Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

These crispy air fryer buffalo chicken wings will be your new favorite appetizer! Just as crispy as the deep-fried version, these air-fried chicken wings are super crispy and tossed in homemade buffalo sauce. 

These buffalo chicken wings are a finger-lickin’ treat! Perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce. Served with ranch and celery sticks they make a great main dish or appetizer. My whole family loves them and we almost never have any leftovers!

Shoutout to my sister Rebekah, because this is her recipe and it’s one of our family’s favorite recipes! I should have a section on the blog just for her recipes because they are some of our favorites. A few others are - The Best Ever Lasagna, How To Make Fresh Pasta Dough, Homemade Ravioli, Strawberry Lemonade From Scratch, Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles, Sushi rice, Homemade Sushi Rolls, and Crispy Shredded Hash Browns. 

Made in the air fryer these chicken wings don’t require much oil, and you don’t have to deal with an oily mess or too much clean-up. My dad recently got a new air fryer because our last one started having a weird error and just stopped working. This new one has many more settings and functions and I’m excited to try them out. These wings were my first time trying it out, and I’d say it was a success!

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can totally make these chicken wings in the oven as well. I’ve included instructions below for both cooking methods!

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Key Ingredients In these buffalo chicken wings

Chicken wings - Organic drumettes and flats. Fresh or frozen. If using frozen, make sure to completely thaw the wings before cooking. 

White or brown rice flour - A secret ingredient (ssshhh). Gives the perfect crispy crunchy exterior. 

Cornstarch- Another secret ingredient. Helps the wings get extra crispy in the air fryer. Can use tapioca starch/ flour instead too!

Seasonings - Cayenne pepper, ground paprika, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods and my sister likes to put extra cayenne pepper on the wings when she makes them for us(eye roll). So you can totally add more or less spice depending on your preference!

Oil- A must get the wings crispy in the air fryer. A little bit is added to the wings with the seasonings then halfway through the cooking process.

Hot sauce - To make the buffalo sauce, we love the Louisiana hot sauce but use your favorite brand. 

Melted butter - To make the buffalo sauce.

How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings:

Step one: Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings. Add them to a large gallon bag with cayenne pepper, ground paprika, garlic powder, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and vegetable oil. Mix until all the wings are well coated. 

Step two: Next add the brown rice flour and cornstarch to the wings. Close the bag and mix very well again until everything is coated. 

Step three: Transfer the chicken wings to a sheet pan. Then preheat the Ninja Foodi air fryer for 5 minutes at 385 degrees. 

Step four: Add as many wings as will fit comfortably without stacking or overlapping onto the air fryer basket. Cook the wings on the air crisp setting for 15 - 20 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Set aside and continue cooking the rest of the wings. 

Step five: Once all the wings are finished cooking, add them to a large bowl with homemade buffalo sauce then mix to coat. Enjoy!

How to make the homemade buffalo sauce

Step one: In a medium saucepan heat the butter until it is melted and just starts to look bubbly. Remove from the heat. 

Step two: Then immediately add the hot sauce and freshly ground black pepper. Mix very well. 

Step three: Add the sauce to a large bowl to mix with the crispy wings or serve in a small bowl as a dipping sauce on the side. 

Kitchen Items You Might Need For This Recipe

Ninja Foodi Air fryer

Oil spray or silicone brush

Sheet pan with wire racks

Tapioca starch/flour

Brown rice flour

How to make crispy buffalo wings in the oven

Step one. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two sheet pans with wire racks, then set them aside. 

Step two. Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings. Transfer them to a large gallon bag with seasonings, and oil. Mix everything together very well. Then add the rice flour and cornstarch. Mix very well. 

Step three. Arrange the chicken wings on the sheet pans with wire racks. Don’t overlap or stack, leave enough space for each wing so they all can be nice and crispy. 

Step four. Bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour, or until they are golden brown and very crispy. 

Recipe tips for the best crispy buffalo chicken wings

Making crispy air fryer wings is a super easy process, and here are my tips and tricks to help you get the best wings every time!

Dry the wings before adding the seasonings. After rinsing the chicken wings, make sure to pat the wings completely dry with a paper towel so they can get extra crispy in the oven. Any excess water can lead to soggy wings and the coating might not stick as well. 

Use the secret ingredients. Make sure to use cornstarch or tapioca starch and brown rice flour, these secret ingredients are the key to the crispiest wings you ever eat! 

Preheat the air fryer. Preheating the air fryer helps the wings to cook as soon as they are placed inside, allowing them to get crispier faster. 

Spray with a little bit of oil spray. Halfway through the cooking process lightly brush onto the wings. I just use a silicone pastry brush and dab each one with a little bit of oil. Alternatively, you could spray them with a little bit of olive oil spray. Make sure not to use conventional oil sprays, because it can possibly cause the non-stick coating of your air fryer to wear away. Try to get one as natural as you can or get a refillable oil spray.

Air fry wings in a single layer. There’s no need to flip the wings halfway through the cooking as long as they are cooked in a single layer. That way the hot air can circulate better!

When making the buffalo sauce. Make sure to add the hot sauce to the butter while it’s still hot and bubbly, this helps the hot sauce and butter emulsion better. 

Looking For More Recipes?

Chicken Fried Rice With Cabbage

Ground chicken dumplings with cabbage

Chicken sausage gravy with biscuits

Pan-seared chicken thighs with homemade gravy

Chicken broccoli noodle stir fry

If you love this Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe, share it on Instagram by tagging me (@themidwestkitchenblog) or giving this recipe a star rating. 

Have a blessed day!

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