Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Quick + Crispy)

These deliciously sweet and sticky Air Fryer Chicken Wings are whipped up with everyday ingredients and are the perfect appetizer, game day snack, or family-friendly dinner.

Suitable for gluten-free diets.

Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

The contrasting taste of sweet, a bit of sharpness from the soy, garlicky, smoky, all carried by the Coca-Cola, makes these lick-your-plate-clean delicious wings well-loved in our family.

This air-fried version is much healthier than deep-frying, so these are a guilt-free dinner in our house. These wings are great for an easy dinner, game day snacking, BBQs, a deliciously different appetizer, backyard cookouts, picnics, and more.

Like my Air Fryer Jerk Chicken Wings and these super crispy Lemon Pepper Wings, everyone loves an easy dinner.

Why Make This Recipe

• Easy to make and budget-friendly – Simple to cook in the Air Fryer, and they’re a budget-friendly treat.
• Kid friendly – Kids and picky eaters alike love ’em!
• Full on flavor – They are packed full of amazing flavor from the Coca-Cola and paprika.

What’s Needed

This delicious recipe only needs a few ingredients. Most people probably have everything on hand.

• Chicken Wings – This uses bone-in chicken wings. You can use boneless ones, but you must adapt the cooking time. Also, if you start with whole chicken wings, you would need to cut them into wingettes and drumettes before starting.
• Coke – This gives the chicken wings an amazing flavor. This recipe uses regular Coke, but you can use a flavored variety like Cherry Coke.
• Sugar – Brown sugar gives a nice sweet flavor, but also helps caramelize the wings
• Gluten-free soy sauce and fresh lime – Really develop the flavor. You can use regular soy sauce, or instead of lime, lemon juice, or vinegar.
• Seasoning – Mustard powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika work well in this. Feel free to add in some wholegrain mustard, regular paprika, sea salt, and other spices to your taste.

How To Cook Chicken Wings In Air Fryer

Now comes the fun part, putting it all together. Get the full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Add Coca-Cola, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, lime, mustard powder, paprika, and garlic powder to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens to almost the consistency of ketchup.
2. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C. Pat the chicken wings dry, and add half into the air fryer basket and fry them for 9 minutes, turning them halfway through. Remove and repeat with the remaining wings.
3. Next, toss wings with the sauce, put half of them in the air fryer, and cook for 9-12 minutes.
4. Repeat with the remaining wings, then serve and enjoy.

Baked Wings

Prefer to oven bake these instead. Then here is how to do it.

1. Add Coca-Cola, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, lime, mustard powder, paprika, and garlic powder to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens to almost the consistency of ketchup
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.
3. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, spray with a little olive oil, and transfer onto a rimmed, lined baking tray in a single layer. Use two trays to avoid overcrowding if necessary.
4. Place chicken wings onto a lined baking tray in a single layer.
5. Bake chicken wings for 30 – 35 minutes until perfectly cooked through, golden and crispy, making sure to flip them halfway through cooking. 
6. Increase temperature to 425 degrees F / 210 degrees C.
7. Using a slotted spoon to transfer wings to the bowl, discarding any oil or juices from the baking sheets.
8. Toss the wings in the sticky sauce and place them in a single layer again on the baking tray.
9. Bake for about 10 minutes until the glaze has thickened and started to char.

Bintu’s Tips And Variations

Here are some of my tips so that you get these just right.

• If you prefer crispy chicken wings, then simply cook for the entire cook time without adding sauce.
• You’ll want to partly cook the chicken before adding the sauce, so the sauce does not burn.
• Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure there is space between the wings so the hot air circulates and they cook evenly.
• Shake the wings halfway through cooking before you add the sauce.
• The actual cook time will depend on the size of your chicken wings. Large wings will need a little more time than smaller ones.

Plus….

• If you have a larger air fryer, you might be able to cook these in one batch.
• Add heat. If you like a little heat, then add some red pepper flakes or chipotle.
• If your air fryer is small, you may need to cook these in 2-3 batches.
• Save money by buying whole wings and cutting them yourself.
• If you have freezer space, stock up on wings when they are on sale.
• To vary it up through the week, serve with leftovers like cooked rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, grilled veggies, salad, and more.

Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model. I recommend starting with less cook time, checking for doneness, then adding more time as needed.

Storage

• Refrigerate – Stored properly in the fridge in an airtight container, this will last about 4 days.
• Freeze – Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this. Let cool down, then transfer into freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
• Reheat –  Reheat at 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C for 5-6 minutes, shaking halfway through.

FAQs

Cooking Chicken Safely

To be safe, check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F / 75 degrees C before serving. So, use a digital thermometer to check the temperature if you are unsure.

Serving Suggestions

If you are cooking these up as a snack, then you can serve them with your cooked wings with your favorite dipping sauce.

Alternatively, potato lovers can serve these with Garlic Parmesan Fries, creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and the best buttery Instant Pot Baby Potatoes.

You can also serve it alongside some easy Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.

More Delicious Recipes You Might Like

• Air Fryer General Tsos Chicken.
• Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls.
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
• Air Fryer Chicken and Potatoes Dinner.
• Air Fryer Jerk Chicken Wings.
• Instant Pot Chicken Wings.
• Air Fryer Chicken Breast.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

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Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu

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