These perfectly seasoned Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings go from frozen to fully cooked in just 30 minutes and they are addictive! This is an easy way of putting dinner on the table without any fuss.
Make these super easy and delicious air fryer frozen chicken wings tonight! No worries if you forgot to defrost them or if you decided to cook the wings at a moment’s notice. To make these air fryer frozen chicken wings, there is no need to go shopping, no need for preparations; this is my preferred method for cooking wings.
No need for messy deep-frying! Juicy chicken wings with crispy skin and tender meat, these hot wings are a personal favorite, a success every single time!
Ingredients: 3 + spices
Working time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
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They are a perfect appetizer, great for weeknight dinners or guests. Make them for a football game or the Super Bowl, and you will need nothing else. Just some napkins… And if you love crispy wings, check out these fantastic Honey Lemon Pepper Wings or the Baked Cajun Chicken Wings. To cook wings faster, learn How to Parboil Chicken Wings.
They go well with many side dishes. Serve them as a main dish with potatoes, fries, rice, Mac and Cheese without Flour, or crispy bread. Then, add a nice big salad, like a green salad or coleslaw, or serve them with roasted vegetables.
Recipe ingredients
Frozen chicken wings: 1 lb wings, divided into drumettes and wingettes.
Spices: salt, black pepper, and paprika powder, either sweet, smoked, or hot. Or a combination. Other spices are excellent; you can add garlic powder, dried herbs, cayenne pepper, and so on. You can also use a spice mixture or a dry rub of your choice.
Sauce: 3 tablespoons of hot sauce and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. You can use your favorite sauce (for example, bbq sauce, sweet and sour, teriyaki sauce, or buffalo sauce), but if it’s a sweet one, reduce the sugar amount or leave it out altogether.
How to air fry frozen chicken wings?
- Step #1: Place wings into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for another 10 minutes, shaking once in between.
- Step #2: Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika and toss well. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Step #3: That's how they look before adding the sauce.
- Step #4: Pour the sauce over the wings, toss well, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the wings are fully cooked and the sauce is glossy and slightly sticky
Check the internal temperature of the meat; it should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a meat thermometer, tear the meat off one wing; the inside should be completely white, not pink.
Use this kitchen gadget to make more wings: Air-Fried Garlic Parmesan Wings and Air-Fried Lemon Pepper Wings.
Tips
Arrange the raw wings in the basket in a single layer. Although they might touch or slightly overlap each other initially, once they are defrosted, they will lose some volume and won’t overlap anymore. Don’t stack them on top of each other.
Add the seasoning after the first 15 minutes of the cooking time. The spices will not stick to the frozen pieces.
Recipe FAQs
Place them in the preheated machine and cook them for about 5 minutes. Try to take them apart now; if they’re not there yet, give them a couple more minutes and try again. Once you can take them apart, arrange them in the basket in a single layer.
Yes, the cooking time will be slightly shorter, about 15-18 minutes. They will be cooked through from the beginning, but ensure they are properly heated through before serving. As they are already seasoned or coated with sauce, you can skip those steps when air-frying them.
It can happen depending on the machine you are using. Check the bottom of the basket after 10 minutes; if there is any liquid in it, discard it.
How to store and reheat the wings?
- Fridge: Keep the leftover chicken wings in an airtight container. They will keep well for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: Once fully cooked, you can freeze the wings again. Let them cool completely, place them in airtight containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Then, defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
- Reheat them in the air fryer: Reheat for 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Reheat them in the oven: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and reheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
More air fryer recipes
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen chicken wings Note 1
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika sweet, hot, or smoked (Note 2)
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce Note 3
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) according to its instructions. Some don’t need it, but most of them do. Mine needs to be preheated for 3 minutes.
- Cook: Place the wings into the basket in a single layer (Note 4). Cook for 15 minutes.1 lb frozen chicken wings/ 450 g
- Season: Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika and toss well.1 teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher + ¼ teaspoon black pepper + ½ teaspoon paprika
- Cook for another 10 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Sauce: In the meantime, mix the hot sauce and the brown sugar.3 tablespoons hot sauce + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Toss: Pour over the wings, toss well. Air fry for 3 to 5 minutes until the wings are fully cooked, and the sauce is glossy and slightly sticky.
- Check: Tear the meat off one wing; the inside should be completely white, not pink. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
Notes
- If the wings are frozen in a clump, place them in the preheated air fryer and cook them for about 5 minutes. Try to take them apart now; if they’re not there yet, give them a couple more minutes and try again. Once you can take them apart, arrange them in the basket in a single layer.
- Seasoning: You can use other spices, a spice mixture, or a dry rub of your choice.
- Sauce: You can use any other sauce you like. If it’s a sweet one, reduce the sugar amount or leave the sugar out.
- They might touch or slightly overlap each other initially; once they are defrosted, they will lose some volume and won’t overlap anymore. Don’t stack them on top of each other.
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