Name: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken wings; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 cup BBQ sauce

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If you’re looking to make super tasty wings at home. Then, try these air fryer BBQ chicken wings; they are so easy that anyone can make them! All you need is some chicken wings, BBQ sauce, and a few simple seasonings from your kitchen.

Are you ready to cook some delicious wings? Let’s get started!

Ingredient Notes

Here’s everything you need to make these tasty wings:

🔹Chicken Wings: Get about 2 pounds of wings. You can buy them already cut into flats and drums (the two parts of the wing), or cut them yourself. Fresh wings work best, but frozen ones are okay too; just make sure they’re completely thawed!

🔹BBQ Sauce: You can use any BBQ sauce you like! Sweet, spicy, or smoky, they all work great.

🔹Olive Oil: You’ll need just a couple of tablespoons to help the seasoning stick and make the wings crispy. You can also use regular cooking oil if that’s what you have.

Easy Swaps:
🔹Want different flavors? Try buffalo sauce or honey garlic instead of BBQ.
🔹Like it spicy? Add some chili powder to your seasoning mix.
🔹No garlic powder? Onion powder works too.

How to Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings

🔹First, take your wings and pat them dry really well with paper towels. This is super important; dry wings get much crispier!

🔹Next, put your wings in a big bowl and add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Then, use your hands or a spoon to mix everything together until all the wings are coated.

🔹Put the wings in your air fryer basket and make sure to leave some space between them; don’t squish them together! This helps them get crispy all over.

🔹After they’re brown and crispy (about 20-25 minutes), take them out and brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce. Make sure to get sauce on all sides!

🔹Pop them back in the air fryer for just 2-3 more minutes. This makes the sauce stick better and get a bit sticky. Now they’re ready to eat!

Recipe Tips!
🔹Pat those wings super dry; this is the secret to crispy skin!
🔹Don’t pile too many wings in your air fryer. If you need to, cook them in batches.
🔹Check the wings at 20 minutes, if they aren’t crispy enough, give them a few more minutes.
🔹Like them extra saucy? Add more BBQ sauce after cooking.
🔹Want them spicier? Mix some hot sauce with your BBQ sauce.

Temperature Guide

Always make sure your wings are fully cooked; they should be 165°F inside. If you have a meat thermometer, use it to check!

🔹Fresh wings need 20-25 minutes at 380°F.

🔹Frozen wings need 30-35 minutes at 380°F.

🔹BBQ sauce needs 2-3 minutes at 400°F to get sticky.

Serving Suggestions

You can make your wing meal even better with these tasty sides!

Dips & Sauces:
🔹Extra BBQ sauce for dipping
🔹Ranch dressing
🔹Blue cheese dip
🔹Honey mustard

Fresh Veggies:
🔹Crunchy celery sticks
🔹Baby carrots
🔹Cucumber slices
🔹Fresh bell peppers

Easy Side Dishes:
🔹French fries (air fry them after your wings!)
🔹Potato wedges
🔹Cold coleslaw
🔹Mac and cheese

Recipe Variations

Here are some super easy ways to change up your air fryer BBQ chicken wings:

Make Them Spicy:
🔹Mix hot sauce with your BBQ sauce.
🔹Add chili powder to your seasoning.
🔹Sprinkle on red pepper flakes.
🔹Use spicy BBQ sauce instead of regular.

Make Them Sweet:
🔹Use honey BBQ sauce.
🔹Add a splash of honey to your sauce.
🔹Mix in some brown sugar.
🔹Try teriyaki sauce instead of BBQ.

Try Different Flavors:
🔹Lemon pepper (just add lemon pepper seasoning!).
🔹Garlic parmesan (add these after cooking).
🔹Buffalo style (use buffalo sauce instead of BBQ).
🔹Sweet and sour (try this sauce instead).

Storage and Reheating

🔹You can store these air-fried BBQ wings just like any other cooked chicken. Put them in a sealed container and keep them in your fridge for up to 3-4 days.

🔹Want to reheat them? Pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes. This helps get the skin crispy again!

FAQs

Q1: Do I need to flip the wings while cooking?

Yes! Flip them halfway through cooking (after about 10-12 minutes). You can use tongs to quickly turn them over.

Q2: Can I make them ahead of time?

Sure! You can cook them a few hours ahead and keep them warm in your oven at 200°F. Or cook them completely, let them cool, and when you’re ready to serve, reheat in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 350°F. They’ll crisp right back up!

Q3: Why add the sauce at the end?

Adding the BBQ sauce at the end and cooking for just a few more minutes helps it stick to the wings and get slightly sticky without burning. If you add it too early, the sauce might burn and taste bitter.

Q4: My wings came out too salty – what went wrong?

Some BBQ sauces are already pretty salty. Next time:
🔹Use less salt in your seasoning.
🔹Taste your BBQ sauce first.
🔹You can always add more salt at the end.

Q5: Can I use chicken drumsticks instead of wings?

Yes! You can use drumsticks, but they’ll need more cooking time because they’re bigger. Cook them at 380°F for about 20-25 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes until they reach 165°F inside.