These Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are deliciously crispy and juicy on the inside. They are coated in a spicy dry rub and then cooked in an air fryer for a healthier alternative to traditional fried wings. Serve these wings with your favorite dipping sauce for the perfect game day snack!
Why you will love this recipe
- Super easy recipe, you can’t mess these up
- Only 4 spices are used
- Ready in 20 minutes in the air fryer
- They can easily be reheated in the air fryer the next day
Recipe Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make these spicy air fryer chicken wings:
- Seasoning: salt, paprika powder, cumin powder and cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
- Chicken wings or mini chicken drumsticks (they are part of the chicken wings)
How to make spicy air fryer chicken wings: step by step
This recipe is super easy! You mix all the dry seasoning in a bowl and add the olive oil to it. Mix with a spoon until it forms a paste.
Rub all your chicken wings with the paste; they don’t need a thick layer; your wings need to look coloured because of the marinade.
Place your chicken wings next to each other in the air fryer basket, don’t stack them on top of each other! Fry for 10 minutes, and then flip the chicken wings around. Fry for another 10 minutes, and your chicken wings are done.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Don’t stack your chicken wings on top of each other in the air fryer basket but lay them in a single layer
- Flip the chicken wings over when you are halfway through, otherwise one side might end up being much more cooked than the other side
- By adding the olive oil we create a wet rub instead of a dry rub. In my experience, this leads to extra crispy wings
Storage, Reheating and Freezing
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days
- Reheating: Reheat them for 5 to 7 minutes at an air fryer temperature of 360°F (180°C)
- Freezing: You can freeze these for up to 4 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them
Additions & Substitutions
Cayenne pepper: you can adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to more or less if you want to adjust the spiciness of this reciper
Garlic paste: Add garlic paste to the marinade if you like garlic. You could also add garlic powder if you don’t have garlic paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
10 minutes on each side is enough. If you’re not sure they are done, you can always check with a meat thermometer that the core temperature of the chicken meat is at least 165°F (75°C). You can be sure that any potential salmonella bacteria is dead at this temperature.
360°F (180°C) is enough.
By default, chicken wings will already have crispiness when they are air fried. Unlike in the oven, you don’t need to use baking powder to make them crispy.
I would recommend not doing this. It will prevent your chicken wings from becoming crispy.
It depends from recipe to recipe. This recipe doesn’t use any sugar or flour, so I personally consider this a healthy recipe. As with everything, moderation is key.
Yes! This is how you use an air fryer, you don’t need to pre-cook the chicken wings, they can go directly in the air fryer.
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Ingredients
1 kg 2 1/5 lb chicken wings
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon paprika powder
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper. powder
2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
- Mix the salt, paprika powder, cumin powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl
- Add the olive oil to the seasoning mix, and mix with a spoon until it forms a paste
- Rub your chicken wings with the seasoning paste
- Place your chicken wings next to each other in the air fryer basket
- Fry the chicken wings for 10 minutes at 360°F (180°C)
- Flip over the chicken wings, so that the side which was at the bottom is now facing to the top
- Fry the chicken wings for another 10 minutes at 360°F (180°C)
Notes
- Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less cayenne pepper
- For some extra taste, add a teaspoon of garlic paste to the seasoning mix