Air Fryer Guajillo Chicken Wings Recipe

featured air fryer hot honey chicken wings.

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Guajillo Chicken Wings Recipe

Crispy air fryer chicken wings tossed in a from-scratch hot honey wing sauce made with Guajillo chiles, citrus, and honey. Sweet, spicy, and perfect for game day or easy entertaining!

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

6-Qt Air Fryer
High-Powered Blender or Food Processor

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken wing portions about 20-24 wings*
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil divided

For the Wing Sauce:

6 dried Guajillo chili peppers seeded and deveined**
½ cup water
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons ground paprika
½ cup orange juice
3 limes juiced
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

For Serving (Optional):

blue cheese dressing or ranch
carrot and celery sticks
chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Place the chicken wings in a medium bowl. Season them with salt and pepper and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until evenly combined.
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken wing portions, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Place the wings in one layer on the air fryer rack and cook, working in batches if needed, for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy and 165°F internally.
While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, add the guajillo chilis with the water and let boil for 6 minutes.
6 dried Guajillo chili peppers, ½ cup water
Pour the chilis and water left in the saucepan into a blender. Add the garlic, onion, paprika, orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Use a strainer to make sure you remove any pieces of chili so it is completely smooth.
2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 tablespoons ground paprika, ½ cup orange juice, 3 limes, 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
In a medium saucepan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Let it heat up and pour the sauce into the pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit, about 10 minutes. While it's heating up, add in the honey and additional salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.
2 tablespoons honey
Remove the chicken wings from the air fryer and place them into a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce on top and toss until evenly covered.
Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery, and garnished with cilantro, if desired.
blue cheese dressing or ranch, carrot and celery sticks, chopped fresh cilantro

Notes

*Use chicken wing portions or whole wings. Both work great!

**Guajillo Chilis: These slightly fruity and sweet peppers are medium-hot (2,500-5,000 Scoville). For reference, they are milder than jalapeño peppers. If you're unable to find guajillo chilis, ancho chilis are the best substitute, followed by pasilla peppers, cascabel peppers, and chili peppers.

Tips:

Pat the wings dry before seasoning to help them crisp up better.
Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket; cook in batches if needed so air can circulate and the wings get crispy.
Optionally, shake the wings halfway through cooking to ensure they get evenly crunchy.
To air fry raw wings from frozen, set the air fryer to 400°F and cook for 25 minutes, or until 165°F internally.
If you want the wings very spicy, leave the guajillo chilis with the seeds and veins. If you want them mild, leave them in only two of the chilis.
Wait to add the honey until after the sauce has thickened up, or it can scorch and add a bitter flavor.
If the sauce thickens up too much, add an extra splash of orange juice to thin it back out.
These wings are best served immediately. Keep the wings and sauce separate until serving. Tossing early softens the skin.
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Baking Instructions: To make these wings in the oven, set the oven to 400°F and bake the wings for 40 minutes. To bake raw wings from frozen, set the oven to 400°F and bake for 1 hour.

Make-Ahead: The components of these wings can be prepped up to 1 day in advance. Season the chicken wings, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Make the sauce, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. On the day of, you'll simply need to fry the wings and toss them in the sauce!

Storage: Store hot honey chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition