Skip The Oven And Cook Chicken Wings This Way For 20x The Flavor And Crunch

Every member of my family would run over broken glass to eat a crispy, home-made chicken wing, utterly oblivious to what it takes to get them to the table. If you're fed up with waiting an age for them to cook in the oven, say hello to your new best friend: The air fryer. It will give you the crispiest, most flavorful chicken wings compared to the standard oven treatment.

Whenever I deep fried chicken wings, even my biggest saucepan only let me do three or four at a time. It was a frustratingly slow process, so I switched to oven cooking but that was a time-suck too, as the chicken wings needed turning several times to cook evenly. In contrast, sliding open the drawer of an air fryer that's been pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and popping in a half-dozen chicken wings (overcrowding remains a common mistake when cooking with an air fryer) is a breeze. Instead, I get consistent heat that evenly crisps each and every piece of chicken to perfection. All you need to do is flip them halfway through the cook time, which is about 20-25 minutes.

If you're caught short and your chicken wings are still frozen, you can fry them twice to thaw and then cook them. Though always make sure their internal temperature reaches the recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

There aren't many things that taste better than a crispy chicken wing, except perhaps one that's been tossed in a seasoned, spicy coating. The joy of air-frying your wings means not only can you experiment with all kinds of flavors — more of that in a minute — you don't risk losing the coatings. Many people (this writer included) prefer cornstarch to regular flour to give chicken wings an added crispy touch, but there are lots of ways to enhance their delicious, meaty flavor.

Throwing in a little dried thyme or sage into the flour will add herby notes, or you could try MSG, a umami-boosting addition, and if spice is your bag, then a dash of chilli or even a slug of sriracha can turn up the heat. Some home cooks avoid using their air fryers for "wet" foods but if you prefer a stickier coating on your chicken wings, drop in a basket liner and you'll still get the same delicious, speedy results without the meat sticking or lots of goopy mess to clean up later. Alternatively, you can cook your chicken wings in the air fryer first, then serve them tossed in a sauce or glaze, or presented in a separate dish as a dip. Try making this three-ingredient wing sauce to keep things simple.