Air Fryer Chicken Wings sure are popular arent they? The days where you need a deep fryer to get crispy chicken wings are over, now there is a healthy alternative to this popular dish. With the use of the air fryer you can use heat convection of an air fryer to render the fat on the skin to make it crispy. However, because there is less oil as you would get in a conventional deep fryer, we need to add some flavor back in terms of chili oil. You can use any chili oil but I have a preference for Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil. Pair it with some lemon and the flavor will dance in your mouth.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Ingredients

1 lb Chicken Wing
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon Chili Powder
2 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 stick of room temperature butter
Lemon Wedges
Jalapeno (optional)
Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Direction

Chicken Wings

1) Salt the chicken then add the curry, garlic, chili powder, butter and corn starch. Mix well so that all the ingredients are incorporated.
2) Let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours so that the chicken will take on the flavor of the spice mix.
3) Get your air fryer and set it for 400 degree for 20 minutes. Toss halfway and increase cooking time as necessary. The heat of the air fryer will vary, so be sure to chicken to get the proper browning.
4) Cover the chicken in Chili Oil and squeeze lemon juice over it.

Jalapeno Pepper

1) Slice Jalapeno Pepper and dredge it in corn starch and oil.
2) Heat up a pan with oil and fry it.
3) Add salt and toss in the chicken wings to give the dish some extra kick.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings Technique Discussion

How Air Frying Works

The air fryer has been marketed as a machine that lets you deep fry food without oil. That is not necessarily true. How it works is similar to what a rotisserie oven does. Instead of turning the meat around to get even heat on the meat, the hot air from the heating element is circulated via a fan. Because this is not 100% efficient, instruction are often included to toss the food halfway into cooking. I suspect a air fryer that has heating element and fans on all side will probably eliminate the need for tossing the food.
For foods with high fat content like chicken wings, it gives a perception that food is indeed deep fried. Fat on the chicken wings will render and turn crispy. Getting the same effect of french fry is a little more lack luster because it does not have that high of a fat content. You will need to add in your own fat to get similar effect of a deep fryer.
If you have not purchased a air fryer yet, I recommend the Ninja Air Fryer.

Instruction Discussion

1) Salting the chicken early with the spices lets the chicken draw in the salt and other spices early that that food is properly seasoned. In essence, this is a dry brine or a rub. Adding the additional butter and corn starch will aid in the development of extra crunch and flavor. Since we are not deep frying the wings in oil, we need to add it back for additional flavor and crispiness.
2) Letting it sit in a fridge lets the flavor meld and draw into the chicken.
3) The air fryer needs time to circulate the hot air around the chicken. You need to check the color manually of the chicken because every air fryer is different. Temperature can vary from model to model.
4) The Chili oil and lemon will get the chicken a additional boost in flavor. You need salt fat and acid to develop good flavor for any food. If something is off in your dish, often time it is one of those three things. By adding the Chili Oil and Lemon, we are increasing the fat and acid content. You can also add a bit more salt here if you like.

Finally, the Jalapeno is optional, I just like it.

I hope you enjoy this Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe, for more recipe, visit our Recipe Page. Comment below if you like this dish.