These air fryer chicken wings couldn’t be easier. And the Buffalo wing sauce is paleo, keto and Whole30-friendly!
Easy air fryer chicken wings
Many air fryer recipes call for brining the chicken wings, or marinating, or cooking on multiple temperatures. What makes this air fryer chicken wings recipe so easy?
I skip everything and just put the chicken wings in the air fryer and “fry” them until the skin is crispy. That’s it.
Like my crispy smoked chicken wings, you can eat them plain if you like. But having grown up near Buffalo, I’m partial to traditional Buffalo wing sauce when the wings are fried. And I keep it simple with a 2-ingredient wing sauce recipe (or a bottled paleo Buffalo sauce to save even more time.)
The only changes I make from the traditional Buffalo chicken wings recipe is to air fry them instead of deep-frying—and to serve them with ranch dip instead of blue cheese dressing for dipping. My paleo, keto and Whole30 ranch dressing is a great alternative to blue cheese if you’re avoiding dairy.
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How to make chicken wings in an air fryer
If your wings are whole, use a heavy knife to cut them through the joint and separate the wings into drumettes and wingettes. Also, trim the wings by cutting off the tips. Pat the wings dry with paper towels and place them in the fryer as is (no oil or salt and pepper).
ButcherBox is a great source for free-range, organic chicken wings. You can get chicken wings from ButcherBox here.
One of the keys to making crispy chicken wings in the air fryer is making sure you place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket—so they are not touching and the air can get all the way around them. If you want to add a second layer, use a double layer rack (like in the photo above) so the air can flow between the layers.
Depending on the size of your air fryer and the size of the crowd you’re feeding, you may need to cook you air fried chicken wings in batches.
How long to cook chicken wings in an air fryer
In my air fryer, it takes a total cook time of about 30 minutes to get the wings good and crispy. I cook them 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the wings over and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until they are browned.
Because you are not deep frying them, they can go right into a bowl to toss with the Buffalo sauce.
How to make Buffalo Wing sauce
The way I learned to make Buffalo wing sauce is super simple. And it takes just one substitution to make it paleo and Whole30-compliant. Traditional Buffalo sauce has just two ingredients—butter and hot sauce. I substitute ghee for the butter and use a hot sauce that has just peppers, vinegar, water, salt and garlic as the ingredients.
It’s just a matter of melting the ghee and stirring in the hot sauce before you toss in the wings. And if you want to make it even simpler, you can use a sugar-free bottled Buffalo sauce like this one that’s Whole30-approved.
What to serve with chicken wings? Celery sticks and ranch dressing are the classic accompaniment.
Don’t have an air fryer yet? Here’s how to choose the best air fryer for you.
More paleo keto recipes
Watch the videos below for more keto paleo recipe ideas!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Instructions
- Cut wings apart, if needed, using a heavy knife to cut at joints.
- Place wings in the air fryer basket leaving a little room in between so they can get crispy. Add a second layer using a rack inserted in the basket if desired.
- Cook at 390 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Turn wings over and cook 10 - 15 minutes longer until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Place wings in a large bowl to toss with sauce.
To make the sauce
- Melt the ghee and whisk with hot sauce. Drizzle some of the sauce over wings and toss. Serve immediately with remaining sauce, celery sticks and ranch dip on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
More air fryer recipes to try
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