Nobody likes a sad, soggy chicken wing. That’s a fast way to ruin your tailgate spread for sure! Don’t worry, though, there’s a nearly foolproof yet easy way to cook your wings. Just whip up these frozen chicken wings in the air fryer for juicy, crispy, and delicious wings sure to please!
That’s right, we’re using frozen chicken wings. Let’s face it, they’re so convenient. You can always have them on hand in your freezer, you don’t need to break down full wings, and many brands already have seasoning included!
Your air fryer is the perfect way to cook those wings up, right from frozen! No defrosting is required at all, and you’re still going to end up with a wing that’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Choose a pre-seasoned wing, or get plain wings and toss them in your favorite sauces after cooking. I’m a fan of classic buffalo, but change it up with garlic parmesan or sweet chili just for a change sometimes.
You can use any brand of frozen chicken wings, whether seasoned or not, breaded or plain. I have some breaded frozen Kirkwood Nashville Hot dry rub wings from Aldi, but Perdue, Foster Farms, and Tyson are other popular brands
It doesn’t matter how many you cook at a time, so long as you can fit them in a single layer in your air fryer basket (so quantity will vary based on appliance size)
If you’d like to dress your wings, popular wing sauce flavors include: buffalo, barbecue, honey barbecue, garlic parmesan, honey garlic, lemon pepper, and Cajun. You’ll need around ¼ cup sauce or 3 Tbsp dry rub per pound of wings
How to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Remove frozen chicken wings from all packaging and place into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer (give them a whack on the counter if they’re stuck together)
Cook on the air fry setting at 400°F for 10 minutes if using pre-cooked frozen wings or 20 minutes if using raw frozen wings, pausing halfway through to flip them over
Wings are done when the internal temperature next to (but not touching) the bone is 165°F. Add additional time as needed to reach this temperature, or to crisp your wings even more
Toss cooked wings in a bowl with your favorite wing sauce or dry rub, then serve!
What to Serve With Chicken Wings
Ranch dressing
Bleu cheese dressing
Raw vegetable sticks
Coleslaw
Cornbread
Pizza
Fries
Onion rings
Fried pickles
Jalapeno poppers
Potato skins
Mac and cheese
Potato salad
Macaroni salad
Cucumber salad
Corn on the cob
Creamed corn
Fruit salad
Peach cobbler
There are a lot of great options for sauces, sides, snacks, and even dessert to serve with chicken wings! You can easily adjust based on the occasion, how many you’re feeding, and the flavors you’re complimenting.
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer?
You cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer for an average of 10-15 minutes if using precooked wings, or for 20-25 minutes if using raw wings.
Times will vary slightly based on the actual size of the wings and your specific air fryer.
Is It Better to Air Fry Chicken Wings Frozen or Thawed?
It actually makes no difference whether you air fry chicken wings frozen or thawed. Both will come out crispy on the exterior and juicy on the interior.
Frozen takes a few minutes longer to cook overall, but you don’t need to spend all the time defrosting them so it balances out.
Can You Put Tyson Frozen Wings in the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can put Tyson frozen wings, or any brand of frozen wing, in the air fryer. They cook directly from frozen with no defrosting required.
This method is faster than the oven, easier and healthier than deep frying, and requires little prep work.
Do You Have to Preheat the Air Fryer for Frozen Wings?
You don’t have to preheat the air fryer for frozen wings, but it’s highly recommended. Preheating the air fryer ensures you don’t get cold or wet spots, particularly when cooking frozen foods.
However, you can add a couple more minutes to cooking time to account for the preheat, and may want to flip the wings one additional time to ensure even heating.
What Temperature Do You Cook Frozen Chicken Wings in an Air Fryer?
You should cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer at a temperature of 400℉ or 200℃ for best results.
This will ensure the skin gets crispy and that the chicken is appropriately cooked or heated through.
Are Frozen Chicken Wings Fully Cooked?
Frozen chicken wings can be fully cooked, but are equally available raw. Make sure to check the package to see what kind you have, as cooking times will vary between them.
Regardless of whether you start with fully cooked or raw, chicken wings should reach 165℉ before serving for food safety.
Recipe Pro Tips
My precooked frozen breaded wings flats were perfect after 10 minutes total in a Ninja air fryer. The drumsticks needed slightly more, hitting temperature at about 13 minutes total. Other air fryers may vary slightly
If you’re using raw wings instead of precooked, expect it to take at least 20-25 minutes total
Make sure to toss the wings in a dry rub as soon as they come out of the air fryer, while there is still some hot oil on the skin of the chicken, which will make it stick well (saucing them is more forgiving)
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover wings in the refrigerator in an airtight container, bag, or foil for up to 5 days. Do not refreeze wings that have been cooked once
Frozen chicken wings in the air fryer come out perfectly crispy, juicy, and delicious. You don’t even need to defrost them in advance, making it super convenient to prepare!
They’re great to have on hand for entertaining, game day parties, barbecues, and all sorts of get togethers. Customize them just the way you like by adding your favorite sauce, or buy pre-seasoned wings to save yourself more time.
These wings are ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes so they’re perfect for a snack, appetizer, or light meal!
If you’re wondering about how the Aldi hot wings are, they were perfectly crisp, not too spicy (even though they had some heat), and you’d never know they were frozen to start!
Frozen chicken wings cook up crispy, juicy, and delicious in just minutes thanks to your air fryer. They’re perfect for a snack, appetizer, party, or tailgate!
¼Cupwing sauce or 3 Tbsp dry rub, any flavor(optional)
Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Remove frozen chicken wings from all packaging and place into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer (give them a whack on the counter if they’re stuck together)
20 Ounces frozen chicken wings
Cook on the air fry setting at 400°F for 10 minutes if using pre-cooked frozen wings or 20 minutes if using raw frozen wings, pausing halfway through to flip them over (tongs recommended for this)
Wings are done when the internal temperature next to (but not touching) the bone is 165°F. Add additional time as needed to reach this temperature, or to crisp your wings even more
Toss cooked wings in a mixing bowl with your favorite wing sauce or dry rub, then serve!
¼ Cup wing sauce or 3 Tbsp dry rub, any flavor
Notes
You can use any brand of frozen chicken wings, whether seasoned or not, breaded or plain. I have some breaded frozen Kirkwood Nashville Hot dry rub wings from Aldi, but Perdue, Foster Farms, and Tyson are other popular brands
It doesn’t matter how many you cook at a time, so long as you can fit them in a single layer in your air fryer basket (so quantity will vary based on appliance size)
If you’d like to dress your wings, popular wing flavors include: buffalo, barbecue, honey barbecue, garlic parmesan, honey garlic, lemon pepper, and Cajun
My precooked frozen breaded wings flats were perfect after 10 minutes total in a Ninja air fryer. The drumsticks needed slightly more, hitting temperature at about 13 minutes total. Other air fryers may vary slightly
If you’re using raw wings instead of precooked, expect it to take at least 20-25 minutes total
Make sure to toss the wings in a dry rub as soon as they come out of the air fryer, while there is still some hot oil on the skin of the chicken, which will make it stick well (saucing them is more forgiving)
Store any leftover wings in the refrigerator in an airtight container, bag, or foil for up to 5 days. Do not refreeze wings that have been cooked once
Reheat leftover wings in the air fryer for 5-6 minutes at 375°F, or until heated back to 165°F internally
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any sauces or sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Keyword air fryer frozen chicken wings, aldi frozen chicken wings, chicken wings, dry rub frozen wings air fryer, frozen breaded chicken wings in air fryer, frozen chicken wings, frozen chicken wings in air fryer, frozen nashville hot chicken wings in air fryer, how to air fry wings from frozen, kirkwood frozen chicken wings in air fryer, ninja air fryer frozen chicken wings
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
