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Making your frozen chicken wings in the air fryer is the only method to use, no thawing required! Along with this easy-to-make honey buffalo sauce, you’ll never want them any other way!

Air fryers are great because they’ll make even frozen foods taste gourmet! You’ll have to try out my recipes for frozen taquitos, pizza rolls, and fish sticks!

Cooked chicken wings in the basket of an air fryer, tossed in honey buffalo sauce.

How to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer

I’ll be honest with you, whenever I look up air fryer recipes, it’s usually because I need to know how long to cook things like frozen fries. After all, what better way to use your air fryer than for quick and tasty snacks? They always turn out perfectly cooked in half the normal cooking time! These air fryer frozen chicken wings are no different. You’re going to love them!

Frozen wings are something I almost always have sitting in my freezer, and this is the best way to make them! Air frying your wings gives them the most delicious crispy skin without the mess of deep-frying. I’ve included a super simple recipe for the absolute best honey buffalo sauce as well! The sweet and savory zip of this glaze will have you licking your fingers by the end! It’s a quick and easy appetizer that will be loved by all.

All Ingredients Needed

To get your chicken wings tasting like your favorite takeout restaurant, all you need are a few simple spices! The honey buffalo sauce is super easy to make too. It comes together with just 3 pantry staples! Measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Chicken Wings: You can use both bone-in and boneless wings here.
  • Olive Oil: Used to coat the chicken and get each piece nice and crispy.
  • Spices: I toss my frozen wings in a simple mixture of garlic powder, paprika, and salt and black pepper to taste.

Honey Buffalo Sauce

  • Buffalo Sauce: Use your favorite brand or make it from scratch!
  • Honey: Adds thickness to the glaze and delicious, sweet flavor.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a savory, tangy flavor to the honey buffalo sauce.

Let’s Make Some Wings!

Making these air fryer chicken wings is so easy! It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish with no mess. All that’s left to do is for you to break out your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

  1. Defrost in Air Fryer: Place the frozen wings in your air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes to defrost. Transfer the wings to a bowl and drain any liquid in the basket.
  2. Toss With Seasonings: Add olive oil, garlic, paprika, and salt and pepper to the wings. Toss until coated and place back into the basket of the air fryer.
  3. Cook: Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees and wings are cooked throughout.
  4. Prepare Glaze: While wings are crisping, whisk buffalo sauce, honey, and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl. Brush glaze on top of wings and serve.
4-photo collage of wings being brushed with sauce and cooked in an air fryer.

Tips for Making Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

Air fryer frozen chicken wings are beyond easy to make. They have all the crispy goodness of fried wings without the calories or hassle! Here are a few ways to ensure your batch turns out perfectly!

  • Don’t Overcrowd Basket: Only cook a single layer of wings at a time. You need plenty of airflow in between your chicken wings in order for them to cook thoroughly.
  • Add More Spice: If you want your honey buffalo sauce to have more heat, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper until you reach your desired flavor.
  • Use a Meat Thermometer: Always make sure your wings have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming.
  • Serve With: Wings always taste great alongside fresh veggies like celery or carrot sticks. You can also serve these tasty wings with other air fryer appetizers like french fries or onion rings!
  • Dipping Sauces: Everything tastes better with a dip! Try these recipes for homemade ranch and blue cheese dressing for your next batch of wings!
Top-down view of chicken wings served with dipping sauce and fresh vegetables.

Storing Leftover Wings

My eyes are always bigger than my stomach whenever I make wings. Good news is, you can store extras in the fridge until a case of the munchies hits!

  • In the Refrigerator: Store leftover air fryer frozen chicken wings in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • To Reheat: To crisp up leftover wings, pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure internal temperatures reach 165 degrees F before serving.
Dipping a chicken wing in a creamy sauce.

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Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

4.67 from 3 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Making your frozen chicken wings in the air fryer is the only method to use, no thawing required! Along with this easy-to-make honey buffalo sauce, you'll never want them any other way!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Honey Buffalo Sauce:

Instructions 

  • Place the frozen wings in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes to defrost. Remove the wings and put in a bowl and drain any liquid in the basket.
  • Add olive oil, garlic, paprika, and salt and pepper to the wings. Toss until coated and place back into the basket of the air fryer.
  • Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees and wings are cooked throughout.

To make the Honey Buffalo Sauce:

  • In a small bowl whisk buffalo sauce, honey and Worcestershire sauce. Brush glaze on top of wings.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 11gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 525mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 153IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made different barbecue sauces and so I used this recipe to make chicken wings and it turned out perfect. The only thing I did different is cooked the chicken an extra five minutes in the beginning because my wings were packed tightly together rather than separated individually. Overall glad I now know I can cook chicken wings from frozen in an air fryer.

  2. You mentioned boneless wings. I have never heard of anyone actually de-boning wings. Where can I find the delicious wing meat without bones?

  3. 4 stars
    I’m unsure if this recipe is meant for a compact, countertop air fryer or works with all air fryers. My oven has an air fryer setting and it takes 45 minutes to cook – the same amount of time to baking them regularly…
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.