Who doesn’t love crispy on the outside, tender on the inside chicken wings? These air fryer breaded chicken wings deliver exactly that!
They are crispy, yummy, and best of all, healthy! Air frying these wings, instead of deep-frying them, allows us to use minimal oil and cut down on fat considerably.
These breaded chicken wings in air fryer are a lighter version of the deep-fried alternative, but it’s certainly not a lightweight when it comes to flavor. Crispy and delicious, these wings definitely pack a punch.
And here’s the best part – you can make a big batch in advance, keep it in the freezer, and pop a few in the air fryer whenever you feel like having juicy, crispy chicken wings! This is the perfect make-ahead comfort food to have hibernating in your freezer.
You can never go wrong with wings. Like they say, there ain’t no thang like a chicken wing!
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Can You Fry Breaded Wings In An Air Fryer?
YES, you can definitely fry breaded chicken wings in an air fryer! Bread your chicken wings, and cook them in the air fryer at 400F/200C for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Make sure to flip your wings halfway through to ensure that they cook evenly.
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Wings
These air fryer wings are great for more reasons than one! Here’s why you’ll love them:
- They’re healthier. Compared to deep-fried chicken wings, these breaded air fryer chicken wings use much less oil, making them a healthier alternative.
- They’re a great make-ahead option. You can bread a big batch of wings, freeze them, and pop them (straight out of the freezer) into the air fryer when you’re craving wings.
- They’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. These wings are marinated with yogurt and coated with breadcrumbs, so once they’re air fried, they’re crispy on the outside yet still super tender and juicy on the inside, YUM.
Is Air Frying Chicken Wings Healthy?
YES, air frying chicken wings is healthier than frying in oil. Air fried chicken wings have a lot less fat and calories compared to their deep-fried alternative. While cooking your wings in the oven can also cut down on fat, air frying is able to produce a more crispy end result.
So, if you’re looking for healthier ways to enjoy crispy chicken wings, opt for air frying.
Ingredients For Breaded Chicken Wings In Air Fryer
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these air fryer breaded wings:
Chicken Wings
This recipe uses 1 lb (450g) of chicken wings, which is roughly about 4 – 5 whole wings.
If you buy them whole, you’ll want to cut the wings into 3 segments – drumettes, wingettes, and wing tips. We’ll only be using the drumettes and wingettes for this recipe. You can store the wing tips in the freezer for later use, for e.g. when you make chicken stock.
Yogurt
For this recipe, I marinate the chicken wings in yogurt before breading. This helps to tenderize the meat and produces tender, juicy wings. Just 15 minutes will do, but you can even marinate your wings for a few hours if time permits.
Seasoning
I use 4 primary seasonings for this recipe – salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. To amp up the flavor of these air fryer wings, I add seasoning to both the marinade and breadcrumbs.
All-Purpose Flour, Egg & Breadcrumbs
Yep, we’ll need all the usual suspects for breaded chicken wings.
To create your dredging station, you’ll need 3 separate bowls filled with all-purpose flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs, respectively.
To bread your chicken, start by dredging your wings in flour. Next, dip them into the egg mixture before coating with breadcrumbs.
How To Make Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Wings
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make these healthy air fried breaded wings:
Start by marinating the chicken.
Marinate the chicken wings with yogurt, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for 15 minutes.
Prepare your dredging station.
You’ll need 3 separate bowls here: In bowl #1, add the flour. In bowl #2, crack the egg and lightly beat it. Finally, in bowl #3, add the breadcrumbs, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and mix well.
After 15 minutes, dredge the wings in flour. Shake off any excess before dipping them in the whisked egg.
Next, evenly coat the wings with breadcrumbs and set aside.
Air fry the breaded chicken wings.
Preheat the air fryer to 400F/200C for 5 minutes.
Spray the air fryer basket using an oil sprayer to prevent sticking. Put the wings in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through and golden brown.
Finally, serve your air fryer breaded chicken wings.
Serve them hot with ketchup or chili sauce on the side.
How To Store Leftovers
If you have any leftover wings, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, pop them into a pre-heated air fryer at 400F/200C for 5 – 7 minutes until heated through.
Pro Tips For Making Perfect Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Wings
Here are some pro tips to get perfect air fryer wings:
Marinate your chicken with yogurt.
This ensures you get tender, juicy wings instead of tough ones!
Preheat your air fryer.
For crispy chicken wings, it’s always best to preheat your air fryer before cooking.
Don’t overcrowd your air fryer.
It’s tempting to overload your air fryer to get the job done fast, but by doing this, you won’t get the crispy wings you’re hoping for.
Make sure to space out your wings, avoiding any overlap, for best results. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to do this in batches.
Spray your air fryer with oil.
I know it’s tempting to make these wings with ZERO oil, but please don’t skip the oil spray! The last thing you want is for the breading to stick to your air fryer causing a mess when you flip your chicken wings!
If you really want to avoid using oil, try lining your air fryer basket with perforated baking paper instead.
Season your breadcrumbs.
In addition to seasoning your chicken wings, you also want to season your breadcrumbs to ensure maximum flavor. Otherwise, your crispy air fried breadcrumb coating will end up tasting bland.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions when it comes to cooking wings in an air fryer.
How Do I Preheat My Air Fryer?
If your air fryer doesn’t come with a pre-heat function, here’s how to do it manually:
- Refer to the recipe you’re using and check what temperature it specifies. According to this, set the temperature on your air fryer.
- Switch on your air fryer for 5 minutes.
- Proceed to air frying your food of choice.
How Long Should I Cook Wings In An Air Fryer?
Place the wings in a preheated air fryer at 400F/200C, making sure to space them out without any overlapping. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through with tongs, until the wings are golden brown.
Can I Air Fry Frozen Chicken Wings?
Yes, you can! I prefer marinating the chicken wings in yogurt for 15 minutes, then breading them before freezing. This way, you can just pop a few wings straight out of the freezer into the air fryer and you’ll have instant air fryer frozen chicken wings in under 30 minutes!
To cook frozen breaded chicken wings in air fryer, pre-heat your air fryer at 400F/200C for 5 minutes. Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray before placing the frozen wings inside. Cook for 25 – 27 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown.
Why Are My Air Fryer Wings Soggy?
This could be because you’re overcrowding your air fryer. Putting too much food into your air fryer basket can cause the end product to be soggy rather than crispy.
An air fryer works by rotating hot air around the basket and the food inside, so you want to space out your food to let the hot air hit all sides of it, making it nice and crispy all around.
Why Are My Air Fryer Wings Tough?
This could be a result of overcooking your wings. Like other cuts of chicken, overcooking can cause your wings to become dry and tough.
To get juicy and tender air fryer wings, marinate your wings in yogurt for 15 minutes before breading. Then, air fry for 20 minutes at 400F/200C.
Can Yogurt Be Used To Marinate Chicken?
YES, yogurt is a great choice for marinating your chicken as it helps to tenderize the meat, resulting in juicy and tender chicken once cooked. In fact, yogurt tends to tenderize meat more gently than regular vinegar or citrus-based marinades.
How Do You Tenderize Meat With Yogurt?
To tenderize chicken, marinating your chicken in yogurt for as little as 15 minutes can do the trick. If time permits, you can even leave your chicken marinating in the yogurt overnight or for up to 24 hours.
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Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lbs (450g) chicken wings
- 1 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken wings with yogurt, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, garlic powder and paprika for 15 minutes.
- Prep your dredging station. You’ll need 3 separate bowls here: In bowl #1, add the flour. In bowl #2, crack the egg and lightly beat it. Finally, in bowl #3, add the breadcrumbs, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and mix well.
- After 15 minutes, dredge the wings in flour. Shake off any excess before dipping them in the whisked egg.
- Next, evenly coat the wings with breadcrumbs and set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F/200C for 5 minutes.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Put the wings in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through and golden brown.
- Serve hot with ketchup or chili sauce on the side.
Conclusion
And that’s how you make crispy yet healthy chicken wings!
The best part about these air fryer breaded chicken wings is that you can make them ahead of time, keep them in the freezer, and pop a few into the air fryer whenever you have a hankering for crispy wings.
For a quick and light weekday lunch, I enjoy a few of these air fryer chicken wings along with some oven-baked broccoli florets. YUM.
