Salty, smoky, obsessively crunchy deliciousness. Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings, seasoned with a 5-minute, Korean-inspired BBQ dry rub!
To satisfy the craving for CRISPY, try these: weeknight-friendly Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Lately, I’ve been cooking everything in the Air Fryer. Basically a mini-convection oven, the Air Fryer cooks food fast, requires less oil, with less energy, and makes everything super crispy!
And these Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings couldn’t be easier.
The secret lies in 2 ingredients: cornstarch + bbq dry rub.
The corn starch absorbs moisture and creates a super crispy and crackly crust. The bbq dry rub seasons the wings beautifully without creating excess moisture.
When cooked in the Air Fryer, the end result is a super crunchy and crispy chicken wing without deep frying!
Why use an Air Fryer?
- Healthy. A less oily alternative to deep frying, the Air Fryer requires no additional oil. Instead, fat is rendered out of the chicken skin, leaving behind extra crispy and crunchy skin!
- Easy + Convenient. The Air Fryer basket ensures that heat circulates all around individual food items. No need to deep fry or turn the wings while baking. Instead, shake the basket and the wings will toss and get extra crispy! So easy!
- Fast. Baking Chicken Wings in the oven often takes 40 minutes or so. Not in the Air Fryer! Only 18 minutes!
Ingredients:
- Chicken wings. Look for meaty wings and drummettes.
- Korean Magic Dust BBQ Rub. The perfect balance of sweet, savory, smoky, and spicy. Flavorful and versatile, make it once and use for everything! A dry rub (versus a wet sauce) also seasons the wings without extra moisture.
- Corn starch. A pantry ingredient commonly used to thicken sauces, corn starch also makes fried food super crispy. A little bit absorbs moisture, creating a barrier on the chicken skin for super crispy and crunchy wings.
Instructions:
- Make Korean Magic Dust. Combine all ingredients and pour into a jar.
- Marinate chicken wings. Combine chicken wings with Korean magic dust, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well.
- Air Fry at 380F for 18 minutes. Shake the basket about halfway through. When done, the skin will look dry and crackly. Garnish Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings and enjoy.
PRO Tips:
- Don’t overcrowd the basket! For the Air Fryer to work properly, there needs to be a little space in between the chicken wings. Otherwise, the wings will steam.
- Preheat the Air Fryer. Just like an oven, the Air Fryer needs to be preheated.
- Swap with any BBQ dry rub. If you don’t have the ingredients for the Korean BBQ Magic Dust, any other BBQ dry rub will also work well. Look at the ingredient list and make sure it includes salt; if there’s no salt listed, you’ll have to add it.
- Reheat leftovers. Leftovers can be reheated easily at 400F for 5 minutes. Make sure to shake the basket!
Kitchen Tools + Equipment:
- Air Fryer. I use a Cosori 5.8Qt Air Fryer (affiliate) and absolutely love it.
- Silicone Cooking Pot. Optional but makes for easier cleanup. A great accessory for cooking greasy, oily food in the Air Fryer. The food-safe silicone container (affiliate) collects all the oil which renders out of the chicken. Instead of cleaning the Air Fryer base and basket attachment, simply dump out the oil and place in the dishwasher.
FAQ:
Can I cook these without an Air Fryer?
Yes, absolutely! Conventional Oven instructions: Spread out chicken wings on foil-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400F until cooked through and crispy looking, about 40-45 minutes.
What should I do with the leftover Korean BBQ rub?
My recipe makes 2 1/2 cups, which is a lot. However, it keeps forever (about 1 year) and goes with everything. If you don’t think you’ll use it all, gift to friends in small glass jars. They will love it!
My go-to seasoning, I use this versatile rub for everything! Ribs, brisket, bbq chicken, etc. Check out the blog post for Korean Magic Dust BBQ Dry Rub for more ideas.
Other Air Fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Honey Soy Garlic Chicken Wings
- Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly
- Crispy Air Fryer Panko Tofu
- Air Fryer Hong Kong French Toast
- Korean Gochujang Chicken
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Korean Magic Dust
Equipment
- Air Fryer (I use the Cosori 5.8 Qt)
- Air Fryer Silicone Pot (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings + drumettes
- 2 Tbsp Korean Magic Dust
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
Korean Magic Dust BBQ Rub:
- 1/2 cup Gochukaru (Korean dried chili flakes)
- 1/2 cup smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup sea salt (finely ground)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ground cumin
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 2 Tbsp mustard powder
- 2 Tbsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp cayenne
Optional garnish:
- 1 green onion, minced
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, minced
- sprinkle sesame seeds
Instructions
Korean Magic Dust BBQ rub:
- In a large bowl, combine ingredients and mix until well combined. Transfer and store in a sealed, air-tight container. Sprinkle onto fries, roasted vegetables, burgers, chicken, ribs — everything!
Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings:
- Preheat. Turn on the preheat function on the Air Fryer. My Air Fryer preheats at 400F for 5 minutes.
- Marinate chicken. In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with Korean Magic Dust BBQ rub, corn starch, and salt. Mix until well combined, with hands, until the corn starch is no longer visible.
- Air Fry. Transfer half of the chicken wings to the Air Fryer. Arrange wings and drumettes in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the basket. It's ok if the wings are slightly touching. Cook at 380F for 18 minutes, shaking the basket about halfway through. Repeat with the second half of the chicken wings.
- *For my Air Fryer (Cosori 5.8Qt), half of the chicken wings fit easily into the basket. They can safely stay in one position the entire cooking time. Just make sure to shake the basket halfway through!
- Garnish and enjoy! Transfer chicken wings to a serving platter. Garnish with green onion, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I tried it today. I found the bbq dust had a hard time sticking to the meat…the cornstarch kinda stuck to the dust and made it very dry, so the dust and starch just clumped together and sat at the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the chicken. Any tips to help with this? Thank you!
I’ve never had this happen but I’m wondering if your wings may be drier than the wings I use? A splash or two of worcestershire might add more moisture and help things to stick better. My husband loves to make these wings this way and the worcestershire adds amazing flavor.