These are the best air fryer chicken wings and they couldn't be easier! And with this 2-ingredient Buffalo wing sauce you can make easy keto chicken wings that are paleo, low carb diet, and Whole30-friendly too.
Easy air fryer chicken wings
Love a classic Buffalo wing but dread using a deep fryer? These air fryer Buffalo wings are so quick and easy you'll be making them for everything from an easy keto appetizer to a quick weeknight dinner to a game day party.
Many air fryer wing recipes call for brining the chicken, or marinating, or cooking at multiple temperatures. What makes this air fryer chicken wings recipe so easy?
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I skip everything and just put the chicken wings in the air fryer and "fry" them until the skin is crispy. That's it! There's no need for multiple steps or all that oil you need to deep fry.
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 keto Buffalo sauce to save even more time.)
The only changes I make from the traditional Buffalo chicken wings recipe are 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.
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 a paper towel and place them in the fryer as is (no oil or salt and pepper).
Pro tip: 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 your chicken wings in batches to make sure they get a nice crispy skin.
How long to cook chicken wings
In my air fryer, it takes a total cook time of about 30 minutes to get the wings good and crispy. I cook them for 15 to 20 minutes, flip the wings over and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until they are browned.
Pro tip: Don't have an air fryer or need to cook a big batch? Make crispy oven-fried wings by cooking them on a baking sheet with an oven-safe rack so the air can circulate all the way around them. Bake until browned and crispy, about 45 to 55 minutes.
Because you are not deep frying them, your crispy wings can go right into a bowl to toss with the Buffalo sauce.
How to make Buffalo Wings 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 (Frank's red hot sauce is my personal favorite). This recipe is keto diet friendly with just 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
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.
More ways to serve them
What to serve with keto Buffalo wings? Celery sticks and creamy dressing are the classic and best way to serve them.
And if you're looking for a change from classic Buffalo hot wings here are a few different sauce ideas to try:
- Garlic – try a simple garlic powder and butter sauce, or add parmesan cheese for buttery garlic parmesan wings.
- Caribbean Jerk – add your favorite jerk spice mix to the melted ghee before tossing
- Everything bagel – toss with melted butter, ghee or olive oil and bagel seasoning
- Extra hot – while the sauce is pretty hot already, you can increase the heat by adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Don't have an air fryer yet? Here's how to choose the best air fryer for you.
More air fryer recipes to try
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts With Balsamic
- Easy Air Fryer Asparagus (Keto, Paleo, Low Carb)
- Roasted Asparagus Avocado Soup (Paleo, Keto, Whole30)
- 20 Paleo Air Fryer Recipes
- 21 Delicious Air Fryer Keto Recipes
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 bit of 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 in a small bowl. Drizzle some of the sauce over wings and toss. Serve immediately with remaining sauce, celery sticks and ranch dip on the side.
Anna
These were the best wings we've ever had! We always use our favorite New Primal Buffalo Sauce for wings and this air fryer made them come out amazing without the guilt! Thank you!
Lisa
Yay! I'm so glad you love them, Anna 🙂
Edyth Decuir
I didn't realise which one you're talking about. It's beautiful