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Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

By Lawman Johnson

Published on May 2, 2023

Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

Ingredients

2½ pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon pepper 6 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

Before You Begin

We prefer to buy whole chicken wings and butcher them ourselves, but you can also use presplit wings (though you'll need only 2 pounds to account for the discarded wingtips). This recipe was developed using a large air fryer. Some air-fryer models have preheating functions; the cook-time range in this recipe is intended to work with either a cold or preheated air fryer.

Instructions

  1. Pat wings dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange wings in even layer in air-fryer basket (wings will overlap). Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until wings are golden brown and crisp, 18 to 24 minutes, flipping wings halfway through cooking.
  2. Whisk hot sauce, melted butter, and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add wings and toss until evenly coated. Serve.
Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Steve Klise.

Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

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Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

2½ pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

Ingredients

2½ pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

Ingredients

2½ pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken wings are the ultimate bar snack. The delicate skin and superthin layer of fat make wings the ideal food for air-frying. The intense, evenly circulating heat renders the fat while the skin crisps. We simply added wings (tips removed and wings then patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper) to the air-fryer basket in an even layer and “fried” them at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes. For the sauce, we combined Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce and butter. And we added brown sugar to deepen the flavor of the hot sauce.

Before You Begin

We prefer to buy whole chicken wings and butcher them ourselves, but you can also use presplit wings (though you'll need only 2 pounds to account for the discarded wingtips). This recipe was developed using a large air fryer. Some air-fryer models have preheating functions; the cook-time range in this recipe is intended to work with either a cold or preheated air fryer.

Instructions

  1. Pat wings dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange wings in even layer in air-fryer basket (wings will overlap). Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until wings are golden brown and crisp, 18 to 24 minutes, flipping wings halfway through cooking.
  2. Whisk hot sauce, melted butter, and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add wings and toss until evenly coated. Serve.

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