Below will tell you how to cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer. Please read on to find more information.
When you don’t have much time to prepare food, these frozen chicken wings cooked in air fryers are the saviour of weekday dinner. Crispy outside and juicy inside, it can be served from the refrigerator in 30 minutes! Throw them into your favorite sauce and you can eat them.
Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in An Air Fryer?
YES YES YES. The secret is to perform a first cook with no salt, oil, or anything else. Defrosting the chicken wings takes the majority of the first few minutes. So just throw it in there, even if you have wings that have frozen into a block! You can separate them after about ten minutes.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Frozen chicken wings: This recipe can be made with any type of frozen chicken wings. Shown above are pre-cooked and seasonedchicken wings, but you can also use raw seasoned chicken wings, raw or pre-cooked breaded chicken wings and raw or pre-cooked wings without seasoning.
- Other cuts of chicken: These instructions work for other cuts of chicken as well, such as drumsticks.For larger cuts like drumsticks you will need to add 5 minutes to the cook times.
- Olive oilcan be swapped for a different type of vegetable oil or cooking spray. It does add some nice color but can also be skipped.
- Seasoningshould be added if you are cooking unseasoned wings, add it after the first round of cooking (see instructions below). I like using the seasoning for my Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks but any chicken seasoning you love will work.
How to Cook Pre-cooked & Seasoned Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer?
- Place chicken wings in a bowl or on a plate
- Pour over olive oil
- Rub the oil all over the chicken
- Place chicken wings in a pre-heated air fryer* basket
- Air fry for 10-15 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping them once halfway
- Check to make sure they are done – the internal temperature* should reach 165°F (74°C) – if not, add a few more minutes
How to Cook Raw Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer?
- Place chicken wings in preheated air fryer* basket
- Air fry 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C) to thaw
- Remove wings from the air fryer* and drain the liquid from the bottom. Season the wings and rub some oil on them.
- Place the wings back in the air fryer* basket and air fry 7-10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping them once halfway through.
- Check to make sure the internal temperature* has reached 165°F (74°C) – if not, add a few more minutes
Tips & Tricks
- Preheat your air fryer*to shorten the cook time and make cooking more even
- Cook wings from frozen– no need to thaw
- Cook chicken wings in one layer for an even cook. Cook the wings in batches if you plan to make more.
- Drain any excess liquidfrom the bottom of the basket
- Cook time will varywith the size of the wingsand the specific air fryer * you’re using
- If you want to add sauce, do it with 5 minutes left. Remove the wings from the air fryer* basket, mix with the sauce, and place back in the basket.
- Use a meat thermometer* to make sure the wings have reached an internal temperature * of 165°F (74°C) (both raw and pre-cooked wings)
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Reheat chicken wingsby air frying for 5 minutes at 300°F (150°C)
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in An Air Fryer?
A batch of chicken wings from frozen can be cooked for 30 minutes at 350 F/180 C. If your wings are bigger, adjust the time. For information on the safe internal temperature, see the notes.
What Sauce Can Be Used With Air Fryer Chicken Wings?
Any sauce of your choosing may be used. Some recommendation are as follow
Franks Hot Sauce (I have used the Buffalo Wings Sauce)
Smokey Hickory BBQ Sauce
Sriracha and Honey Mix
Peri-Peri Sauceby Moon And Spoon And Yum
Honey Mustard
Korean Gochujang
Honey Soy Sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Satay Sauce
Date and Tamarind Sauce
Lao Gan Ma Chilli Oil
What to Serve With Air Fryer Wings?
Serve it with a straightforward salad for a keto/low-carb meal. Serve alongside a salad and some air-fried potato bites to up the carb content. Also, try this Roast Beef Gravy by Glenda Embree to dip the wings in. Or boost your proteins with this delicious Veggie Fun Kitchen’s chickpea egg salad.