Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings - No Thaw

Crispy Juicy Air fried Chicken wings, straight from the freezer without thawing! Crispy, juicy, tender wings that need only 2 ingredients - wings + Sauce or rub!

TASTE: Juicy tender Chicken wings
TEXTURE: Crispy outside & soft & chewy inside
EASE: Very Very Easy!
APPEARANCE: Golden Caramelized wings
PROS: No thawing, no waiting. Chicken wings from Freezer to table in less than 20 minutes
CONS: No marination, hence can be under seasoned inside
Diet : Keto, Paleo, Low Carb & Oil free!

Wings are the perfect game night appetizer or a quick indulgent late night snack.

Here is what we will do!

• Take the frozen block of wings and put it in the air fryer
• Air fry for 10 minutes
• Separate them, toss them in your choice of sauce
• Air fry for another 10 minutes and done!!

Yes you heard it right.

The block of frozen wings at the back of your fridge which you would have almost given up on..Well I am here to resurrect it!

The wings will caramelize, crisp up to a golden perfection.Like a fairy god mother, the clunky frozen wings that you had forgotten at the back of your freezer have not been converted into a conversation starter, a late mid night snack away from the children, the best part of a geeky movie that you have been wanted to watch.

Whether you are hosting or just watching a movie , Chicken wings are a perfect appetizer and snack.

Speaking of appetizers and snack, do give my Air Fryer Buffalo Shrimp ,Air fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic & Airfryer Honey Chilli Edamame a try too! They are soo addictive!

Why we love Air frying Frozen Chicken wings

we are all fans of chicken wings, but these frozen chicken wings are just perfect for the lazy me that's craving salty crispy food all the time!

Here is why we love making them again and again!

• No thawing.
• Literally 20 minutes to have your favorite snack from the freezer to the table.
• No planning needed
• They come out so crispy, almost like they were deep fried in tonnes of oil
• Needs no oil! YEss! they are oil free!

Not only is the air fryer great for making chicken wings, you can also Air Fryer New York Strip steaks in it!

Also check out our collection of more than 50 Air fryer Appetizers and finger foods

What do you need

All you need are 2 ingredients.

• Chicken Wings
• Seasoning or Sauce of Choice

Chicken Wings

Chicken Wing is divided into three sections: the drumette, wingette, and the tip

I usually buy chicken wings from the store so that I can ask them to break it up into drumette and Wingette (discard the tip). Most stores already cut it up into 2 parts and so this should be easy to get.

I feel the whole big wing is difficult to eat and pretty big to hold in hand. Plus chicken wings cut into two pieces cooks more evenly than the whole wing.Also its a personal choice.Some prefer eating the drumette and some like the flat.

I prefer flats of the wings.

Once I have bought the chicken, I usually put it in the freezer. Raw chicken usually goes bad in 3-4 days, even in the refrigerator. I feel it enters that iffy stage where you can't be sure if its good or not.

That's why I usually store raw chicken in the freezer.

The downside to that is that I can often forget it there. And Sometimes I am just too lazy and unorganized to thaw it. So I keep procrastinating making it.

That's why this recipe is great for people like me. You don't need to plan anything!

Seasoning - Rub or Sauce

There is so much to choose from! I always have several hot sauces, teriyaki sauce, stir fry sauces, bbq sauces in my pantry.

And then there are the rubs too! In the picture I have used sweet barbecue seasoning that's store bought. It spicy, sweet and hits the right spot!

Of the top of my mind, here are some great options you can choose from

• Barbecue Sauce
• Hot Wing Sauce or Buffalo sauce
• Plain salt & pepper
• Seasonings & Rubs like lemon pepper , peri peri, italian seasoning
• Make your own- garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano & salt

Oil Free Chicken Wings

The chicken wings have enough fat in them that you don't really need more oil. You can make them with just the seasoning and the wings.

But if you want to brown the wings further or make the seasoning stick to them better, you can spray the wings with oil.

How to Air fry Frozen Wings without Thawing

Here is step by step detailed description of how to make frozen chicken wings in the air fryer without thawing them

Step 1: Air fry frozen wings to thaw

Instead of thawing the wings overnight or on the counter, place them straight into the air fryer basket.

Yes You heard that right. Place the frozen block of chicken wings in the air fryer.

Air fry for 10 minutes at 180C or 365F.

This will thaw the chicken. At least partially.

If your chicken wings are not a block but are separate, then you need to air fry only for 5 minutes.

This step might vary depending on how big or small the block of chicken wings is.

Step 2: Separate the Wings

Once the 10 minutes are done, just a knife or a fork or a steel spatula to separate the wings.

If you have trouble with it, you can air fry for another 2 minutes.

Drain any liquid at the bottom of your air fryer.

Step 3:Toss the wings in sauce or rub

This step can be done in the air fryer basket or in a separate bowl.

Add the sauce or rub and toss the wings around till they are coated.

You can choose to spray oil on the wings. This will make them even more crispy.

Step 4:Air fry to finish

Now let the magic began! The last bit.

Air fry again for 6-10 minutes depending on how crispy and caramelized you want the chicken wings to be.

Serving Chicken wings

Wings should be served piping hot, straight after they have been cooked. That's when texturally they are at their peak!

Serve it with your choice of sauce. If the wings are spicy, I lean towards a sauce or a dip that's cooling and soothing. Like blue cheese dip , mayonnaise or a greek yogurt cold dip or a Tzatziki.

Though if the wings are not too spicy, I prefer hot ketchup or sriracha with them. You can choose your fav!

Another favorite side along with wings is celery & baby carrots. I love munching on it in between wings.It's such a perfect game night appetiser!

Recipe Notes

Though the recipe is quite simple, I have a few notes that will help you make the most delicious wings

• Double Toss Wings- I like to toss the wings twice in the seasoning or sauce. After the first toss, most of the sauce usually caramelizes and some falls through the air fryer basket. So I open the basket just 1 minute before it's done and I add more sauce or rub. Straight to the basket.
• Sugar - If your sauce or rub contains sugar, the wings caramelize nicely to a golden brown hue. So if you are making a homemade rub, don't forget to add some brown sugar to it.

Refrigerating & Freezing

Once you have air fried the chicken wings, and you are not consuming it immediately or have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Choose an air tight container made of glass or bpa free plastic to store the wings.

You can also choose to refreeze cooked wings. Just put them in a freezer bag or a freezer safe container and put them away till 1-2 months.

Reheating Wings

To reheat refrigerated chicken wings, preheat the air fryer to 180C or 365F.Air fry for 4-5 minutes. Forget microwaving them and eating soggy old wings, air frying them will make them fresh, almost like you just made them.

If you have frozen cooked chicken wings, you can refresh them by air frying them for 10 minutes at 180C or 365F.You might need to toss them in more seasoning or sauce midway to amp up the flavor.

More Air fryer Recipes

We love the shortcuts we can take because of our air-fryer. It's perfect for making french fries and roasting veggies! Here are some recipes that we have been making lately!

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings-(Extra Crispy)
Chicken 65- Indian Fried Chicken
Air fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic
Air Fryer Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers (Cream Cheese)
Air Fry Pita Chips
Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
Air Fryer Cornish Hen

If you used my trick to air fry frozen chicken wings, drop me a note. I would love to hear your thoughts. Also! do give us a rating. It really help me reach people.

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