Easy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
These easy air fryer buffalo wings are dripping with deliciousness. This recipe is perfect for hosting game day parties or for snacking whenever you feel peckish. All we need is some Frank’s Buffalo Sauce and some seasonings to take these wings to the next level.
Easy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Fill your air fryer basket with the best chicken wings possible, easy air fryer buffalo wings with Franks buffalo wing sauce. There are entire restaurants dedicated to the assortment of wing flavors.
Everyone has their favorite ways to enjoy wings, either dry rubbed with their favorite dipping sauce or dripping with sauce already. This is to say that there is no shortage of wings recipes for us to choose from.
Wings are considered the best things to serve at parties because they are finger foods, easy to make, and can be made in different flavors for variety. Buffalo sauce was not the first sauce to cover wings. A dry rub was first.
The dry rub helped make the chicken skin crispier, which is a big draw for many people seeking the best hot wings. However, we have air fryers now, so we can get crispy wings covered in sauce in minutes.
These easy air fryer buffalo wings are only some of the juiciest wings you can get from your air fryer. Be sure to check out our other air fryer chicken wings recipes, like Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings, Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Keto Chicken Wings, or any of our Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipes.
❤️ Why You’ll Love These Easy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Quick and Crispy Buffalo Wings – The most challenging part of making wings in a hurry is getting that crispy skin. This is one of the wing recipes that gives us the best of both worlds.
- Affordable Air Fryer Recipe – This recipe only requires five ingredients, which isn’t much when it comes to the flavor this perfect appetizer provides.
- Ease of Making – Most air fryer recipes are easy, but this buffalo wings recipe might just be the easiest recipe that produces the best wings.
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings – We can’t make chicken wings without the wings. Any type of wings will work with this recipe, though the time may need adjusting depending on the size of your wings.
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce Buffalo Sauce – There is nothing wrong with making your own buffalo sauce. However, Frank’s is delicious and makes it far easier to enjoy this recipe.
- Paprika – Seasoning the wings is important. Yes, the sauce will cover the seasoning, but it all becomes one during the cooking process.
- Brown Sugar – A little sweet to go with our slightly spicy, mostly tangy sauce. The perfect wings have a combination of flavors that come together for a single experience.
- Chili Powder – We want to add a bit more of the spice back with chili powder. The finished wings won’t be too spicy, but seasoned wings will always have a bit of a kick.
- Salt – Always be cautious of a recipe that doesn’t include salt. Salt is in pretty much everything, and for good reason. Salt is the best way to enhance flavor without changing it too much.
✳️Tips and Tricks
- A meat thermometer comes in handy when making chicken in an air fryer. We always want to ensure the chicken’s internal temp is 165 degrees. This is the safest way to ensure your crispy air fryer wings are cooked through.
- Chicken wing size will make a difference in the cooking time. Smaller wings should be done with our recommended cooking time. However, larger wings may require more time.
- Place the chicken wings in a single layer in your air fryer basket. There needs to be enough room for the hot air to flow around each wing.
- Store wings in an airtight container in the fridge. The wings will keep for 3 days if properly stored. Don’t forget, you can use the air fryer to reheat the wings and keep that crispiness.
- Speaking of crispiness, feel free to toss these in extra sauce once they are done. This may sacrifice some of that crunch; the choice is yours.
Tools to Make This Easy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings Recipe
- Cosori Air Fryer – Everyone has their favorite air fryer for air frying. This model is our favorite because of the size of the basket. However, you may enjoy the size of your air fryer basket more. Ultimately, any air fryer will work.
- Tongs – Grabbing small wings out of an air fryer basket with our fingers may not always be a good idea. Be sure to treat the basket the same way you would a baking sheet from an oven or a rack in a toaster oven. It’s hot! Tongs solve that problem with ease.
- Meat Thermometer – We need to check the internal temperature of the thickest wing we have in the basket. Again, 165 degrees is the golden number for air fryer buffalo chicken wings and any chicken recipe.
How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Rinse your chicken wings under cool water and pat dry. Lay on wax paper.
- Mix the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt in a gallon ziplock bag.
- Gently toss the chicken wings in the spice mixture til evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Feel free to line the bottom with tin foil to help with the cleanup process.
- Place chicken wings in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Do not layer, as that will result in less-than-crispy wings and uneven cooking.
- Cook for 18 minutes at 380 degrees, shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes.
- Brush on a light layer of Frank’s Red Hot Wings Buffalo Sauce and cook for 4-6 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove when wings are crisped to your liking.
Oven Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Transfer the chicken wings into a ziplock bag. Add in the seasonings.
- Remove the air from the bag and toss the chicken around.
- Repeat the process with the sauce instead of the seasonings.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and place them on a cooking sheet.
- Cook for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once the timer goes off, make sure the internal temperature is 165F.
- Drizzle extra sauce on top.
- Remove and serve.
Substitutions
You can make many different substitutions with this easy air fryer buffalo wings recipe. In fact, we can start making substitutions with the wings themselves. You can use any chicken wings, either the entire, tiny, or even boneless wings.
The smaller the wing, the shorter the cooking time will be. We can even use cauliflower florets to make buffalo cauliflower bites. Add some blue cheese dressing, and you’ve got yourself the perfect snack.
We can also use any type of buffalo sauce we prefer. We used Frank’s Buffalo Sauce, but feel free to go with whichever brand strikes your tastebuds.
What to Serve with Buffalo Wings
Picking some sides to go with your wings may depend on the size of the wing you use. For example, tiny wings or boneless wings just need some carrots and celery sticks.
However, full wings should have full sides like mashed potatoes, veggies, or a combination of the two mashed cauliflower. The delicious wings will carry the dish, so try not to overthink the sides.
How to Store The Wings
The best way to preserve your chicken wings is in an airtight container in the fridge. The wings should hold up for about 5 days.
♨️How to Reheat The Wings
The best way to reheat these wings is to go back to the air fryer. That’s how we will keep those crunchy wing tips. Toss them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for roughly 2-3 minutes. We can also use the microwave if we’re in an even bigger hurry.
❓FAQs
What is Buffalo Sauce?
This easy air fryer buffalo wings recipe uses a good amount of buffalo sauce. This sauce is tangy, spicy, and a bit sweet. The sauce uses a vinegar base and things like cayenne pepper, garlic powder, butter, and Worcestershire sauce.
Do I need to Drizzle The Wings with Oil First?
No, there is no need to add oil at any time. The air fryer will do the heavy lifting, giving the wings a crunch we all can enjoy.
Do You Put Sauce on the Wings Before Putting Them in an Air Fryer?
Normally, the answer would be no; we would add BBQ sauce to wings after air frying to ensure the sauce doesn’t burn. However, buffalo sauce won’t burn as quickly as BBQ sauce; it’s the lack of sugar in the sauce that makes the difference.
More Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipes
Easy air fryer buffalo chicken is not easy because of the recipe, but it is easy because of the chicken. Chicken is easy to cook in an air fryer, which means most chicken wings recipes are simple.
Check out our other wings recipes for unique flavors every time.
Easy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs Chicken Wings
- Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Rinse your chicken wings under cool water and pat dry. Lay on wax paper.
- Mix the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt in a gallon ziploc bag.
- Gently toss the chicken wings in the spice mixture til evenly coated.
- Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Feel free to line the bottom with tin foil to help the clean up process.
- Place chicken wings in a single layer in air fryer basket. Do not layer as that will result in less than crispy wings and uneven cooking.
- Cook for 18 minutes at 380 degrees, shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes.
- Brush on a light layer of Frank’s Red Hot Wings Buffalo Sauce and cook 4-6 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove when wings are crisped to your liking.
So easy and delicious!