These air fryer chicken wings breaded with flour and glazed with sweet chili sauce are so delicious! They are crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside, the perfect addition to your party or dinner.
If you like chicken wings but don't like all the oil and extra calories that deep frying can add, then these air fryer breaded chicken wings are for you. They are breaded with flour, baking powder, and spices and cooked in an air fryer to give the perfect crispy crust with moist and tender meat. Then you can quickly whip up this fabulous sweet chili glaze to add that sticky, sweet taste with just the right kick.
By the way, if you like appetizers like this, take a look at my baby octopus appetizer. They are super delicious, healthy, and easy to make and eat. 😉
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Ingredients
The ingredients to make air fryer breaded chicken wings are simple and easy to find.
For the breaded wings
- Chicken wings
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- White pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
For the Sweet chili glaze
- Sweet chili sauce
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Vinegar
*See recipe card for quantities.
How to make chicken wings in the air fryer
Making chicken wings in an air fryer is extremely easy. Here are the steps with pictures to guide you. All the details will be on the recipe card, further down in this post.
Breading chicken wings with flour and baking powder
Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towel.
Add all dry ingredients from the breading list to a mixing bowl.
Place each wing into the mixing bowl, ensuring every area is coated with the flour mixture. Shake it well.
Transfer them to the air fryer and cook at 400ºF (205ºC) for about 22 minutes, or until cooked through, turning the wings over at 11 minutes.
Sweet Chili glaze
While the chicken wings are air frying, make the sauce. Put honey, light brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, and soy sauce into a pan.
Cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat after it starts bubbling.
Transfer the wings to the saucepan. Toss the chicken in the pan and coat them evenly with the glaze.
Put the chicken wings back into the Air fryer and fry for 2 more minutes.
Hint: Since these chicken wings were not brined or marinated, they need a glaze or sauce for flavor. If you don't want to make the sweet chili glaze, you can dip them in your favorite sauce. My homemade buttermilk ranch dressing would be perfect with these wings as well.
Variations
Here are some variations you can also try:
- Spicy - add some extra chili pepper flakes to the glaze.
- Asian touch - add some grated ginger and a splash of fish sauce.
- Kid-friendly - Skip the sweet chili glaze and make my Buttermilk ranch dressing to dip your wings. Everybody is going to love it, even the grown-ups.
Air frying tips
Air fryers have become a staple in many kitchens, offering a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods. However, like any kitchen appliance, there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind to ensure you get the most out of your air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer: Just like with an oven, preheating your air fryer is important to ensure that your food cooks evenly and gets crispy. Most air fryers take only a few minutes to preheat, so turn it on and heat it up before adding your food.
- Use cooking spray: Lightly spraying your food with cooking oil will help your food get crispy and evenly browned.
- Don't overcrowd the basket: It's important not to overcrowd the air fryer basket, as this can prevent your food from cooking evenly. Make sure to leave some space between your ingredients, and cook in batches if necessary.
- Shake or flip halfway through cooking: To ensure that your food cooks evenly, shake the basket or flip your ingredients halfway through the cooking time. This will help to ensure that all sides of your food get crispy and golden brown.
- Experiment with cooking times and temperatures: Every air fryer is different, so it's important to experiment with different cooking times and temperatures to find what works best for your appliance. Start with your recipe's recommended cooking times and temperatures, but adjust as needed based on your experience.
If you like cooking with your air fryer, this article from Insider talks about 10 of the best air fryer tips and tricks to follow. It's a great read.
Storage
Allow the chicken wings to cool down for at least 10-15 minutes before storing. Place them in an airtight container to prevent them from becoming stale. Store the chicken wings in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure to place them in the coldest part of the fridge.
Reheat before serving: When you're ready to eat the chicken wings, reheat them in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes until hot again.
Top tips for the best air fryer chicken wings
To help you achieve crispy and flavorful chicken wings, here are 7 tips to keep in mind:
- Pat the wings dry: Before seasoning the wings, pat them dry very well with a paper towel. Excess moisture can make the wings soggy and prevent them from crisping up.
- Shake it off: To ensure that no uncooked flour will remain on the cooked wings, shake off the excess flour before placing them in the air fryer.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer: Cook the wings in a single layer and leave some space between them. Overcrowding the air fryer can prevent the wings from cooking evenly and getting crispy, so separate them into batches whenever necessary.
- Flip the wings halfway through: To ensure even cooking, flip the wings halfway through the cooking process. This will help both sides of the wings get crispy and golden brown.
- Use a cooking spray, if necessary: If your wings are almost ready, but you still see some flour patches, spray a little bit of cooking oil to help them brown and crisp up evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer: To ensure that the chicken is cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the wing. The temperature should read 165°F (74°C).
- Let the wings rest: After air frying, let the wings rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. This will help keep the wings juicy. Serve the wings hot, and enjoy!
FAQ
Adding baking powder can help crisp up the chicken wings even more. Baking powder contains baking soda, cornstarch, and an acid, which react with each other when combined with moisture and heat.
When used on chicken wings, the baking powder helps to draw out moisture from the skin, which allows the skin to become crispy when cooked. Additionally, the carbon dioxide gas produced during the cooking process helps to create a slightly puffed and crisp texture on the outside of the wings.
A general guideline for cooking chicken wings in an air fryer is to preheat it to 400°F (205°C) and cook the wings for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. You may need to adjust the cooking time based on the size of your wings and the desired level of crispiness. It's always good to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and they're fully cooked and safe to eat.
Check USDA.gov for more food safety guidelines.
If you only have frozen chicken wings, I suggest you place them in the air fryer and cook them for about 10 minutes (depending on the size of the wings) to defrost, then proceed with the recipe. If you try to bread frozen chicken wings, the flour mixture won't stick.
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📖 Recipe / Receita
Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Wings (with flour and baking powder)
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
For the breading
- 10 chicken wings (about 2lbs / 900g)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Garnish
- spring onion optional
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towel.
- Add all the dry ingredients from the breading list to a mixing bowl.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF (205ºC) for 2 minutes.
- Place each chicken wing (individually) into the mixing bowl, ensuring every area is coated with the flour mixture. Dust off any excess flour into the mixing bowl and place each chicken wing into the air fryer tray, leaving space between them so the hot air can circulate. Air fry them in batches if needed.
- Cook the chicken wings for 22 minutes at 400º F, turning the chicken wings over at 11 minutes. While the chicken wings are air frying, make the sauce. If you're not planning on making the sauce, cook the wings for 24 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, turning them over at 12 minutes. The temperature should reach 165ºF (74ºC).
Sweet chili glaze
- Put sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, light brown sugar, and vinegar into a pan.
- Cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat after it bubbles.
- Take the cooked chicken wings out of the air fryer and transfer them to the saucepan. Toss the chicken in the pan and coat them evenly with the sauce.
- Put the chicken wings back into the air fryer and fry for 2 more minutes. If you don't want your air fryer to get dirty with the glaze, you can use perforated air fryer liner.
- Remove the wings from air fryer and place them on a serving dish. Top with optional garnishes, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate:
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
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