These Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings are the tastiest and easiest chicken wings ever! Make them in less than 25 minutes, and there's no need to even defrost the wings first. It's the perfect appetizer to feed a crowd. You'll never make chicken wings any other way again!
My air fryer has become one of my most used kitchen appliances! I make everything from frozen chicken tenders to salmon teriyaki in my air fryer. I even wrote an air fryer cookbook!
Now these delicious air fryer chicken wings have become my new favorite air fryer recipe! This recipe is perfect for game day and can feed a crowd. Serve these tasty wings alongside other game day favorites like my healthy Buffalo chicken dip, little Italy meatballs sliders, and ultimate rotisserie chicken quesadillas and you're guaranteed to have some happy guests!
I almost always have frozen chicken wings in my freezer. But sometimes I forget to defrost them in the fridge overnight. Now, with the air fryer, you can cook wings directly from the freezer!
Once you try making frozen chicken wings in the air fryer, you'll never make them any other way again! You'll get crispy skin and juicy meat every time in the air fryer. It's so easy and there's no thawing required!
Serve these wings naked or toss them with my simple honey buffalo sauce- you can't go wrong either way!
So the next time you're craving chicken wings, instead of ordering take out, try this easy air fryer chicken wing recipe instead!
Jump to:
- Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
- Why You'll Love This Dish
- Ingredients
- How To Make Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer Step-By-Step
- Chef's Tips
- Fully Cooked Frozen Wings in Air Fryer
- What To Serve With Chicken Wings
- How To Reheat Wings in the Air Fryer
- Recipe FAQs
- More Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Resources
- Get Healthy With My Air Fryer Cookbook!
- Recipe
- Reviews
Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
These air fryer frozen chicken wings come out nice and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside every time! And using the air fryer is a lot easier and healthier than using a deep fryer.
I usually keep a bag of frozen wings in the freezer. But sometimes I forget to defrost them overnight in the fridge. You can't bake frozen wings in the oven and it's generally not recommended to put frozen wings in a deep fryer. They need to be defrosted first.
However, with the air fryer, you can cook wings straight from the freezer. You'll still get crispy, delicious wings and there's no need to defrost them first!
An air fryer is basically a mini convection oven that sits on your countertop. An air fryer cooks your food using hot air rather than hot oil. I have this Ninja Air Fryer but there are many different brands and models on the market.
Air fryers have a heating element at the top and a mechanical fan that helps circulate the hot air around your food more efficiently. This makes your food nice and crispy on the outside while keeping it moist and juicy on the inside. Basically, air frying gives you the taste and texture of deep-fried food but with little to no oil.
If you're on the fence about whether to get an air fryer, read my post Why You Need An Air Fryer In Your Life.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- So easy- no need to even defrost the wings
- So tasty- these delicious wings are so good, you won't go back to store-bought wings
- Feeds a crowd- perfect for game day or anytime you're entertaining
- Healthier than deep frying- air frying is a healthy cooking technique that uses minimal oil
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list):
Wings: can be served naked or sauced
- Frozen chicken wings- you can use any brand of frozen wings like Kirkland brand from Costco or Tyson frozen chicken wings
- Dried spices- I use combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Oil- light olive oil, avocado oil. Not sure which oil to use? Check out my post on the best air fryer oils.
Honey Buffalo Sauce: if you want to toss the wings with the sauce, here's what you'll need:
- Buffalo sauce- if you are going to toss the wings with sauce, I like to use Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce but you can substitute other brands of buffalo sauce
- Butter- melted butter balances out the acidity of the hot sauce; use unsalted butter as the buffalo sauce has a lot of sodium
- Honey- adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce; can substitute agave or maple syrup
Not sure what types of oils to use in your air fryer? Read my post on The Best Oils and Oil Sprays for the Air Fryer.
How To Make Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Place the frozen wings in the basket of your air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 9-10 minutes until the chicken is defrosted. Remove the wings and place them in a bowl. Drain any liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Step 2- Add the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to the chicken wings and toss to coat them with the spices.
- Step 3- Place the wings back in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12, flipping them halfway through.
- Step 4- The wings are done when they are crispy, golden brown, and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as checked by a meat thermometer. The final cooking time will depend on your air fryer model and the size of the wings. You can serve the wings naked or you can toss them with my easy Honey Buffalo Sauce (see recipe card at the end of the post for details).
Chef's Tips
- Don't overcrowd the basket- cook the wings in a single layer so that they crisp up nicely. Work in batches if needed (I made them in two batches in my Ninja Max XL.
- Once the wings are defrosted, make sure you drain the water in the basket before putting them back in the air fryer. This will help the wings crisp up.
- Mix up the spices- I use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper on these wings but feel free to substitute your favorite seasonings like lemon pepper, chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- Use a meat thermometer- the best way to ensure your wings are cooked is to check the temperature with a meat thermometer and make sure the chicken has reached 165°F.
- You can serve the wings naked or toss them with your favorite sauce. I like to toss them with my homemade honey buffalo sauce but you can also toss the wings with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce or your favorite wing sauce.
Best Air Fryer
Looking for an air fryer? I love the Ninja Max XL 5.5 quart Air Fryer. The large basket is perfect for a family of four.
Fully Cooked Frozen Wings in Air Fryer
The above cooking instructions are for frozen raw wings. However, some brands of frozen wings come fully cooked.
Cook frozen cooked wings at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. The final cooking time will depend on the make and model of your air fryer.
What To Serve With Chicken Wings
You can serve these wings naked without tossing them in any sauce. They are delicious just with the dry rub.
If you prefer, you can toss the wings with sauce. They're like a blank canvas- choose your favorite sauce.
I love my Honey Buffalo Sauce, a simple 3-ingredient sauce which is spicy, tangy, and a little sweet (see recipe card below). You can also toss them with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic butter or your favorite wing sauce.
The classic way to serve chicken wings is with blue cheese dressing or Ranch dressing on the side for dipping into. I also like to serve these wings with celery sticks and carrot sticks.
Since you'll have the air fryer on, you can also serve them with my air fryer corn on the cob, diced potatoes, butternut squash or zucchini on the side.
Chicken wings are also great with mac and cheese or a salad on the side.
How To Reheat Wings in the Air Fryer
Leftover chicken wings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, simply toss them in the air fryer.
The air fryer is perfect for reheating leftovers like wings or pizza. Unlike the microwave, it crisps up food nicely.
To heat up leftover wings, pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 400°F until hot.
Have you ever wondered how long chicken can sit out before you need to toss it? Read my post all about how to properly handle and store chicken to help ensure that it's always safe to eat!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can put frozen wings in an air fryer and they come out great! Cook the wings for 10 minutes in the air fryer to defrost them. Then toss them with oil and seasonings and return them to the air fryer to finish cooking them.
You can use any brand of frozen wings in the air fryer. I have used Kirkland brand from Costco as well as Tyson frozen chicken wings.
Air fryer wings are healthier than deep-fried wings. Air frying gives the same crispy texture as deep-fried wings but with minimal oil.
Frozen chicken wings take about 10 minutes to defrost and then another 10-12 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 400°F.
Yes, you can put raw chicken in an air fryer. An air fryer is basically like a mini convection oven. Just make sure you cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F as checked by a meat thermometer.
Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Resources
- Why You Need an Air Fryer in Your Life
- Easy Oven To Air Fryer Conversion Guide
- Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?
- Best Oils and Oil Sprays for the Air Fryer
- How To Quickly Ripen Bananas in the Oven or Air Fryer
- How To Reheat Pizza in the Air Fryer
- How To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders or Nuggets in the Air Fryer
Get Healthy With My Air Fryer Cookbook!
The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook & Guide eBook (Only $9.99)
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Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
Chicken Wings:
- 2 pounds frozen chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil, avocado oil, or other oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Honey Buffalo Sauce (optional):
- ¼ cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
Optional for serving:
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing celery sticks, carrot sticks
Instructions
- Place the frozen wings in the basket of your air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 9-10 minutes until chicken is defrosted.
- Remove the chicken wings and place them in a bowl. Drain any liquid that accumulated in the air fryer basket.
- Add the oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to the chicken wings and toss until the wings are coated with the spices.
- Place the wings back in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until the wings are crispy and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Flip the wings halfway through cooking.
- You can serve the wings naked or you can toss them with honey buffalo sauce (or your favorite sauce). To make the honey buffalo sauce, mix the Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, melted butter, and honey together in a bowl.
- Serve the chicken wings with Ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery sticks and/or carrot sticks.
Notes
- Calories: 20kcal; Carbohydrates: 2g; Protein: 0.02g; Fat: 1g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 3mg; Sodium: 88mg; Fiber: 0.004g; Sugar: 2g;
- The final cook time for these wings will depend on the size of the chicken wings (some brands are bigger than others). It will also depend on the model air fryer that you're using. I tested this recipe using the Ninja Max XL 5.5 quart air fryer.
- Don't overcrowd the basket- cook the wings in a single layer so that they crisp up nicely.
- Once the wings are defrosted, make sure you drain the water in the basket before putting them back in the air fryer. This will help the wings crisp up.
- You can serve the wings naked or toss them with your favorite sauce. I like to toss them with my homemade honey buffalo sauce but you can also toss the wings with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce or your favorite wing sauce.
Nutrition
About the author
Dr. Sonali Ruder
Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician- ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.
Anthony Alan Smith says
Excellent recipe. I followed it to the letter, with the exception of the salt. Frozen wings became crispy after 10 min at 400. I then tossed them with the dry ingredients before drizzling on the oil. I returned them to the air fryer for 6 min and then tossed before returning them for another 6.
I can think of several other sauces I may try to toss them with, as the wings came out perfectly cooked.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the dish and they came out perfectly cooked! These wings work great with a lot of different sauces- have fun experimenting! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Jim VanCise says
You can fry frozen Wings in a Deep Fryer, I do it all of the time.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Jim! Yes, technically you can deep fry frozen chicken wings but it's generally not recommended because of safety issues. Putting frozen chicken into hot oil will cause the steam to expand and rise, making bubbles that can splatter hot oil all over you and your kitchen. Also, when deep frying frozen chicken, you run the risk of it getting cooked on the outside while remaining undercooked on the inside. The safest bet is to defrost the chicken first.
LM says
I know this is a 5 star recipe based on the ingredients. I'm going to start buying regular wings instead of the frozen processed wings we buy at Costco. But if anyone has been watching the news lately, Sriracha chilies are in short supply.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hank says
Love those wings
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Thank you! So happy you enjoy them! 😄