Healthy air fryer chicken wings seasoned with fragrant five spice and a kick of paprika. These wings will have you coming back for more!
Ever since I started making chicken wings in the air fryer, I haven't done it any other way. The air fryer speeds up the process and makes for easy clean-up, and you're not sacrificing any flavor or crisp.
If you're looking for a variety of chicken wing recipes, try my Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings or Air Fryer Korean Chicken Wings.
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What's the difference between an air fryer and oven?
An air fryer uses hot air to cook food, making it a healthier alternative to traditional deep-frying. The hot air circulates around the food, cooking it evenly and quickly. The result is crispy food with little to no oil needed!
An oven, on the other hand, uses radiant heat to cook food. The heat comes from the walls and ceiling of the oven, cooking the food from all sides. This method is slower than an air fryer but can produce a more evenly cooked and diverse range of dishes.
With that being said, I've found the differences in dishes cooked in an air fryer vs an oven to be negligible. Plus, I love that an air fryer is great for cooking smaller portions, especially given our small household. I use the Cosori air fryer, which has been very consistent. In my experience, a 5 quart air fryer is enough to cook 2-person portions.
Can I get crispy chicken wings in an air fryer without oil?
100%! The key ingredient is baking powder. Baking powder has an alkaline base which reacts with the acid in the chicken skin. This reaction causes the skin to puff up and become crispy.
Additionally, baking powder also helps to dry out the skin of the chicken wings, making it crispy. The combination of the alkaline reaction and drying effect of baking powder results in crispy and tasty chicken wings. You can not sub baking soda for baking powder for this part of the process.
What is Shaoxing wine and how do I use it?
Shaoxing wine is a type of rice wine that is commonly used in Chinese cooking. It is made from fermented rice and has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.
Shaoxing wine is typically used as a marinade or cooking ingredient. It is often added to sauces, stir-fries, and soups to enhance the flavor of the dish. The wine imparts a rich and savory flavor to the food, making it a staple in many Chinese recipes (such as my Quick and Tasty Pork Cabbage Dumplings or Instant Pot Braised Pork Belly, Shanghai-Style). I often use it to marinade meats to get rid of game-y flavors.
You can find it at most Asian grocery stores. It's important to note that this is a purely cooking wine and not meant for drinking.
What's in Chinese five spice powder?
Chinese five spice powder is a seasoning with quite a literal name. This fragrant spice is a blend of five ingredients:
- Star Anise: a licorice-flavored spice that is sweet and slightly bitter.
- Cloves: a warm and sweet spice with a slightly bitter taste.
- Cinnamon: a warm and sweet spice with a slightly bitter taste.
- Fennel Seed: a sweet and licorice-flavored spice that is slightly bitter.
- Szechuan Peppercorn: a unique, numbing, and slightly bitter spice that is commonly used in Chinese cooking.
So if you're unable to find five spice powder at your Asian grocery store, you can always try your hand at making at home!
Ingredients
- Chicken party wings
- Shaoxing wine: Shaoxing wine is Chinese rice wine and I often add it as a marinade to meats to remove gamey flavors.
- Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce is the typical soy sauce found in your every day market. Use a low sodium version to have more control over the salt levels in dishes.
- Chinese five spice powder: A spice blend typically made up of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed and Szechuan peppercorn.
- White pepper powder: White pepper has a milder flavor compared to black pepper and is slightly earthy.
- Salt
- Paprika
- Baking powder
Instructions
- Pat chicken wings with paper towel until dry. Marinade with Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, five spice powder, salt and paprika. Let sit for 2 hours, if any longer, keep chicken wings in fridge until ready to air fry.
- Pre-heat air fryer to 375 F. If you're new to your air fryer, it's helpful to understand how the temperatures actually work. Depending on the brand and model of air fryer, you might want to set the cooking temperature higher or lower, this will take some testing on your end.
- Lay down some aluminum foil on bottom of the air fryer basket to make for easy clean up. I've also seen some people use air fryer liners since they fit perfectly into the baskets. Spritz with canola oil to avoid sticking.
- Place chicken wings in the air fryer. Make sure each piece is laying flat and that there is no overlapping. This means the chicken will take a couple batches to air fry. Spritz the top with some more oil.
- Air fry at 375 F for 18 minutes. At the 9 minute mark, flip each wing so both sides cook evenly.
- Remove from air fryer and enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Chinese Five Spice Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
Instructions
- Pat chicken wings with paper towel until dry. Marinade with Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, five spice powder, salt and paprika. Let sit for 2 hours, if any longer, keep chicken wings in fridge until ready to air fry.
- Pre-heat air fryer to 375 °F. If you're new to your air fryer, it's helpful to understand how the temperatures actually work. Depending on the brand and model of air fryer, you might want to set the cooking temperature higher or lower. This adjustment process takes some testing.
- Coat chicken wings in baking powder and toss evenly.
- Lay down aluminum foil on bottom of the basket to make for easy clean up. Spritz with canola oil to avoid sticking.
- Place chicken wings in the air fryer. Make sure each piece is laying flat and that there is no overlapping. This mean the chicken will take a couple batches to air fry. Spritz the top with some more canola oil.
- Air fry at 375 °F for 18 minutes. At the 9 minute mark, flip each wing so both sides cook evenly.
- Remove from air fryer and enjoy!
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