Thaw and cut the wings. If the wings are frozen, thaw them completely. Cut them into sections if you like, separating the drumette from the wingette, and either discard the wing tips or keep them for crunch.
Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
Season. Pat the wings thoroughly dry with a paper towel and add them to a large bowl or a gallon-sized ziplock bag, which helps with cleanup. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp baking powder and toss to coat evenly. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle with 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder. Mix to coat evenly.
Cook in the air fryer. Add the wings to the basket and stand them up so they all fit. If your air fryer is smaller than 8 qt, do this in 2 batches. Air fry for 10 minutes, then turn the wings and stand them on the opposite side. Cook another 10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and a thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone, reads 165F.
Toss with sauce. Move the wings to a clean bowl, add 1/2 cup Sweet Red Chili Sauce and toss to coat evenly. Serve right away, while the skin is at its crispiest.
Recipe Notes
Dry skin is everything. Pat the wings dry before anything else. Wet skin steams instead of crisping, and no amount of extra time fixes it.
Aluminum-free baking powder, never baking soda. Soda is about three times stronger and leaves a soapy taste on bare chicken skin.
Do not crowd the basket. Stand the wings up against the sides and each other so air reaches all of the skin. In an air fryer smaller than 8 qt, cook two batches - the first re-crisps in 2 minutes while the second finishes.
Sauce goes on after cooking, never before. Sugary sauces burn long before the skin has a chance to crisp.
Go by temperature, not the clock. Wing sizes vary a lot. 165F in the thickest part, away from the bone, is the safe finish line, and a few minutes past it render more fat out of the skin.
Make it ahead. Season the wings up to a day ahead and keep them uncovered on a rack in the fridge. The cold, dry air pulls more moisture out of the skin and they crisp even better.
Leftovers. Refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 3 to 4 minutes to bring the crackle back.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Extra Crispy in 25 Minutes)
Amount Per Serving (1 whole wing)
Calories 136Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.3g
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 313mg14%
Potassium 167mg5%
Carbohydrates 6.7g2%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 7.3g15%
Vitamin A 101IU2%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 49mg5%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.