Crispy air fried chicken wings covered in a sweet and spicy Honey-Sriracha sauce is pretty darn perfect for so many occasions, including game day. This healthier version of crispy wings is fried up in the air fryer with no added oil. The air fryer gets them super crispy and the honey-sriracha sauce makes them sticky, sweet, a little spicy and delicious in every way.
Chicken wings are the perfect little finger food and can feel a little like a delicacy in their own little way. The ratio of crisp skin to flesh gives so much flavor and satisfaction with every bite. Just about every culture has their own version of wings.
While chicken wings are definitely not thought of as being healthy, these are fried with air. This helps make them a little healthier and actually makes them even crispier than deep-fried wings. Some wings recipes are super spicy, some are smoky and others can be sweet. These are a little of both spicy and sweet, and so delicious. The only problem is you won't be able to stop eating them.
Prepping the Wings
While you can cook whole chicken wings, they are even better when separated into the drumette and wingette. If they don't already come separated when you buy them (which they usually don't), you can easily do it your self in just a few minutes.
To break down Chicken Wings: Use a very sharp knife and cut through the skin at the joint to separate the different parts of the wing. A heavy and sharp knife should cut right through the joint.
The tip of the wing, which is just skin and cartilage can be cut off and discarded or saved for chicken stock.
Not only does separating the pieces make them easier to cook, but it also makes it easier to eat and they will go a little further at your party.
Coat the Wings with a Dusting of Potato Starch
While this is optional; giving the wings a quick coat of potato starch helps to get them ultra-crispy in the air fryer.
Someone left a comment on my Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe and suggested trying to use potato starch on wings when cooking them in the air fryer. Well, it turns out that the little secret of potato starch does amazing things to create a super crunch on the outside of the wings without using any oil.
A lot of recipes use baking powder to coat the wings before air frying. I have experimented with trying both baking powder and potato starch, and the clear winner is potato starch. It seems to just disappear when cooked and gives just a very light coating on the wings that is ultra crispy. The baking powder never seemed to completely dissolve and the texture could still be tasted when eating the wings.
Go with potato starch!
Air Fry Low then High
After doing some air fryer testing; I found that cooking the wings first at a lower temperature, then at a higher temperature yielded the best results. The lower temperature of 375° F will evenly cook the wings through, while the second higher air fry at 425° F gets the wings super crispy on the outside in a shorter period of time.
Oven wings are way better than deep fried wings, in my opinion. Wings really don't need the extra oil from deep frying because the wings have the built-in ability (fat) to crisp up by themselves. They can get crispier and are way less greasy in the oven or air fryer versus the deep fryer.
While your fingers are guaranteed to get messy when eating wings; I definitely prefer the mess to come from the sauce over the oil from a fryer.
How to Cook Chicken Wings in the Air Fry
Cooking chicken wings in the air fryer is super simple and easy. Check out the full recipe and video further down the post. Here's the quick version:
- First season the wings with kosher salt and dust with a light coating of potato starch.
- Place on the fry basket and air fry for 20 minutes at 375° F
- Increase the temperature to 425° F. Turn the wings once, then continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
- Make the honey-sriracha sauce and toss cooked wings with the desired amount of sauce and enjoy.
You could really just add a little salt for seasoning and eat them right out of the air fryer, but the Honey-Sriracha sauce is so delicious.
Watch the Recipe Video
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings (drumettes and wingettes)
- ½ cup potato starch
Honey-Sriracha Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Pre-heat air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Place the potato starch in a medium bowl, then coat the chicken wings with the starch on all sides.
- Shake off excess, then place the wings in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the wings at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Increase air fryer temperature to 425 degrees and continue to cook for 15 more minutes; turning the wings a few times while they cook to ensure even browning.
To make the Honey-Sriracha Sauce
- Meanwhile, heat butter over medium-low heat to melt.
- Stir in the honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
- Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Set sauce aside and keep warm.
To Finish
- When the wings are crispy and cooked through; transfer them to a bowl and mix with the desired amount of sauce and some thinly sliced green onions for garnish.
Video
Notes
- Place a foil-lined baking sheet below the Breville air fry basket to catch any drips.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake the chicken wings in an oven on convection. Cooking times might be longer.
- Adjust the amount of Sriracha in the sauce as desired. Use 2 tablespoons or more if you like it a little spicier.
Breville supplied me with the product for this post. All opinions and thoughts are always my own.
Brandie says
When you air fry in your Breville smart oven do you put it in airfry/convection/super convection or just air fry? My wings didn’t crisp.
justin says
Hi Brandie. I use the air fry setting, which is the same as super convection. What temperature did you use? Did you use the two-step air fry process? Let's find what went wrong. I have made these dozens of time and they have always gotten crispy.
Debbie Kane says
These are delicious. Will definitely make these again.
justin says
So glad to hear it, Debbie! Thanks for the reminder that I need to go to the store to pick up some wings for this weekend.
Sammi G says
WooHoo Justin, made this recipe for chicken wings and thought it was THE BOMB!
The technique and timing of the cooking resulted in perfectly crispy wings. Now, about that sauce...THE SAUCE IS DEFINITELY THE BOSS!
justin says
Awesome to hear, Sammi! Thanks for letting me know! Cheers.
Melissa says
Love this recipe
jenny says
Air fryer chicken wings are the best! So tasty and so much healthier than fried.
justin says
Totally agree, Jenny! They are my go to when I need something that is "wow" good in a hurry.
Maria says
Hey, Justin, I`ve tried your recipe and they turned out perfect!! The whole family now wants to make this chicken wings again! Thanks for sharing a recipe using air fryer - it`s healthy and delicious!
justin says
Hi Maria! So glad it turned out perfect. Everyone here gets super excited when we have them on the menu. So good. Thanks for stopping by.
Dianne Koehler says
throw all those wing tips in a bag and use to make awesome soup--no waste at all. Love your recipe and can hardly wait!
justin says
That's such a great idea, Dianne! Glad you love the recipe.
angela says
Can i make the wings a little ahead of time (like an hour) and then mix with glaze right before we leave for the house we will be eating them at?
justin says
Hey Angela,
You can. If you cover them though, they might become soggy. I would recommend re-heating them briefly in a hot oven if you can, and warming the glaze before applying it.
Jan says
OMG I just made these tonight in my Breville smart oven!! They turned out perfect. I substituted the potato starch with chicken fry coating. The chicken was browned and crispy! Good thing you warned us to use tin foil underneath! Without the foil it would have been a lot of drippings to clean! Thank you! I wish I could post a picture of the finished product because they look amazing.
justin says
Hey Jan,
So awesome. I love hearing that they turned out perfect. I've made them quite a few times in the Breville Smart Oven Air, and not once have they not turned out perfect. It's pretty foolproof.
My least favorite part of the Smart Oven Air is the fry basket. It is tough to clean and the pan underneath isn't large enough to keep everything from dripping. I found this Copper Chef Cripser Basket on Amazon (affiliate link) that I think I will be ordering soon to solve that problem.
Would love to see your photo on instagram. Be sure to tag me (@justin_mw) so I can see when you post.
Cheers!
Justin
Ashley says
Hi! I was wondering if you could use corn starch in place of potato starch? A lot of recipes I make that want crispy meat (like asian recipes) call for corn starch and I've had great results, but I'm not sure if the finish is different than if used with potato starch. Thanks for posting your recipe, looks amazing!
justin says
Hi Ashley,
I did a little research and it seems like corn starch will work just fine. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Neil McGinnis says
how about using pork rind for a crust?
justin says
You could definitely give it a try and let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Jessica says
I applied your cooking times for my own air fryer and it all worked out great!!! Thanks for posting! In case you were wondering, I used my own recipe of only Himalayan pink salt on the raw chicken in the air fryer. Then I reduced coconut aminos (w garlic/onion powder plus ground ginger) on the stovetop during the second cook cycle and mixed the wings w the sauce. Deeeeelish! My family was licking their fingers. New Years Eve success!
Sarah says
These look amazing! We're planning on making them tonight. Thanks for posting the recipe!
David Cabrera says
Hi thanks for the post! Where can i get that rack where you placed the wings?
justin says
Hi David,
The air fry tray/basket that I used came with my Breville Smart Air Oven. I use the basket then place a tray below to catch anything that might drip to keep it cleaner.
I looked on Amazon and found that you can buy a different brand air fry tray in various sizes. Here's a link to check it out: http://amzn.to/2DTtbOt (amazon affiliate link)
Bj says
Sooo good! Definitely pinning this recipe!
justin says
Awesome. Let me know how it is after you try it.
Carlos At Spoonabilities says
Hi Justin, Thank you for the detail explanation. The chicken looks so sticky finger delicious!
Can I make it in a regular convection oven? Or have to be in the special oven from Breville?
Remember to let me know when you come out with the e-book how to photograph with artificial light. I'm amazed how you make the food look using artificial light.
justin says
Hey Carlos! I think they should work in a regular convection oven, just might take a little longer. I would put them as close to the fan as you can. Give it a shot and let me know how they come out.
Thanks for the reminder about writing about lighting for food photography. I think about it all the time, and I just need to do it (just like making my first recipe video). 🙂