Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings are tangy, spicy, and delicious. You don’t need a deep fryer to get crispy, flavorful wings—an air fryer delivers great results with far less oil. Below is a clear, natural guide to making Buffalo chicken wings in the air fryer.
Veggie sticks pair perfectly with Buffalo wings. Serve with blue cheese or ranch for dipping.
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Buffalo chicken wings are a classic appetizer and crowd-pleaser at game-day parties, bars, and casual gatherings. Traditionally fried, they can be made just as crispy in an air fryer using a light coating and the right technique.
How to Choose Chicken Wings
You can use whole wings or pre-cut pieces (drumettes and flats). Fresh or thawed wings both work; just make sure they are dry before coating so the exterior crisps up nicely.
How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Gather the ingredients. Pat the wings dry with paper towels and place them in a mixing bowl.
Toss the wings with the dry coating ingredients so they are evenly coated. Shake off any excess coating before arranging them in the air fryer basket.
Place the wings in the air fryer with room around each piece to allow hot air circulation. While they cook, prepare the Buffalo sauce.
Make the sauce in a small saucepan, stirring until the butter melts and the honey and hot sauce are combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
When the wings finish cooking, transfer them to a large bowl.
Pour the hot Buffalo sauce over the wings and toss until each piece is well coated.
Serve immediately with your favorite dips and fresh veggie sticks.
How Do the Wings Get Crispy?
The key to crispy air-fried wings is a light coating that includes baking powder (not baking soda). Baking powder helps raise the pH of the skin, breaking down proteins and promoting browning and crispness. You won’t taste it in the finished wings—just enjoy the extra crunch.
What to Dip Buffalo Chicken Wings In?
Buffalo wings are traditionally paired with creamy dipping sauces. Options to try:
- Blue cheese dressing
- Ranch dressing
- Tartar sauce
- Mayonnaise or a mayo-based dip
- Your own custom dip
If you make this air fryer Buffalo chicken wings recipe, please share your feedback and a rating in the comments—I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Small saucepan
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 10 Chicken wings
- 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- ½ cup Hot sauce (wing sauce such as Frank’s)
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and pat the wings dry.
- Add wings to a bowl. Sprinkle with flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Toss to coat evenly, then shake off excess.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
- Arrange wings in the air fryer basket without overcrowding. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Cook for 18–20 minutes at 400°F, turning the wings halfway through (around 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, combine honey, hot sauce, and butter in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium-high for 3–4 minutes, stirring until the butter melts and the sauce is glossy.
- Transfer cooked wings to a bowl, pour the Buffalo sauce over them, and toss to coat. Serve on a platter.
- Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery or carrot sticks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.
Additional Info
Resources to Make this Recipe and More
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