My favorite Air Fryer chicken wings recipe is the quickest and easiest game-day appetizer! Made in 25 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients, these air-fried naked chicken wings with homemade brown sugar Buffalo sauce don’t skimp on flavor. They’re juicy, spicy, and super crispy–no deep fryer or breading needed!
Air Fryer Naked Buffalo Wings
My favorite Buffalo wings recipe is so yummy, but making chicken wings in the air fryer is just as good and way easier! The wings get beautifully crispy in my air fryer without any flour or breading, and then I coat them in my homemade Buffalo sauce. All you need is butter, hot sauce, and a little brown sugar to make these succulent wings a little bit sweet and spicy. (Making buffalo wings with honey is delicious too though!)
Air-frying is my go-to method when making naked chicken wings, because it doesn’t require any coating to get a crisp finish. Which makes them a good low-carb option for game day that can be finished with any wing sauce I desire. Total win!
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Prevent Soggy Wings!
If you’re preparing more than 2 pounds of wings, or you have a small air fryer, I recommend air frying these naked wings in batches for the crispiest results. If the wings are too crowded, air won’t be able to circulate around them, and they will turn out soggy.
Air Fryer Naked Chicken Wings Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken wing portions (*)
- ½ cup hot sauce (I used Franks RedHot)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 380°F for 5 minutes.
- Once preheated, place the chicken wings side by side in the basket. Select chicken and cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway to cook evenly on both sides.2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken wing portions
- While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk the hot sauce, butter, and brown sugar. (It will thicken as the butter cools, so don’t be concerned if it first appears as a thin sauce.)½ cup hot sauce, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Once the chicken is done, move it from the basket to a large bowl. Pour the Buffalo sauce over the wings, and toss with a spoon, covering each piece thoroughly.
Notes
- Bring the wings to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking so they cook through more evenly.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Optionally, you can lightly season the wings with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp per pound), or add garlic powder, smoked paprika, or cayenne for extra flavor.
- If making a lot of wings, cook in batches; overcrowding the basket causes steaming instead of crisping.
- For extra crispy wings, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray, and air fry for an extra 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Properly cooked wings should reach 165°F internally.
- Don’t sauce the wings until they come out of the air fryer; otherwise, they will turn out soggy/rubbery.
- Use a little less butter for a spicier sauce.
- If the sauce thickens too much as butter cools, microwave for 10-15 seconds to make it pourable.
- After tossing the wings in the Buffalo sauce, save any extra to use for dipping!
- Serve with celery, carrot sticks, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Naked chicken wings are best served fresh from the air fryer. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat wings in a 350°F Air Fryer or oven for 5-10 minutes, or until crisp and warmed through.
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