Air Fryer Naked Chicken Wings Recipe

overhead view of air fryer buffalo wings on a white plate with blue cheese dressing.

5 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Naked Chicken Wings Recipe

These air fryer naked chicken wings are juicy, crispy, and full of flavor—all in just 25 minutes! Tossed in a sweet and spicy brown sugar Buffalo wing sauce, they’re the perfect game-day snack.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

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

*If using whole chicken wings, separate them into drums and flats before cooking.

Tips:

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.

Storage: Store air fryer Buffalo wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition