The Rule You Must Follow For Air Frying Big-Batch Chicken Wings

Devouring an entire basket of crispy chicken wings is a cinch when done right, which means making the biggest batch you can manage is mandatory. The only negative about making wings at home is the smelly and laborious deep frying required. However, you can achieve that same crispy exterior and succulent middle by air frying your chicken wings — the secret is to avoid overlapping them so the air can circulate freely.

An air fryer works similarly to a convection, or fan-assisted, oven; the hot air moves around freely, surrounding the entire surface of whatever's cooking inside. Instead of the heat coming from the top and bottom heating elements, as it does in a regular oven, the hot air is continuously moving around the cavity in perpetual motion, guaranteeing that your fries, kebabs, chicken wings, or whatever else you're cooking colors evenly and develops a crispy crust.

While tumbling your marinated chicken wings into your air fryer in a haphazard fashion will elicit some crunch on the areas most exposed to the heat, it's better to take a methodical approach to ensure maximum crunch. Spreading the wings out in an even layer, ensuring that they don't overlap and block the hot air from making its way through, will seal the deal on attaining that audible crunch. The hot air will circulate unhindered and thereby crisp up every bit of skin on your chicken wings.

While you may have added a touch of oil to your chicken wing marinade, it's best practice to spray a little more over their surface once you've arranged them in the base of your air fryer. Feel free to use any unflavored oil to allow the flavors of your marinade to take center stage. Alternatively, use an infused oil to maximize flavor and aroma. Spraying the base of the air fryer before placing your wings on top will ensure they don't stick. Plus this tip will help them to crisp up a little on the bottom before you flip them over halfway through the cooking time.

If your cooking an especially large batch of chicken wings, consider air frying them in smaller batches. Simply tent your cooked wings in aluminum foil to keep them warm as any remaining batches cook through. Then once all your wings are ready, put them all back into the air fryer for a couple of extra minutes to crisp them up if they've softened in the steam. As always, give them a toss to allow every wing to get some exposure to the heat.

The temperature tip for crispy wings in the air fryer is to cook them at a lower heat level first before whacking the dial up to high. This move allows the inside to cook through perfectly and the exterior to develop a savory golden crust.