Name: Air Fryer Chicken Wings from Fresh or Frozen
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 2 lb fresh or frozen chicken wings (drumettes and flats); 1 teaspoon garlic salt; 1/3 cup Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce (or your favorite sauce); 2 tablespoons butter (melted); 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce; Ranch or bleu cheese dressing (to serve)

Air Fryer Chicken Wings are so delectably delicious, crispy, and actually pretty healthy! Make these chicken wings in the air fryer from fresh or frozen to save time and money.

a plate of chicken wings with vegetables and ranch

Can you cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer?

You can absolutely cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer! In fact, I prefer to buy a large bag of frozen chicken wings and stash them in my freezer so I can always have them on hand for a little snack, appetizer, or lunch!

The only difference in cooking frozen chicken wings vs fresh chicken wings is that it will take slightly longer to cook the frozen wings, but only by about 5-8 minutes.

frozen chicken wings partially cooked in an air fryer

Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

I use my Instant brand Vortex Plus air fryer to make these buffalo chicken wings, but you can use any flavor sauce you want.

Making wings in the air fryer is a very healthy and delicious way to cook up wings because they get incredibly crispy without frying!

You won’t get crispy results like this in an oven!

a chicken wings cooked from frozen in the air fryer dipping into ranch

Tyson Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer

I like to use the Tyson frozen chicken wings I get at Costco. They cost less than the brands that already have a sauce packet included, and they cook exactly the same.

So how do you cook frozen chicken wings in an air fryer?

How to cook frozen chicken wings in air fryer

You’ll start by preheating your air fryer to the hottest temperature available. I have two air fryers and one goes to 400 degrees and the other goes to 425 degrees. Turn the empty air fryer on to preheat.

Once it gets hot (one of my air fryers tells me when to add the food and the other I just wait 5 minutes), add the frozen chicken.

At this point, you don’t need to season it or anything because they are just frozen blocks. Place them in the basket in a single layer, making sure they don’t overcrowd the basket.

From there, set the time to 25 minutes for frozen chicken wings.

I check and flip mine about every 8 minutes. Depending on how powerful your air fryer is, you may be flipping every 5-10 minutes. During the first flip, they are usually defrosted enough that some seasoning will stick.

You’re welcome to sprinkle your frozen wings with your favorite seasoning blend, especially if you’re not tossing in any sauce. I like to sprinkle on some Real Garlic Salt and pepper. (Use the code IPCOOKING for a 15% discount on anything from Redmond Real Salt. Only salt I use!)

I’ve also sprinkled them with lemon pepper or any kind of yummy seasoning blend! Keep cooking and flipping until the chicken wings are crispy and browned.

Making sure frozen wings are cooked all the way

After your wings are cooked and crispy (mine take right about 25 minutes), I always check the temperature of the wings.

Because they are frozen and raw, I always want to make sure to take the internal temperature to ensure food safety.

a thermoworks thermapen taking the temperature of a chicken wing cooked in the air fryer

I only use my Thermoworks Thermapen* for the job (and I cook with it every single day!!) And you can use my link for a special discount.

Make sure you also pick up their high temp mini spatulas which are seriously the best on planet earth.

Chicken should be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees to be safe. Depending on how crispy you want your wings, it will probably be closer to 190-200 degrees. Totally not a problem.

Make sure you take the temperature at the thickest part of the thickest piece of chicken to ensure they are all cooked completely.

how to make frozen chicken wings in air fryer

After the wings are totally cooked, I’ll transfer them to a bowl and toss with whatever sauce I want. I prefer Frank’s hot sauce with a little bit of butter and ranch on the side.

And there you have it! Perfectly cooked, healthy, keto, low carb, and crispy chicken wings from frozen in the air fryer!

a bowl of buffalo chicken dip surrounded by vegetables

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you like this recipe, you’ll also love my Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip! It is a super creamy, cheesey, and easy dip to make that is also keto and low carb.

You can whip the whole thing up in the Instant Pot, but I prefer to put mine into an oven-proof dish and bake or air fry to get some melty cheese on top!

You’ll also love my Instant Pot Chicken Legs from Fresh or Frozen, which I make in the Instant Pot but can also be made using this same technique in the air fryer.

buffalo chicken wings with ranch and celery

Air Fryer Recipes