Air fryer jerk chicken wings bring the flavours of Jamaica to your table! These jerk wings are air-fried to crispy perfection then tossed in homemade jerk sauce. You decide how spicy you'd like them! This recipe includes instructions for oven-baked jerk chicken wings, too.
If you love air fryer chicken wings, (and who doesn't?) you'll want to make this jerk chicken recipe, pronto! Crispy wings tossed with a fiery jerk sauce make a fun-to-eat appetizer or main dish.
You've landed in the right spot if you're looking for easy air fryer chicken wing recipes! Here are a few more delicious choices for everyone's favourite appy!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Hot air instead of oil! There is no need to add oil to these wings to get them crispy as you would in a deep fryer. An air fryer uses hot air to circulate around the chicken and does all the crisping work for you!
- The freshest jerk seasoning: make it yourself from scratch. So easy and perfectly fresh.
- The fat renders off. While chicken wings aren't the healthiest option, we all know that we choose them for their flavour! Air frying chicken wings makes them as healthy as possible because much of the fat is rendered off while they're cooking.
- Crisp and saucy at the same time! Coating the wings in a light layer of baking powder or potato starch gives them incredible crispiness. You'd swear they had been deep-fried! And that crispy exterior helps to soak up a fiery spicy jerk sauce!
- Easy clean up. Cooking wings in an air fryer is quick and amazingly easy to clean up.
- No more dried out, chewy wings! More importantly, the wings turn out incredibly juicy inside with a crispy exterior that's perfect for soaking up the sauce.
- Convenient! Besides being deliciously tasty, this is a great recipe for busy people. You can make the jerk sauce ahead of time, store it in the fridge and be ready to glaze a batch of wings at the last minute.
🛒 Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are a few details about the ingredients and steps to help you make these air fryer jerk chicken wings perfectly every time.
It may seem like a long list at first glance, but it's simply chicken wings and a Caribbean jerk marinade! This blend of jerk spices features boldly spiced flavours, but it's easy to customize the spice level to your tastes.
It's the same jerk seasoning I used in this recipe for Caribbean Jerk Chicken Breasts. I've adapted my recipe to show how to make it for wings.
And it's also the same method I use to make these Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings and these Honey-Garlic Chicken Wings. Air fry first to get the wings crisp but juicy, then toss with a finger-licking good sauce!
- chicken wings: Often wings come already split into drumettes and wingettes. If not, remove the wing tip with a sharp knife, then cut through the skin at the joint to break them into two pieces.
- baking powder: the magic ingredient that makes wings crispy! Use gluten-free baking powder if necessary.
- pepper: A Scotch bonnet pepper is the traditional Caribbean choice for jerk seasoning. These may be hard to find where you live, so you can substitute Habanero pepper or jalapeño pepper.
- tamari soy sauce: Use a gluten-free variety for a gluten-free diet (or coconut aminos for a paleo diet )
- honey: sticky and sweet
- coconut sugar: or brown sugar
- fennel seeds
- cayenne pepper: Use less if you want to reduce the heat.
- ground allspice
- dried thyme
- ground ginger
- garlic cloves
- green onions (scallions)
- apple cider vinegar
- lime juice: freshly squeezed makes all the difference!
- orange juice: freshly squeezed juice adds a bright citrusy note to this jerk sauce.
- cornstarch (or arrowroot) mixed with water to help thicken the jerk sauce.
🔪 Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry. This step is important to guarantee crispy wings! Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and toss with baking powder--that secret "crispy" ingredient!
- Preheat your air fryer to 390°F. for 3 minutes. Use an oil mister to spray the basket lightly with oil, or use a brush to add a thin layer.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer. Air fry for 10 minutes, then pause the air fryer, remove the basket and flip the wings over. Replace the basket and continue air frying for another 5 - 7 minutes or until wings are crispy and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine the remaining ingredients.
- Once it comes to a boil, make a slurry by adding the cornstarch mixed with water. Add it to the jerk mixture, lower the heat and stir until the sauce is thick, dark and glossy.
- Once the wings are fully cooked, transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with the jerk sauce right away. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, snipped chives or chopped parsley and serve with plenty of napkins. They'll be hot, so restrain yourself!
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
All air fryers are different. Depending on the size you own, you may have to fry the wings in two batches.
Air frying times will vary with the type of air fryer you own, too. It's best to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check that you have cooked the wings to a temperature that is safe to eat. (165°F.)
❓Questions about jerk chicken
You can make these jerk wings as hot and spicy as you like! To make them milder, use a jalapeño pepper (or half) instead of a Scotch Bonnet or habanero. You can also decrease the amount of cayenne pepper.
It's often better to start with a small amount of the spicy ingredients as you can always add more if you like.
🔁 Possible Variations
No air fryer? No problem. Bake them in the oven instead. See the recipe card below for oven-baked jerk wings instructions.
🥶 Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll last for 3 - 4 days.
These jerk wings freeze beautifully! Lay them in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 - 4 months.
Time-saving tip! Double the recipe for the jerk sauce and freeze half of it separately, ready for a quick fresh batch of wings or jerk chicken breasts at a moment's notice!
How to reheat chicken wings
Jerk chicken wings can still taste great when reheated. If you've frozen the cooked wings, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Place them in the air fryer in a single layer so they will reheat evenly. You may have to do this in batches if you have a small air fryer.
Set the temperature to 390°F. or 400°F. and reheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the basket, let cool slightly and enjoy!
You can also reheat them in the microwave, but watch carefully as they can quickly become tough if overcooked.
🍽 Serving suggestions
Hot and spicy jerk wings need something cool and refreshing to balance them. I like to serve spicy wings with a salad with fruit added, like any of the following:
Strawberry Mango Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
Kale and Cara Cara Orange Salad
Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges
Grapefruit Orange Avocado Salad with Fennel
While a traditional cocktail for jerk chicken would be Rum Punch, I like to serve these with my Pineapple Ginger Kombucha Mocktail. Simple and refreshing!
🗒More chicken wing recipes
When you make this air fryer jerk chicken wing recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below. I love hearing how my recipes turned out for you, or what adaptations you made. Thanks in advance!
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📖 Recipe
Jerk Chicken Wings - Air Fryer or Oven-Baked
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings split into wingettes and drumettes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, gluten-free
- ½ Scotch bonnet pepper, Habanero pepper or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (gluten-free) (or coconut aminos for paleo diet)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspooons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 green onions (scallions) chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry. This step is important to guarantee crispy wings! Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and toss with baking powder--that secret "crispy" ingredient!
- Preheat your air fryer to 390°F. for 3 minutes. Use an oil mister to spray the basket lightly with oil, or use a brush to add a thin layer.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer. Air fry for 10 minutes, then pause the air fryer, remove the basket and flip the wings over. Replace the basket and continue air frying for another 5 - 7 minutes or until wings are crispy and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- While the wings are frying, put the Scotch bonnet (or habanero or jalapeño pepper) tamari, honey, coconut sugar, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, allspice, thyme, ginger, garlic and green onions in a blender and blend until smooth. Add apple cider vinegar, lime juice and orange juice and continue to blend until well combined.
- Transfer the jerk sauce from the blender to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, make a slurry by adding the cornstarch mixed with water. Add the slurry to the jerk mixture, lower the heat to a simmer and stir until the sauce is thick, dark and glossy.
- Once the wings are fully cooked, transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with the jerk sauce right away. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, snipped chives or chopped parsley and serve with plenty of napkins.
Oven-Baking Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pat the wingettes and drumettes dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with baking powder. .
- Arrange in a single layer on an oiled oven-proof rack on top of a parchment-paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice halfway through.
- Follow instructions #4 and 5 above while the wings are in the oven.
- When the wings have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. when measured with an instant-read thermometer and they are golden brown and crispy, they're done and ready to glaze.The total cooking time will depend on your oven and the size of the wings. Drumettes sometimes take a little longer than wingettes to cook.
- Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the jerk sauce. Garnish with finely sliced green onions or chives and serve.
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