if needed, air fry the wings for 12 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and air fry another 12 minutes.
  • Turn the air fryer temperature to 400 F and fry another 6 minutes or until the wings are golden brown.
  • Remove the wings and toss in the sauce. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
  • Continue to simmer until slightly reduced.

Notes

Store any leftover sauce in the fridge. Make sure you re-heat it slightly over medium heat before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1871mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 534IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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Perdue Hot ‘N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Perdue Hot ‘N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer wings really made me happy. I’m not usually impressed with frozen, prepared wings. They’re usually scrawny and tasteless. Not these. Not even close. These wings are definitely hot and spicy. They have a delicious, crunchy batter. They cook up in no time in an air fryer (you can also prepare them in the oven). The aroma as they cook is dream-worthy. And perhaps best of all, they are not scrawny! Nope, these are meaty, tender, juicy, tasty, crunchy wings! Score!

I was wrong, and I’m sorry

I didn’t have high expectations for these wings and I was wrong about them. If you like battered wings and are in a hurry, you can’t beat them. Eat them straight out of the air fryer, or do as I did and dunk them in a little Buffalo wing sauce and Ranch dressing. Whatever works for you!

Perdue Hot 'N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Cook time

The packaging for Perdue Hot ‘N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Wings says to cook them at 400 F for 16 minutes. Maybe it’s just my air fryer (which is a 1700 watt model), but I found that 14 minutes is better. The wings may not seem crunchy after the shorter time, but they do get crunchier as they cool a little. I thought they came out great. Any longer and they start to get a little dark. Not burned, just dark.

Perdue makes roasted and a lemon pepper versions of these wings. Try them. You’ll love them too and they’re great for your fear-the-heat friends!

Melinda’s Craft Wing Collection – Gourmet Wing…
  • PERFECT GIFT FOR WING LOVERS: Melinda’s took the…
  • SET YOUR MOUTH ON FLAVOR: This hot sauce variety…

Dipping Sauce. Optional.

You can serve your wings with a dipping sauce on the side if you prefer. You know. Ranch. Blue cheese. Whatever you prefer. I have a number of dipping sauces you can make at home too. I wouldn’t use any sauce that would ‘fight’ the flavors of these wings, though. Use something more mellow.

I serve my side dipping sauces in condiment cups.

EHOMEA2Z Ramekins Stainless Steel Condiment Sauce…
  • Commercial Grade Stainless Steel: These sauce…
  • Multifunctional Portion Cups: This set of sauce…

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Perdue Hot 'N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Perdue Hot ‘N Spicy Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Surprisingly yummy!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time16 minutes
Cool time2 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, wings
Servings: 2
Calories: 9kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 F per the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Add the wing pieces and cook for 16 minutes. Note: I prefer 14 minutes. I recommend checking them after 12 or so minutes to see if you are happy with the color of the wings and remove them before 16 minutes if desired.
  • Remove wings and let cool for 2 minutes before serving with your desired sauces.

Notes

Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce, let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 9kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 6mg | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 0.5mg | Iron: 0.04mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer

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.

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 Hooters medium and hot wing sauces.

Dipping

Blue cheese dressing or my copycat of Wingstop’s ranch 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.

Dash Deluxe Air Fryer – Adjustable Temperature…
  • Consistent Cooking Every Time: The Dash Deluxe Air…
  • Simple Operation, Tasty Results: This compact…

It’s also easy to make great wings in a convection oven!

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer
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5 from 1 vote

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer

Easy, great wings in no time!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 2027kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 F.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 2027kcal | Protein: 208g | Fat: 127g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g | Monounsaturated Fat: 51g | Cholesterol: 720mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 2470mg | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 13mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

The air fryer does a great job making great wings. With little effort they come out crispy and juicy. Here lately I’ve found myself badly addicted to rotisserie chicken seasoning. There’s something about the aroma and taste that really appeals to me. You get that slow-roasted chicken flavor and aroma. There’s a wonderfully fantastic golden color. Your mouth begins to water long before you take that first bite. On wings, it’s fantastic. These rotisserie-seasoned air fryer wings smell and taste just like the chicken you can get at your supermarket.

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

Oh, That Crunchy Delicious Skin!

Besides that great classic flavor, these rotisserie-seasoned air fryer wings have super crunchy, delicious skin. You’re definitely going to think you’re eating battered deep-fried chicken. But you’re not. Just a little seasoning and baking powder goes into making these wings fantastic. You ‘dry’ the wings for a short time in the fridge before cooking them. That helps ensure that the skins will get nice and crunchy. So does the baking powder, mixed into the seasoning. Finally, when the wings are cooked to perfection, and while they’re still hot, you sprinkle them with a bit more of the seasoning.

Dash Deluxe Air Fryer – Adjustable Temperature…
  • Consistent Cooking Every Time: The Dash Deluxe Air…
  • Simple Operation, Tasty Results: This compact…

No Dipping Sauce Needed

You can serve these wings ‘dry’, without any dipping sauces. They’re delicious just straight up seasoned and nothing else. You can also serve them with a bit of blue cheese or ranch dressing for a little dipping action if you’d like. You can also have a little wing sauce on the side for dunking.

I like to put my sauces in these little cups. They’re the perfect size for my wings. I use them for ranch, blue cheese, Buffalo sauce… whatever.

EHOMEA2Z Ramekins Stainless Steel Condiment Sauce…
  • Commercial Grade Stainless Steel: These sauce…
  • Multifunctional Portion Cups: This set of sauce…

Also try my air fryer version of Hooters hot wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

Great flavor and great crunchy skin!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rotisserie chicken, wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 7kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and place into a medium bowl.
  • Combine the baking powder and 1 teaspoon of the seasoning. Sprinkle over the wing parts and toss well to coat.
  • Transfer wings to a plate and cover with paper towel. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours to help dry the skin.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 360 F. Lightly spray the basket with non-stick spray.
  • Add the wings. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Increase the air fryer temperature to 400 F. Flip the wings and cook another 4-6 minutes or until the wings are done and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove the wings to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining seasoning and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 5mg | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Wings

Well, here I go again. Another wing variation that I just cannot get enough of. Give me an excuse to use a lot of Parmesan and I’m going to go all-in. And that’s what I did with these crispy air fryer Parmesan wings. Perfectly crunchy bite-thru skin. Like crazy perfect. Great by itself, but add an easy garlic-flavored Parmesan topping and I’m going full bulldog on it. I loved these wings. They are perfect!

Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Wings

Oh So Cheesy!

The original recipe for these crispy air fryer Parmesan wings called for adding chives. I love chives. Chives would’ve been great on these wings. But sadly, no chives were to be found near me. So I went with just a little parsley, mostly for color. I was ok without the chives since I was in town for the Parmesan!

THAT Cheese

Ok, we’ve all done it. Or maybe I shouldn’t assume that. But I’ve done it. I’ll admit it. You wouldn’t know that I’ve done it if you saw me walking down the street, but I’ve used the cheese in a can instead of grabbing fresh Parmesan and grating or shredding it. Fresh is best. Always. But can you use the canned stuff on these wings? Sure.

Nice and Crispy

You can use the approach in this recipe for making crispy skin on any air fryer wing recipe. Whether you are using a store-bought seasoning or just salt and pepper, add a bit of baking soda before cooking the wings. Don’t go crazy with it. We aren’t heavily dusting the wings with baking soda here. Just a very light coating will do.

My Trusty Wingman

My air fryer isn’t fancy. It doesn’t have any bells and whistles. Well, ok, it does have a bell when the timer goes off but that’s it. I don’t even use the timer actually. I use a timer on my phone that has two countdowns: one for 12 minutes and one for 6 minutes. That’s all I ever need to get perfect wings each and every time!

Dash Deluxe Air Fryer – Adjustable Temperature…
  • Consistent Cooking Every Time: The Dash Deluxe Air…
  • Simple Operation, Tasty Results: This compact…

Also try my crispy baked honey BBQ wings.

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Wings

Super easy garlic-flavored Parmesan topping!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Parmesan, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 305kcal

Ingredients

For the Wings

For the Garlic Parmesan Mix

Instructions

For the Garlic Parmesan mix

  • Combine all ingredients.

For the wings

  • Lightly spray your air fryer basket with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer's recommendation to 400 F.
  • Place wings in a large resealable baggie or container.
  • Combine the baking powder, salt and pepper and add to the bag.
  • Seal and shake to coat.
  • Add to the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and cook another 10 minutes.
  • Remove wings from the air fryer and place in a large bowl.
  • Drizzle with the melted butter and toss gently to coat.
  • Sprinkle with about 2/3rds of the garlic parmesan mix. Toss gently to coat.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining garlic parmesan mix, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Notes

I personally feel like more garlic parmesan mix is better so I almost doubled it. 

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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Air Fryer Wings

Well, I admit it. I had no idea how good wings made in an air fryer could be. I figured, meh, air fryer wings… But, like my convection oven wings, they came out moist, tender, and with great crunchy skin! These wings make for the perfect quick lunch, which is why they’ve quickly become a standard dish around our house. I didn’t need any help with my wing addiction, these just made it worse!

Air Fryer Wings

Skip the sugary seasonings

I recommend that you use a rub or seasoning that doesn’t contain sugar when you make air fryer wings. Now, you can certainly add a sweet rub after the wings are cooked, but that seasoning will tend to burn (or at least char) if you have it on the wings while they cook. Just good old salt is fine. The salt won’t overpower the wings and will let you add any sauce or seasoning later without having to worry about the tastes conflicting with each other.

Air Fryer wings rock!

I actually had no plans to get an air fryer. Our neighbor gave me her spare after receiving a new one for Christmas. It took one batch of wings to convince me that I was missing out. I eventually wore it out so I bought the exact same model to replace it. It easily makes enough wings for two people.

Also try my duck fat air fryer wings! If you prefer your wings baked, my garlic Parmesan wings made in the oven are also fantastic.

My Trusty Wingman

My air fryer isn’t fancy. It doesn’t have any bells and whistles. Well, ok, it does have a bell when the timer goes off but that’s it. I don’t even use the timer actually. I use a timer on my phone that has two countdowns: one for 12 minutes and one for 6 minutes. That’s all I ever need to get perfect wings each and every time!

Dash Deluxe Air Fryer – Adjustable Temperature…
  • Consistent Cooking Every Time: The Dash Deluxe Air…
  • Simple Operation, Tasty Results: This compact…

Perdue makes a line of already-breaded ready-for-the-air-fryer wings that are devour-worthy! Give their hot ‘n spicy, lemon pepper and roasted wings a try!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Air Fryer Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Wings

I recommend that you use a rub or seasoning that doesn't contain sugar when you make air fryer wings.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy, wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 13kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer’s recommendation.
  • Toss the wing flats and drumettes with the seasoning.
  • Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
  • Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes.
  • Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again at 360 F.
  • Flip the wings one last time. Cook another 6 minutes at 400 F.
  • Remove and toss with your favorite wing sauce. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

Notes

The cook times are for good, meaty wings. If your wings are a bit ‘scrawny’ you may want to try to short cook times.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 9mg | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

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