Name: Air-Fryer Chili-Lime Chicken Wings
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2½ pounds chicken wings , cut at joints, wingtips discarded; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted; 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce , plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce; 2 teaspoons grated lime zest , plus lime wedges for serving; 2 teaspoons honey; 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

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. We simply added wings (tips removed and wings then patted dry and seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder) to the air-fryer basket in an even layer and “fried” them at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes. For the sauce, we combined canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce with lime zest, honey, and melted butter. A sprinkle of minced cilantro added some freshness to these spicy-tart wings.

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

Pat wings dry with paper towels and sprinkle with chili powder, 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.

Whisk melted butter, chipotles and adobo sauce, lime zest, and honey in large bowl until smooth. Add wings and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle wings with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.