Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

Name: Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: Ingredients:; 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; ¼ cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted); 2 tablespoons honey; Ranch or blue cheese dressing (celery sticks, carrot sticks)

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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!

Pile of air fryer chicken wings on black plate

My air fryer has become one of my most used kitchen appliances! I make everything from frozen chicken tenders to turkey burgers in my air fryer, and I even use it to reheat leftovers. 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, meatballs sliders with whipped ricotta, 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!

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Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
Why You'll Love This Dish
Ingredients
Equipment
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 & Resources
Get Healthy With My Air Fryer Cookbook!
Want To Shop My Favorite Air Fryer Products?
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.

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.

Equipment

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.

How To Make Frozen Chicken Wings In The Air Fryer Step-By-Step

Steps for making air fryer frozen chicken wings

See recipe card at the end of the post 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).

Side by side photos of air fryer chicken wings and air fryer buffalo chicken wings — Naked wings and Honey Buffalo wings

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.

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. Read my full guide on how to reheat leftovers in an air fryer.

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

Can you put frozen wings in an air fryer?

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.

What are the best frozen wings for the air fryer?

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.

Are air fryer wings healthy?

Air fryer wings are healthier than deep-fried wings. Air frying gives the same crispy texture as deep-fried wings but with minimal oil.

How long to air fry chicken wings at 400°F?

Frozen chicken wings take about 10 minutes to defrost and then another 10-12 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 400°F.

Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?

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!