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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

Published: Apr 16, 2022 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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Did you know that you can cook bone-in frozen chicken wings in the air fryer in just 25 minutes? You CAN and they turn out juicy and delicious and don’t require any thawing beforehand.

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

Have you seen this? Have you heard about this? Air frying frozen chicken wings. Bone-in! No thawing necessary, just straight-up taking frozen chicken wings from your freezer and air frying to juicy, snackable perfection.  

Whether you like your wings crispy or sauce-y, you can get the delicious results you crave with this air fryer preparation. You can choose your method of air frying, how to season your wings, and how to finish them off so they're saucy or crispy! It's all about options so you have wings made just the way you love them.

Serve up your wings as a party appetizer along with some Spicy Cream Cheese Pickle Dip and Al Pastor Little Smokies.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Air Fryer Wings Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
  • What to Serve with Air Fried Chicken Wings
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Air Fryer Snacks to Make
  • Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings Recipe

Why You Will Love This Air Fryer Wings Recipe

  • Flexible Recipe. This recipe is all about choices! You can choose to season them how you want! If you want a bold dry rub, you’ll want to be all over this homemade Adobo Seasoning. Or maybe something lower in salt, like this Low Sodium Taco Seasoning. If you want it sauce-y, this Honey Chipotle Sauce is a must-try.
  • Straight From the Freezer. There's no need for thawing so you can make air fryer wings even at the last minute or on a moment's notice!
  • Versatile Serving. Wings are a great party food to cook up for your next football-watching event or you can enjoy it as a fun weeknight meal along with your favorite side dishes. These wings are fantastic served with this homemade Chipotle Lime Sour Cream Sauce.

Ingredients

For this recipe, all that’s required are uncooked frozen chicken wings. Ready whatever seasoning or sauce you’d like to flavor your wings with at the end of their cook time in the air fryer. 

Frozen chicken wings in a bag.
  • Wings: Your favorite brand of frozen bone-in chicken wings! I'm using first and second wing sections that have already been split from being full wings.
  • Seasoning or sauce: You get to choose! Make them spicy with a bottle of buffalo sauce or milder with some BBQ sauce. You can also simply season them with your favorite spice blend. Personally, I love this semi-homemade Honey Chipotle Sauce.

How to Make Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

Here's how to use a baking sheet or basket-style air fryer to make your wings. You can also use an elevated rack which is pretty similar with one small change. The full instructions for this method are in the recipe card below.

Before starting, gather all your ingredients and spray a baking sheet, air fryer basket, or elevated rack lightly with cooking spray to prevent the wings from sticking while they cook. At this time, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees if it's necessary.

Frozen chicken wings on baking tray.
  1. Arrange wings on a baking sheet or in an air fryer basket so they aren't touching.
Frozen chicken wings cooked in air fryer.
  1. Add the frozen chicken wings to the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes. If there is liquid pooling on the tray, drain it off before resuming cooking. Flip them over and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The wings will need to cook for 25 minutes total. 

Using Elevated Rack: If you're using an elevated rack the flip is optional! If you decide not to flip, the top will be crispier than the bottom, but it won’t be soggy like if you were to not flip the wings when cooking on a tray or in a basket. 

#1 Caramelized Sauce-y Wings

  1. Remove the wings when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left and coat in the sauce you are using.
  1. Arrange the sauced wings back on the tray and resume cooking for 5 minutes.

#2 Crispy Wings

  1. Spray the wings with cooking spray when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left.
  2. Cook five minutes longer. If you want both sides crispy, flip them after 2 ½ minutes, spray the other side, and finish cooking.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings coated with Chipotle Honey Sauce in a bowl next to an empty pan.

#3 Season or Sauce After Fully Cooked

  1. Cook the full 25 minutes. When fully cooked, remove the wings and immediately toss in the seasoning or sauce of your choosing. 
Honey Chipotle Sauced Wings on a platter ready to eat.

What to Serve with Air Fried Chicken Wings

A dipping sauce, of course! Try pairing these sauces with your wings. 

  • Creamy Green Sauce (with Spring Onion)
  • Honey Chipotle Sauce
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Blue Cheese Dressing

If you want other appetizers to go with your air fried wings, try:

  • Mini Naan Pizzas make a great snack for serving with wings
  • No Mayo Spinach Dip and pita chips and fresh veggies
  • Cucumber Pico de Gallo and tortilla chips
  • Air Fryer Pickle Spears and a chipotle ranch sauce
  • Al Pastor Little Smokies with Pineapple make a meaty and sweet side

Expert Tips

  • No Touching. Make sure to leave space between the chicken wings as they cook. You want the air to circulate around the wings as much as possible to ensure even cooking. It’s also key to getting the crispiest skin possible.
  • Cook in Batches. Depending on your air fryer, you will likely need to air fry in batches. I can cook 3 pounds in 2 batches in my Ninja Foodi XL Air Fryer Oven.
  • Use a Thermometer: This is the best method for making sure your wings are fully cooked. A thermometer inserted into a chicken wing at 25 minutes of cook time should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or close to it). Make sure the thermometer is in the meat and not touching the bone(s).
  • Store: Store the leftover wings in a lidded container in the refrigerator. Best eaten within 2-3 days. I like to shred the meat off of leftover wings and use it as the protein in a garden salad, no reheating required.

Recipe FAQs

What temperature do I Air Fry Frozen Chicken Wings at? And how long do they take to cook?

Cook frozen air fryer chicken wings at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. It takes 25 minutes to air fry frozen chicken wings at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do I know when my wings are done?

Here is an obligatory blurb regarding food safety and cooking chicken. All it takes is getting sick once from undercooked chicken to never want it to happen again. 

Per USDA guidelines, cook your chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C). Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding touching the bone.

Wash your hands after touching raw meat - and yes, this includes frozen raw meat!

What should I do with leftover chicken wings?

In the event where I find myself with leftovers, I often shred the meat from the bone before refrigerating so I can later repurpose it. If you have a lot of leftovers, transform the leftovers into sour cream enchiladas or chicken salad lettuce wraps. Or if you just have a few leftovers, try making yourself a chicken quesadilla!

More Air Fryer Snacks to Make

If you like Air Fryer Chicken Wings, check these out!

  • crispy air fryer tacos
    Crispy Air Fryer Tacos
  • Air Fryer Pickle Spears
    Air Fryer Pickle Spears
  • A platter of air fryer nachos ready to eat.
    Air Fryer Chicken Nachos
  • air fryer tortilla pizza
    Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza

If you tried these frozen wings in the air fryer recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!

Air fryer frozen chicken wings in a sauce and served on a platter.

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings Recipe

Christina Koncker
Did you know that you can cook frozen chicken wings (bone-in) in your air fryer in just 25 minutes? You CAN and they turn out juicy and delicious and don’t require any thawing beforehand.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 272 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds frozen bone-in chicken wings
  • seasoning or sauce of your choosing

Instructions
 

  • Spray a baking sheet or air fryer basket lightly with cooking spray to prevent the wings from sticking while they cook. 
  • Arrange wings on a baking sheet or in an air fryer basket so they aren't touching.
  • If necessary (depending on the model of your air fryer) preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

Air Frying on a Baking Sheet or Air Fryer Basket

  • Add frozen chicken wings to the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes; flip then continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The wings will need to cook for 25 minutes total. 
  • Note: If there is liquid pooling on the tray, drain it off before resuming cooking.

Air Frying on an Baking Sheet or Air Fryer Basket

  • Add frozen chicken wings to the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes; flip then continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The wings will need to cook for 25 minutes total.
  • Optional: Flip at 15 minutes, then continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The wings will need to cook for 25 minutes total. If you decide not to flip, the top will be crispier than the bottom, but it won’t be soggy like if you were to not flip the wings when cooking on a tray or in a basket. 

Air Frying on an Elevated Rack

  • Add frozen chicken wings to the air fryer and cook for 25 minutes.

Finishing - Crispy Air Fried Wings

  • Spray the wings with cooking spray when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left. If you want both sides crispy, flip them after 2 ½ minutes of the remaining 5 minutes, spray again, and finish cooking.

Finishing - Caramelized Sauce-y Fried Wings

  • Remove the wings when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left, coat in sauce, then arrange back on tray or rack and finish cooking (flipping not required).
  • A thermometer inserted into a chicken wing at 25 minutes of cook time should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or close to it). Make sure the thermometer is in the meat and not touching the bone(s).

Notes

*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
Make sure to leave space between the chicken wings as they cook. You want the air to circulate around the wings as much as possible to ensure even cooking. It’s also key to getting the crispiest skin possible.
Depending on your air fryer, you will likely need to air fry in batches. I can cook 3 pounds in 2 batches in my Ninja Foodi XL Air Fryer Oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 89mgPotassium: 191mgVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me

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