If you’ve ever had air fryer wings, you know how delicious they can be. And leftover wings can be just as good. Here’s how to reheat chicken wings in an air fryer so they come out hot and crispy every time.
The trick to reheating wings in the right way is not drying them out. Since air fryers work by circulating very hot air, it can be easy to end up with dry wings.
But if you follow a few simple steps, you’ll have delicious, juicy chicken wings in just about 5 minutes!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Chicken wings are among the most popular starters in the U.S. Americans consume more than a billion wings over a single weekend alone in February each year when a certain professional football game is played.
So being to make the perfect wings with crispy skin can make you a popular party host on game day or for family gatherings. And being able to reheat wings so they taste as good as they did the first time is a life skill worth having!
This recipe for reheating chicken wings:
- Will make the wings hot and crispy
- Requires just two ingredients
- Only needs 5 minutes of cooking time
- It works for all kinds of chicken wings, including boneless wings and buffalo wings
Not only is this recipe easy, reheating wings in the air fryer is healthier for you than using a deep fryer. And it takes less time than using a baking sheet in a conventional oven.
🍗 Ingredient notes
Maybe the best part about this delicious wings recipe is that you need only 2 ingredients:
1. Leftover chicken wings – Whether you made your original batch of wings in the air fryer or not, reheating them in the air fryer will help give them a crispy texture without all the fat from deep frying.
2. Cooking spray – Spray both the air fryer basket and the wings themselves. This will help prevent them from sticking to the basket, and it will give the skin some extra crispiness.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Here’s how to reheat chicken wings in an air fryer. For full details, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Spray the bottom of the sides of the air fryer basket with cooking spray or olive oil spray.
- Preheat the air fryer for a couple of minutes at 380° Fahrenheit (190° C)
- Add the leftover wings to the basket in a single layer.
- Spray the tops of the wings with oil.
- Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 380° F.
Since you’re only reheating the wings instead of making raw ones, the wings should already be fully cooked. But a way to be certain they’re done is to use a meat thermometer. If the internal temperature reads at least 165° F, then they’re ready.
Note: To keep them crispy and prevent getting soggy skin on your wings, add your favorite sauce after cooking.
👨🍳 Recipe FAQ
Yes, using an air fryer is a great way to cook frozen wings. Just spray the basket and the wings with oil and cook them for 10-12 minutes at 400° F. Flip them halfway through and check them periodically to make sure they aren’t burning.
If you’re making raw, uncooked chicken wings, a great way to make them crispy is to coat them in arrowroot starch flour. Arrowroot is often used as a thickener in sauces and soups. But it also will adhere to the chicken skin and crisp up in the air fryer.
Just make sure you dry the wings first with paper towels so the arrowroot can adhere to the wings.
Adding too much sauce to the wings, then air frying them can cause the sauce to burn while cooking. That can leave a bitter taste on the wings. That said, you can marinate your wings prior to air frying to lock in extra flavor, but it’s a good idea to add heavier sauces after they are cooked. This is the best way to keep the wings crispy and prevent the sauce from burning.
⏲ Tools and equipment
Of course, to reheat wings in an air fryer, you’ll need an air fryer! 🙂 The one I use the most in my kitchen is the Ninja Foodi 10-quart Dual Zone Air Fryer (pictured above). It’s got two baskets so you can make a lot of food at once, and it’s easy to clean.
If you’re looking for something smaller, these 6-quart basket-style air fryer or 8-quart tray-style air fryer are also great options.
How to Reheat Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Cooking spray to grease the air fryer basket and coat the wings
- 12 Leftover wings
Instructions
- Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380° F.
- Add the wings to the air fryer. Apply cooking spray to the tops of the wings.
- Air fry for 5 minutes at 380° F.
Notes
- You can use olive oil instead of cooking spray if you prefer. Either will help the wings from drying out and sticking to the basket.
- Place the wings in a single layer in the basket for best results and more even cooking.
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
More air fryer answers
Get more answers to your air fryer questions. Check out these posts.
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