Air fryer frozen chicken wings are easy to cook even from frozen straight from the freezer. They’re so easy to make as an appetizer, snack or meal. We love them and they taste fantastic! Here’s our discussion and tips to making sure each batch of air fried frozen chicken wings delicious.

Cooked chicken wings on a plate

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

Can wings be air fried from frozen? Yes! We were surprised at how well the wings cooked from frozen! Yes, straight from the freezer and rock hard, these frozen wings cooked wonderfully in the air fryer. We couldn’t believe how easy they were and even the raw ones cooked all the way through.

There’s so many different brands and types of frozen chicken wings to air fry. Things to think about when air frying a batch of chicken wings from frozen:

  • First is identifying if the frozen chicken wings are raw or pre-cooked. The raw wings will take longer to air fry.
  • Secondly, some are plain, breaded or sauced. Breaded wings take a little longer to cook.
  • Once you know which type you’re cooking, you’re halfway there to making an amazing batch of air fried wings. More info below in our write up and all recipe times and temperature details are in the recipe box below.
  • Cooking times will vary as chicken wings vary so much in size. frozen chicken wing sizes | AirFryerWorld.com

Video: Air Fried Frozen Chicken Wings

Different types of frozen chicken wings

How to Cook RAW FROZEN Chicken Wings

  • Holy cow, frozen RAW chicken wings cooked all the way through in the air fryer. We were initially doubtful during our first tests because the raw chicken wings were rock hard frozen. It was hard to believe that they would cook all the way through, but they sure did. They were crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through on the inside.
  • It’s always better to check one wing first to make sure it’s cooked through before you pull the whole batch out of the air fryer and start eating. Pick the thickest drumette or wing and tear into it. If it’s still slightly raw, cook it for a few more minutes.
  • For more flavor, sprinkle some garlic powder, garlic salt or onion powder on top. Black pepper and paprika add nice smokyness. Even some dry rub is great to add for more flavor.
  • After they are cooked, toss them in a bowl with your favorite sauce.
  • What if your wings are raw and thawed? Here’s our technique if they’re raw and thawed.
  • Pro-Tip: here’s our favorite tools to help make air frying easier:
Evo Oil Sprayer
Evo Oil Sprayer

We LOVE Evo Oil Sprayers. Not the prettiest, but they’re functional and spritz oil great! They don’t clog up like many others we’ve bought. There’s different styles, but all seem to have the same great spray head. Works great for grilling!

8.5" Square Blue Silicone Mat
Perforated Silicone Mat

There are Square Mats & Round Mats. These perforated non-stick silicone mats are used to cook food in your air fryer or steamer to minimize sticking. Holes allow hot circulating air to cook the food & keeps the food from sticking.

Perforated Parchment Paper
Perforated Parchment Paper

Parchment sheets are great for your air fryer or bamboo steamer (food tends to stick most on wire basket or tray). Choose from different sizes, shapes, white and brown (unbleached). Holes allow air to cook food evenly.

How to Cook PRE-COOKED FROZEN Chicken Wings

Some frozen wings are already cooked so you have less worry about them being raw in the middle. But it still takes time because they’re frozen solid and you want the outside to be crispy. Like we mentioned before, check the thickest drumette or wing and see if it’s cooked through. Also, make sure it’s cooked crispy enough to your preferred liking.

FROZEN BREADED or PRE-SAUCED Wings

Yes to make it more complicated, frozen wings are sold either breaded or pre-sauced. So it’s easy to get confused, but use our base timing below and your best judgement on when they are cooked.

Easy Air Fried Chicken Wings in Air Fryer | AirFryerWorld.com

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

Yield: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Read First: Lots of factors influence outcome of how the frozen chicken wings cook. They all vary significantly in size, coating, pre-cooked or raw, so you’ll have to adjust timing.
All air fryers are different and some cook much hotter than others. Once you cook your first batch, you’ll know more of what works for your model of air fryer and size of food. These recipes were tested on basket style air fryers. Read more recipe notes below the recipe.
Make sure to cook in just a single layer. Cook in multiple batches if needed.
5 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454 g) frozen chicken wings (Raw, Raw & Breaded, Pre-cooked – breaded &/or sauced)
  • optional dipping sauce (BBQ sauce, honey mustard sauce, hot sauce, teriyaki sauce, buffalo sauce, ranch, ketchup, etc.)

Equipment

Instructions 

Frozen Chicken Wings – Raw

  • Place the frozen chicken wings in the air fryer basket and spread in a single even layer (make sure they aren't overlapping – cook in batches if needed). No oil spray is needed.
    Raw frozen chicken wings in air fryer basket
  • Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for 15 minutes. Flip the wings.
    Half cooked chicken wings from frozen in air fryer basket
  • Continue to Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for 3-10 minutes or until cooked through. Check for doneness & air fry longer if needed. Larger wings will need more time to get crispy skin.
    Fully cooked chicken wings from frozen in air fryer basket
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. If your wings weren't pre-sauced and you want a caramelized sauce on the wings, toss the wings with the sauce and then Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

Frozen Chicken Wings – Pre-Cooked

  • Place the frozen chicken wings in the air fryer basket and spread in a single even layer (make sure they aren't overlapping – cook in batches if needed). No oil spray is needed.
    Bag and plate of pre-cooked frozen chicken wings
  • Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for 15 minutes. Flip the wings.
    Partially cooked chicken wings from frozen in air fryer basket
  • Continue to Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for 3-10 minutes or until cooked through. Check for doneness & air fry longer if needed. Larger wings will need more time.
    Fully cooked buffalo chicken wings from frozen in air fryer basket
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. If your wings weren't pre-sauced and you want a caramelized sauce on the wings, toss the wings with the sauce and then Air Fry at 400°F/205°C for another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

Notes

Air Frying Tips and Notes: 
  1. No Oil Necessary. Cook Frozen – Do not thaw first.
  2. Shake or turn if needed. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
  3. If cooking in multiple batches, the first batch will take longer to cook if Air Fryer is not already pre-heated. Recipe timing is based on a non-preheated air fryer. 
  4. Recipes were tested in 3.4 to 6 qt air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, the recipe might cook quicker so adjust cooking time. 
  5. Remember to set a timer to shake/flip/toss as directed in recipe. 

If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).

Video

YouTube video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 272kcal, Protein: 22g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 191mg, Vitamin A: 180IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 272

Chicken Wing Recipes using Fresh Chicken

Dipping options and ideas:

We love serving different dips for tater tots! The possibilities are endless and eating these potato puffs or tater tots is never boring. When serving these as an appetizer, add several different small bowls of dips. It’s great to have different options and this makes the tater tot platter even better.

  • You can never go wrong with classic ketchup or mustard or even your favorite wing sauce.
  • If you love mustard, try dijon or Colemans mustard. They have a zingy and tangy flavor.
  • Fan of hot sauce? We love wings in spicy hot sauce. Even drizzling some chili crisp or chili garlic crunch makes them super flavorful. And of course, buffalo wings are an all time classic
  • Creamy buttermilk ranch dressing is always a favorite.
  • Thousand island dressing is fantastic as a dip.
  • We love blue cheese dressing
  • BBQ sauce is amazing and so flavorful for these delicious wings.
  • Honey mustard sauce: This easy 5 minute honey mustard sauce is killer easy and delicious for chicken wings
  • Easy Queso: 15 minute cheesy stovetop queso recipe is probably going to be a favorite for your kids
  • Creamy garlic Alfredo sauce is homemade, flavorful and a decadent treat!
  • Spicy Homemade sriracha mayo
  • Make homemade sriracha hot sauce if you have some extra chilies!
  • Serve with some celery sticks, carrots and other vegetables
  • Store any leftovers in an air tight container.

More Air Fryer Recipes: 

  1. Here’s –> How to Cook FRESH RAW Chicken Wings
  2. Air Fried Frozen Chicken Tenders or Strips
  3. Keto Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Crispy Parmesan Crust RECIPE HERE.
  4. How about air frying frozen chicken tenders, nuggets and other munchies? All frozen food info is here.
  5. More–> All French Fries Recipes
  6. This article was originally published in 2020.
  7. Here’s more great fresh chicken wing recipes to try in your air fryer.