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I love Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings. Not only are they easy to make, but they taste as if they are fresh! Grab your favorite seasonings, favorite dipping sauce, and your favorite brand of chicken wings to make this quick and easy recipe.
“Can’t beleive these are made from frozen, they taste as if they were fresh.” – Jon
Why I Love This Recipe
I love to make frozen chicken wings in the air fryer. When I am making fresh chicken wings, I usually end up making large batches. When I use frozen chicken wings, I can make as many as I want and save the rest for later.
Making chicken wings from frozen is a great way to get a meal on the table fast. You can have delicious wings in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
If you have fresh wings on hand, check out this recipe for Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings. They are the perfect game-day appetizer and my personal all-time favorite wing recipe.
Looking for more? Check out this article where we share our favorite top 50 air fryer chicken recipes.
Table of contents
Recipe Ingredients:
- Frozen chicken wings – your favorite brand, breaking pieces apart if they are stuck together.
- Sauce – choose your favorite wing sauce or homemade sauce to toss them in after cooking.
- Seasonings – my favorite seasonings are ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Baking powder – this is the secret to making extra crispy chicken wings.
Variations
- Buffalo-Style: Toss cooked wings in buffalo sauce and melted butter after air frying for that classic heat.
- Lemon Pepper: Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning immediately after cooking while wings are still hot.
- Garlic Parmesan: After air frying, toss in melted butter, garlic powder, and grated parmesan.
- BBQ Wings: Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking to caramelize the flavor.
- Asian-Inspired: Toss in a mix of soy sauce, honey, and a dash of sriracha for a sweet and spicy twist.
- Dry Rub Lovers: Before air frying, toss the frozen wings in a dry rub—like Cajun or taco seasoning—for a punch of flavor without any sauce.
How to Make Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
- Allow wings to thaw for about 15 minutes. Preheat the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes and then prepare the air fryer basket if needed. Place frozen wings in a single layer into the basket of the air fryer.
- Air fry frozen chicken wings at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes. Break the wings apart using a spatula if needed.
- Add seasonings to the wings and then air fry for an additional 16 minutes cook time, flipping the wings every 4 minutes until they’re fully cooked and the skin is crispy and golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 F or 74 degrees C before removing from the air fryer.
- Add wings to a medium-sized bowl and toss in your favorite wing sauce if using, then serve immediately.
Dip into your favorite buffalo wing sauce or dipping sauce of choice and serve with fresh celery or carrot sticks. Garnish with parsley if desired.
NOTE: I use a 5.8qt Cosori Air Fryer with this recipe. I find this recipe works perfectly with this brand of air fryer. If you’re using a different manufacturer you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly to ensure you get perfectly crispy wings. All air fryer models are different and cook differently.
Expert Tips
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheating for 3–5 minutes at 400°F (200°C) helps get that crispy texture right from the start.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: Give the wings space to allow hot air to circulate—this ensures even cooking and crispy skin.
- Flip Halfway Through: Flip the wings at the halfway mark to get an even crisp on all sides.
- Pat Off Excess Ice Crystals: If wings are frosty, pat them dry before cooking to avoid soggy skin.
- Cook in Batches if Needed: If you’re making a large amount, cook in multiple batches for best results.
- Optional: Spray Lightly with Oil: A light mist of oil can help enhance crispiness, especially if your wings look a bit dry during cooking.
Storage and Reheating
- Save leftover wings in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 -4 days.
- To reheat, add the wings back to the air fryer basket and cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Reheating wings always makes them taste fresh and new.
Serving Options
Serve chicken wings with some of these additions for a great meal.
- celery sticks
- carrot sticks
- air fryer french fries
- air fryer mac and cheese
Recipe FAQs
Yesss! In fact, it makes the cooking process simple! Frozen wings are typically already cut into pieces where the fresh wings are usually solid and have to be cut into pieces.
Before I get started, I allow the frozen wings to sit out of the freezer for about 15 minutes before cooking.
This air fryer recipe is one of my favorites because I can take the amount of frozen wings I want to cook and add them to the air fryer basket when ready.
I cook frozen wings in air fryer for about 24-26 minutes.
If you like crispy skin, make sure to add a little baking powder to the wings during the cooking process. I love to add flavor by using a little olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground black pepper, salt, and even Old Bay seasoning.
Adding baking powder to the wings before air frying will ensure you get crispy chicken wings.
I love to use all sorts of sauces and usually pick the sauce on how my taste buds are guiding me that day. I love buffalo sauce, Bbq sauce, blue cheese dressing, Ranch dressing, hot sauce, honey BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, Teriyaki sauce, and more.
These air fryer chicken wings always make the perfect appetizer.
I hope you enjoy how easy and delicious this recipe is! It’s one of our favorite ways to make wings when we don’t have fresh wings available.
Looking for more wings recipes? We have a few you might enjoy.
More Air Fryer Chicken Wings
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Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 12 chicken wings, frozen
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning, or your favorite blend of seasonings
Instructions
- Allow wings to thaw for about 15 minutes. Prepare the air fryer basket with olive oil or nonstick spray.
- Place frozen wings in a single layer into basket of the air fryer.
- Cook wings at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Use a spatula or spoon to break them apart if needed, but they should be apart.
- Add any seasonings to the wings and then air fry for an additional 16 minutes cook time, flipping the wings every 4 minutes until fully cooked and the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked before serving and add any additional time if needed.
- Top with fresh parsley or dip into your favorite buffalo wing sauce or sauce of choice and serve with fresh celery or carrot sticks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
