Forget to defrost chicken wings for dinner? Don’t worry about it, with frozen chicken wings in the air fryer, you can easily make your dinner without ever thawing the chicken! This recipe takes freezer to crispy to a new level with these Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer!
If you’re anything like me, there are days when you completely forget to defrost the meat for dinner, right? I try to set my Alexa to remind me, but let’s face it, sometimes I forget to do that too! That’s why I love this method for frozen chicken wings in the air fryer because it’s so quick, easy, and perfect on days when I forget to defrost the chicken. This method is simple and includes a dry rub on the chicken wings, too.
What you’ll love about Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings:
- No Thawing Required – This is by far the best part of the recipe!
- Ready in less than 30 Minutes – These are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!
- Crispy Skin with Minimal Oil!
- Easy Clean Up!
- Easy to Customize – spicy or sweet, you can add that!
- Naturally gluten-free too!
Ingredients needed for this Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe:
- Frozen Chicken Wings
- Olive Oil
- Paprika
- Lemon Pepper
- Ranch Seasoning Powder
- Salt
- Cornstarch
These are the only ingredients needed to make these easy chicken wings, the cornstarch is going to make them extra crispy!
How do you cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer?
These wings will be cooked in two stages, the first stage will be to defrost the wings. Once they are defrosted, they will be removed from the air fryer basket and coated with the olive oil and seasonings. Remember, they are going to be hot, so use a spoon to toss the wings.
Once they are coated, they will be placed back in the basket of the air fryer to cook at 400 degrees F for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 175 degrees F. This will need to be monitored with a meat thermometer.
Remember to empty the water from the bottom of the air fryer basket before placing them back into the air fryer basket. The liquid needs to be completely removed before starting the air fryer again for the second round of cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 3 minutes.
- Add frozen chicken wings to the air fryer basket.
- Air Fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Remove wings from the basket and place them in a large bowl with olive oil.
- Empty the water from the air fryer basket.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, lemon pepper, ranch seasoning powder, salt, and cornstarch.
- Add the dry seasonings to the chicken wings and use a spoon to coat them well and mix them in the oil and seasoning. Remember, the wings will be hot, so use a spoon to mix.
- Place the chicken wings into the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air Fry at 400 degrees F for 7 minutes, then carefully flip the wings.
- Air Fry for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the chicken wings have reached an internal temperature of at least 175-180 degrees F.
- Remove the wings and repeat for any additional batches.
- Serve.
Tips for how to Air Fry Frozen Wings:
- Cook in Batches – Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket; keep the frozen wings in a single layer.
- Pat Dry – After defrosting, pat the wings dry if needed to get any excess moisture off the wings.
- Flip halfway through Cooking – Be sure to flip the wings to get them evenly cooked on all sides.
- Use cooking oil spray – Use oil spray such as olive oil spray or grapeseed oil spray. If the wings look floury or dry add a coat of spray to moisten them.
- Keep them in the Oven – If you are batch cooking, keep the cooked wings warm in the oven at 225 degrees F in between batches.
Variations of Chicken Wings:
A variety of sauces and seasonings can be used when making chicken wings. Here are a few favorites!
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce or BBQ Sauce of Choice
- Buffalo Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Garlic Parmesan
- Sweet Chili Pepper Wings
- Honey Garlic Wings
- Honey BBQ
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Extra Hot Sauce for Spicy Wings
There are a variety of ways to serve wings, they can be served with classics like celery sticks and carrot sticks or with air fryer French fries.
How to store leftover chicken wings:
Leftover wings can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to heat, remove from the fridge and heat in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for 4-5 minutes.
Be sure to follow the recipe card below for the full instructions.
Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer are an easy save for dinner when it’s too late to thaw out the chicken. With virtually no prep time, this is a no-prep solution for crispy wings in the air fryer!
More Chicken Wing Recipes in the Air Fryer:
Frozen Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Frozen Chicken Wings
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Lemon Pepper
- 1 Tsp Ranch Seasoning Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
- Add frozen chicken wings to the air fryer basket.
- Air Fry at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove wings out of basket and place in a large bowl with olive oil.
- Empty the water out of the air fryer basket.
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, lemon pepper, ranch seasoning powder, salt, and cornstarch.
- Add the dry seasonings to the chicken wings and use a spoon to coat them well and mix them in the oil and seasoning. Remember, the wings will be hot, so use a spoon to mix.
- Place the chicken wings into the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air Fry at 400°F for 7 minutes, then carefully flip the wings.
- Air Fry for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the chicken wings have reached an internal temperature of at least 175-180°F.
- Remove the wings and repeat for any additional batches.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Kristy says
Such an easy way to make dinner even when I forgot to layout the meat!
Catherine Sokolowski says
It’s great to know that wings can go from completely frozen to delicious in minutes. Pinned!