Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Chicken wings coated in seasoned baking powder and air-fried until the skin shatters like a deep-fried wing, without a deep fryer. Baking powder raises the skin's pH, which speeds up browning and dries the surface into a crisp shell at 200°C. Pat the wings bone-dry, toss them in the seasoned powder, and give them 25 minutes with one flip. Finish with buffalo, honey-garlic, or BBQ sauce right before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 kgchicken wings
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- 1 tsponion powder
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 0.25 tspcayenne pepper
- 30 gbutter, for buffalo sauce (optional)
- 60 mlhot sauce, for buffalo sauce (optional)
- 3 tbsphoney, for honey-garlic sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsptamari, for honey-garlic sauce (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced, for honey-garlic sauce (optional)
- 80 mlBBQ sauce, for BBQ sauce (optional)
Method
- Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels — this is the most critical step. Any surface moisture will steam instead of crisp. Press firmly on each wing, front and back. If you have time, let them sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour after drying.
- In a large bowl, combine the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Mix the dry seasonings together thoroughly so the baking powder distributes evenly.
- Add the dry wings to the bowl and toss until every piece is evenly coated. You should see a thin, even film of seasoning on every surface — no bare patches, no thick clumps.
- Arrange wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Leave space between each wing — air needs to circulate around all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Crowding is the number one reason air fryer wings fail.
- Air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes. Open the basket, flip every wing using tongs, then cook for another 13 minutes until the skin is deep golden and audibly crispy when you tap it. The wings are done when a thermometer inserted near the bone reads 74°C (165°F).
- For buffalo sauce: melt 30g butter and mix with 60ml hot sauce. For honey garlic: warm 3 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp tamari and 2 minced garlic cloves. For BBQ: use 80ml of your favorite BBQ sauce. Toss the hot wings in your chosen sauce and serve immediately — every minute they sit, the crust softens.
FAQ
Almost always one of three problems: the wings weren't dried thoroughly before seasoning (surface moisture creates steam, which prevents crisping), the basket was overcrowded (air needs to circulate freely around each wing — if they're touching, the sides touching won't crisp), or the temperature was too low. Pat each wing dry with firm pressure, leave gaps between pieces in the basket, and cook at 200°C (400°F). Also make sure you're using baking powder in the coating — it's the key to crispy skin without deep frying, the same trick behind crispy cauliflower buffalo wings.
No, you cannot substitute them. Baking powder is mildly alkaline and contains cornstarch — it raises the skin's pH just enough to accelerate browning and crisping without affecting flavor. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and far more alkaline. Even one teaspoon of baking soda on wings will leave a strong metallic, bitter, almost soapy aftertaste that no amount of sauce can cover. Always use baking powder — specifically aluminum-free baking powder if you can find it, as it has the cleanest flavor.
At 200°C (400°F), chicken wings take 25 minutes total: 12 minutes on the first side, then flip every piece and cook 13 more minutes. Yes, flipping is important — the side touching the basket gets more direct heat and will cook faster. Use tongs to flip each wing individually. Wings are done when the skin is deep golden brown and feels firm and crackly when tapped with the tongs. Internal temperature should read 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part near the bone.
You can skip the baking powder and still get decent wings, but the skin won't be as crispy. Without baking powder, the skin relies entirely on dry heat to dehydrate and crisp, which takes longer and gives a thinner, less shattering crust. With baking powder, the alkaline coating breaks down proteins on the surface faster, creating a more pronounced crunch that holds up even after saucing. If you skip it, add 5 extra minutes of cooking time and make sure the wings are extremely dry before seasoning.
Buffalo (hot sauce mixed with melted butter) is the classic — tangy, spicy, and thin enough that it coats without sogging the crust quickly. Honey garlic (honey, tamari, fresh garlic) gives a sweet-savory glaze but is thicker, so the crust softens faster. BBQ sauce is the thickest and will soften the crust the most. The key to keeping wings crispy after saucing: toss them at the very last second before serving, and serve immediately. Never sauce wings and let them sit — the moisture in any sauce will penetrate the crust within 3–4 minutes. Some people serve sauce on the side for dipping to keep the crunch intact.
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Comments (1)
I use bone-in pieces for extra crispy air fryer chicken wings whenever possible. The bones release gelatin during cooking, creating a richer, more full-bodied sauce. Boneless is faster but the depth of flavor isn't comparable.