Airfryer April: Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
Hello, hello! Welcome back to my food blog and to another post of my “Airfryer April” series. This post is a continuation of my collection of air fryer recipes that’s super easy, basically effortless, and oh so delicious. Introducing.. my Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings.
Think to yourself: Crispy, tasty air fryer chicken wings with a nice, sweet and tangy sauce.. in under 30 minutes! Sheesh. It’ll have you licking your fingers afterwards. I promise you that! Haha. So let’s dive in, shall we?
My Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe:
Using an air fryer to cook chicken wings is such an EXCELLENT idea because of several reasons.
- You cut the time by more than half as compared to a traditional convection oven (20 min vs 45 min)
- It’s easier to use and there’s no need to preheat most air fryers
- It’s 10x easier to clean
- There’s little to no need for oil
[See my other post for more complete details on what an Air Fryer is and its advantages & disadvantages]
My Sweet & Sour Sauce
For this recipe, I’ve developed my own original Sweet & Sour sauce, using one of my favorite ingredients: Fuji Apple. I love the balanced taste of a sweet fruit like apple paired with a sour, tangy ingredient like vinegar. It’s just a match made in heaven!
Can I make a larger batch?
Yes! By all means, if you invested in a larger air fryer, like a Ninja 10-Qt Double Basket Air Fryer, then of course you can double my recipe and make a larger batch of wings at a time. Just make sure to keep an eye on the wings at the very last 4 minutes so as to make sure they’re nice and crispy (You may have to add 2-3 minutes more to the cooking time on the first fry at 380).
What if I don’t have an Air Fryer?
If you don’t have one, shame on you! Haha, I’m just kidding. It’s completely fine. Maybe you’re not looking to invest in one at the moment or maybe you’re not able to store it anywhere on your countertop right now. Whatever the case, no sweat.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still cook my recipe using the traditional convection oven! In fact, I actually used to cook my chicken wings in bulk in the oven all time before using the air fryer!
For the traditional oven method:
- Simply start off the same way with the same cleaning and patting dry process, as well as the rub with oil and seasonings. The only difference would be to start preheating your oven to 400 degrees before starting anything.
- Then place the chicken wings on a large baking sheet, ideally with a wire rack (like this one from Nordic). If you don’t have a wire rack, you can skip it and just use a regular baking sheet lined by either tin foil or parchment paper.
- Once the oven is preheated, place the tray with the wings inside on the center of the oven and close the door. Cook on 400 for about 45 minutes (flipping every 15 minutes). I would double fry it at the end for a crispier finish by increasing the temp to 425 and cooking for another 5 minutes until nice and crispy.
- When in doubt, always double check to make sure if fully cooked (internal temp of 165)
Can I skip the sauce?
Yes, you absolutely can. It is completely up to you if you want to pair these air fried chicken wings with my sweet & sour sauce or not. You’re free to just make a nice batch of crispy air fried chicken wings and just eat them as is or with a side of ketchup and hot sauce, or maybe some Truff mayo (two of my favorite sauce combos). Either way, it’s simply delicious.
These Air Fryer Chicken Wings are simply the best and most efficient way to make crispy fried chicken without using too much oil. Furthermore, pair that with a nice sweet & sour sauce? You’re in heaven. The possibilities are endless. Air Fryer Chicken Wings, here we go!
Chicken Wings – the main star of this dish (wings + drummettes)
Baking Powder – the rub that gives the wings a nice crispy exterior
Garlic Powder – for aromatic seasoning
Onion Powder – for seasoning
Paprika – for seasoning and slightly spicy kick
Salt & Pepper – for seasoning
Fuji Apple – for juicy, sugary-sweet flavor that has hints of honey, citrus and pear (may substitute with any other apples, if unavailable, or pears)
Soy Sauce – Provides saltiness and umami flavor (may substitute with Worcestershire sauce)
Ketchup – for added sweetness and flavor (I specifically love using Ottogi brand Ketchup for its potent and flavorful taste)
Sugar/Oligodang – for sweetness and to thicken the sauce. (if you don’t have oligodang (found in H-Mart), you can skip and simply use more sugar)
Vinegar – for acidity and tangy flavor
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – to produce crispier, flavorful wings
Corn Starch Slurry – (OPTIONAL) To thicken the sauce
Here’s a list of other Fusion recipes you may love:
Air Fryer Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer (I use the Emerald 5.2L 1800 W Air Fryer)
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Box Grater
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon / Whisk
- 1 Chef's Knife
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Colander
- 5-8 Paper Towels
- 1 Full Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Chicken Wings
- 1 lb chicken wings, chopped and separated (skin-on wings + drummettes)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp salt & pepper (as needed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
For the Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1 fuji apple, grated
- ½ cup oligodang (may substitute with 1 cup white sugar)
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup ottogi ketchup (may use whichever ketchup you have, but I find Ottogi has a more distinct, potent flavor)
- ¼ cup soy sauce (may use Worcestershire sauce)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry (OPTIONAL: to thicken the sauce. Mix 1 tbsp corn starch : 2 tbsp water)
Instructions
- Start by splitting the chicken into wings and drummettes by slicing right through the joints and discarding the end flap.
- In a colander, thoroughly rinse the wings and drummettes under running cold water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. It's easier if you transfer the dry ones to a separate baking sheet with paper towels underneath.
- Once completely dry, transfer them to a medium mixing bowl and add 1 generous tbsp of olive oil. Mix it well by hand or with a spatula. Then add in baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt & pepper. Give it a nice mix until every wing/drummette is uniformly coated.
- Next, spray the air fryer basket with some oil spray and add in the battered chicken wings and drummettes. Close the basket, set the temp to 380 degrees and 16 minutes. (Flipping it once in the middle 8-minute mark). Flip it again, and set to 400 and air fry again for another 4 minutes, until nice and crispy.
- While the wings are cooking in the air fryer, let's prepare the sauce. Start by grating a fuji apple using a box grater (you can use a blender if you want) and add it to a saucepan on medium-high heat. Heat it for about 30 seconds while stirring. Then add in the ketchup, soy sauce (may use worcestershire sauce), and oligodang (may use 1 cup sugar). Turn the heat down to medium-low. Continue to cook while stirring for about a minute. Then add in your vinegar and your corn starch slurry (optional) and give it a nice mix for about 30 seconds until nice and thick. Give it a taste and add more sugar or vinegar, if needed.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool at room temp until chicken wings come out of the air fryer. Then add the sauce into a large mixing bowl.
- Once the chicken wings are cooked, add them into the mixing bowl with the sauce and give it a nice toss. Use a spatula to mix it in thoroughly until fully coated with the sauce.
- Plate it up and enjoy! Yummmy!
