Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
These delicious Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are cooked in the air fryer until perfectly crisp and then tossed in sweet and salty honey garlic sauce for the perfect dish!
Chicken wings are one of those versatile dishes that are an amazing appetizer and a delicious meal. Whip a batch up for the family on a busy weeknight, or add them to your game day food list or party menu.
Some recipes call for frying them, others bake them, but I’ve found that nothing is as good as chicken wings in the air fryer. The hot circulating air crisps the skin and perfectly cooks the tender meat, so you get the best chicken wings every time.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken wings – If the wings are still whole you’ll want to cut them into drumettes and flats
- Seasoning – Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- Olive oil – Toss the wings in the oil to help the dry rub adhere and the skin to crisp as it cooks.
- Fresh Garlic – The fresh garlic perfectly pairs with the sweet honey
- Honey – This adds a sweet flavor to the sauce and helps the sauce to thicken and stick to the wings.
- Chicken Broth – a simple liquid to bring all of the ingredients together.
- Soy sauce – This adds salt to counterbalance the sweetness of the honey.
- Apple cider vinegar – A little vinegar balances out all of the flavors.
You’ll also need an air fryer! We love our Cosori 5.8 qt air fryer. Perfectly crispy wings every time!
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Wings
Step 1 – Dry rub. In a small bowl combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Stir together. Set aside.
Step 2 – Dry chicken. Pat chicken drumettes and wings dry with a paper towel and place them on a baking sheet or cutting board.
Step 3 – Season. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix.
Step 4 – Air Fry. Place chicken in the air fryer basket and cook at 380 degrees F for 25 minutes. Halfway through remove the basket and use tongs to turn the chicken over and move it around so that what was on the bottom comes to the top.
After 25 minutes turn the air fryer heat up to 400 degrees F and continue to cook the wings for 5 minutes or until skin is crispy.
Note: Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F (74°C). Always check with a meat thermometer to ensure they are done.
Step 5 – Add sauce. Remove the chicken from the fryer basket and place it in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and toss them until well-coated.
Step 6 – Serve. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Honey Garlic Sauce Recipe
This honey garlic sauce is finger-licking good. You can make it while the chicken wings are cooking or you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It’s not only good on chicken wings…you have to try it on our Air Fryer Honey Garlic Pork Chops or our Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies.
To make the sauce heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and fresh chopped garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
Next add the honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool until ready to use.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Storing your honey garlic chicken wings properly ensures they remain delicious when you’re ready to enjoy them later. Whether you’re popping them in the fridge for a short period or the freezer for longer storage, here’s how to do it right.
Storing in the Refrigerator
- Cooling Down: Before storing, always allow the wings to cool down to room temperature. This prevents excess moisture from building up, which can affect the texture.
- Packaging: Place the wings in an airtight container or zip-lock bag, removing as much air as possible. If you have any sauce, store it separately in a smaller container.
- Duration: When stored properly in the refrigerator, honey garlic chicken wings can last for up to 3-4 days.
Storing in the Freezer
- Cooling Down: As with refrigeration, let the wings cool completely before freezing them.
- Individual Freezing: To prevent the wings from sticking together, lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them for about 1-2 hours, or until solid.
- Packaging: Transfer the individually frozen wings into an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags. Label the bags with the date for easy tracking.
- Duration: Properly stored, honey garlic chicken wings can remain in the freezer for up to 4 months without a significant loss of flavor or texture.
Reheating Instructions
Whether from the fridge or the freezer, reheating honey garlic chicken wings can be done in a way that retains their deliciousness and crispness.
From the Refrigerator:
- Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place wings on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and crispy.
- Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and cook the wings for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway.
From the Freezer:
- Thawing: It’s best to thaw frozen wings in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Oven: After thawing, follow the same oven instructions as above.
- Air Fryer: If using an air fryer, after thawing, set it to 375°F (190°C) and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Microwave (Not recommended for crispness): If you’re short on time and don’t mind sacrificing a bit of crispiness, you can use the microwave. Place wings on a microwave-safe dish, and use the reheat setting for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Note that they might turn out a bit soggy with this method.
Always ensure that the wings are heated thoroughly before consumption. A meat thermometer can be handy, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Enjoy your honey garlic chicken wings just as much the second time around!
Looking for More Easy Air Fryer Recipes?
- Air Fryer Tater Tots: How to Cook Them to Perfection
- Air Fryer Nachos
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Baked Apple Slices
- More of the Best Air Fryer Recipes…
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Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup Honey
- ¼ cup Chicken Broth
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Stir together. Set aside.
- Pat chicken drumettes and wings dry with a paper towel and place them on a baking sheet or cutting board.
- Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix.
- Place chicken in the air fryer basket and cook at 380 degrees F for 25 minutes. Halfway through remove the basket and use tongs to turn the chicken over and move it around so that what was on the bottom comes to the top.
- While the chicken cooks make the sauce. In a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool until ready to use.
- After 25 minutes turn the air fryer heat up to 400 degrees F and continue to cook the wings for 5 minutes or until skin is crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the fryer basket and place it in a large bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and toss them until well-coated.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
