These Old Bay chicken wings are cooked to crispy perfection in an air fryer and then dipped in blue cheese dip! This flavourful combination makes an appetizer that everyone seems to love! Using a dry rub and cooking Old Bay Wings in an air fryer is a quick and easy recipe.
Searching for recipes for crispy chicken wings in an air fryer? You're in the right place! Besides these air fryer Old Bay chicken wings, you'll find several more choices:
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Wings Crispy wings with a rich sesame honey teriyaki sauce fit any occasion.
- Air Fryer Crispy Cajun Wings Deliciously crisp and juicy chicken wings air fried with a spicy Cajun rub are always a hit.
- Honey-Garlic Chicken Wings - Air Fryer Finger-lickin' good!
- Air Fryer Jerk Chicken Wings Bring the flavours of Jamaica to your table!
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings Air fry to crispy perfection, then toss with the most delicious sauce!
❤️Why you'll love this recipe
- No butter! Many Old Bay chicken wing recipes are cooked in large amounts of butter. This easy recipe does not use butter. The air fryer cooks the wings until they're perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy inside!
- A delicious dip.Then you have the option of dipping them in Blue Cheese Dip (or Ranch dip if you prefer.) However, they're delicious even without the dip!
- No added oil. There is no need to add oil to these wings to get them crispy. An air fryer uses hot air to circulate around the chicken and does all the crisping work for you.
- Incredibly crispy. Coating the wings in a light layer of baking powder gives them incredible crispiness. It hard to believe they haven't been deep-fried!
- Clean-up is a breeze. Cooking party wings in an air fryer is so easy to clean up! A short soak with a little detergent and a quick wipe and you'll be ready for next time.
- A gluten-free recipe, when you use gluten-free baking powder.
- Make ahead and freeze!
🛒 Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about some of the key ingredients.
chicken wings: Wings split into wingettes or drumettes are most often sold together in a package, but sometimes they're sold separately. Either part works well in this recipe.
baking powder: the "secret" ingredient that makes air fryer wings so crispy. Use gluten-free baking powder, if necessary.
Old Bay seasoning mix: I use the store-bought version of this classic seasoning mix. It's a blend of 18 spices, including celery seed, paprika, mustard, salt, red pepper, and black pepper.
Blue Cheese Dip: Optional, of course. It's a combination of:
- sour cream
- crumbled blue cheese
- mayonnaise
- garlic
- buttermilk (or milk)
- lemon
- salt and pepper
🔪 Instructions
Here's a quick overview of what you'll do to make this recipe perfectly. You'll find complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pat the wings dry, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss with baking powder and Old Bay seasoning, then arrange in a single layer in your air fryer basket. You will probably have to cook the wings in batches.
- Air fry for 7 - 10 minutes, then use tongs to flip the wings over. Continue cooking for a few more minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer.
🔁 Possible Variations
If you don't care for blue cheese, substitute your favourite dip! These crispy wings are also delicious with Ranch dip or with lemon aioli.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
- To insure the wings cook evenly, cook the wingettes and the drumettes in separate batches. The drumettes have more meat so will take a little longer.
- Remember to pat the wings dry first. Removing extra moisture will help to make the crispiest wings.
- Don't overload your air fryer basket. Arrange them in a single layer for best results. You can have a few in a second layer, but the air needs to circulate to cook properly.
- All air fryers are a little different, so check the the temperature of the wings with an instant-read meat thermometer. I use a Ninja air fryer and I find it cooks food much faster than some other brands.
❓Air frying frozen wings
Yes, frozen wings will turn out just as delicious! For those days when you've forgotten to thaw something, air-fried frozen wings are the answer! And if you need a quick last-minute appetizer, pop your frozen wings in your air fryer and they'll be ready in about 25 - 30 minutes.
Frozen wings will take a little longer to cook than fresh wings, of course. Time will depend on the size of the wings and the type of air fryer you have.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Wings, a dip and a healthy salad will make a quick meal. Search for your favourite salad in my Salads and Dressings section, or make one of my favourite salads:
⏰ Storage Instructions
To store: Refrigerate leftover wings in an airtight container promptly.
To freeze: To freeze cooked Old Bay wings, lay them out on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them in an airtight container in the freezer.
To reheat: If you've frozen the 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. Heat at 390°F. for 5 - 10 minutes, checking them after 5 minutes.
🗒 More air fryer chicken wing recipes
When you make these air fryer Old Bay chicken wings, please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
Easiest Old Bay Chicken Wings - Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings, split
- 1 ½ tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, gluten-free if necessary
Blue Cheese Dip
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk, or milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Old Bay Chicken Wings
- 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 the air fryer to 390°F. for 3 minutes.
- Use an oil mister to lightly spray the basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer so the air can circulate.
- 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 the wings are crispy and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. Air frying times will depend on the size of the wings and the type of air fryer you have.
Blue Cheese Dip
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or simply whisk together in a small bowl.
Christine
Crisp and spicy!
Elaine
Glad to hear you like these, too! Thanks for commenting.
Meg
These are so good! We snacked on them along with your Pineapple Ginger Agua Fresca! I'll be making these again, for sure.
Elaine
A great idea to have a refreshing drink with spicy wings! Thanks so much for the 5-star rating. Much appreciated.