Easy Air Fryer Chicken Buffalo Wings are LOADED with that iconic buffalo wings flavor, are marvelously crispy yet tender and absolutely addicting! Plus, they only require THREE ingredients and are so easy to make!
Here they are!
That recipe for Chicken Buffalo Wings I told you I would post a few weeks back when I posted my Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe.
That recipe was a very basic take on wings, using a delicious home concocted dry rub. This recipe, however, is your classic take on buffalo wings.
Yeah, you know the ones I’m talking about…the wings we all ate for dinner in college on a weekly basis drenched in ranch dressing with a potential side of celery, because: vegetables.
Not that much has changed for me…
In fact, I found myself eating these wings at 1am after having zero recollection of even making the decision to do so. They’re just that good! No matter the time of day or the occasion, hot wings are EVERYTHING.
But let’s get down to business because I know we’re eager to get the Buffalo Wings party started.
Here’s everything you need to know, plus a couple random tips to maximize your pleasure.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Wings:
Chicken Party Wings and Drumettes: Pick up 2 to 3 pounds of bone-in chicken wings and drumettes, which you can find right next to all the other chicken options in the meat department.
If you can’t find any fresh in the meat section of the grocery store, you can find them in the freezer section. My preference is using fresh chicken wings and drummettes because it eliminates the extra step of thawing the wings.
Butter: Did you know that the secret ingredient for amazing buffalo wings is butter? I always thought it was flour! But in fact, unless the sauce you’re using contains flour, most wings are flourless and gluten-free by nature.
Indeed, the secret ingredient to making buffalo wings insanely amazing is melted butter. Melted butter gets mixed with buffalo hot sauce to create a supremely amazing ultra enticing marinade that gives chicken wings their claim to fame.
Buffalo Sauce: The most common buffalo sauce you’ll see (that is super easy to find at any grocery store) is Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce (of any of Frank’s hot sauce flavors). My partner informed me he’s not super keen on Frank’s red hot, but we both agreed the flavor profile improves dramatically when mixed with melted butter.
When choosing your buffalo sauce, keep in mind the flavors you’re going for – mild, medium, or spicy or more on the sweet side than spicy side. No matter what you choose, your wings will be absolutely delicious because: 1.) butter makes everything better and 2.) the texture of the wings turn out superb.
For Serving:
I always love a sprinkle of fresh green onion atop my wings because I feel it gives them a freshness they otherwise lack, but you can go with or without the onion. Definitely serve the wings with a creamy dipping sauce or dressing to offset the heat – ranch and bleu cheese are classic!
If you’re trying to get in a vegetable, feel free to serve buffalo wings with celery sticks and carrot sticks. Both are refreshing between spicy bites of wings.
How to Make Chicken Buffalo Wings in the Air Fryer:
Place the raw chicken pieces in your air fryer in a single layer so that the wings cook evenly. No need to put any oil or seasoning on them – simply put them straight in, as is!
Air Fry at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, giving the drawer a good shake half-way through.
While the chicken is air frying, stir the melted butter and buffalo sauce together in a large mixing bowl until it’s nice and creamy.
Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to the bowl with the sauce and toss together until all of the chicken is well-coated with the sauce.
Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing and enjoy!
If you love all things buffalo, also check out my Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and my Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
Crispy, tangy, spicy delightfully tender and amazing chicken buffalo wings are a marvelous go-to for any occasion or non-occasion…make them any day of your life!
Air Fryer Chicken Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 lbs chicken wings and drummettes
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce
Instructions
- Place the raw chicken pieces in your air fryer in a single layer so that the wings cook evenly. No need to put any oil or seasoning on them - simply put them straight in, as is!
- Air Fry at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, giving the drawer a good shake half-way through.
- While the chicken is air frying, stir the melted butter and buffalo sauce together in a large mixing bowl until it's nice and creamy.
- Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to the bowl with the sauce and toss together until all of the chicken is well-coated with the sauce.
- Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing and enjoy!
Nutrition

Arlone L Cofield
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
Buffalonian here...bleu cheese, Maria's, is the drug of choice in Nickel City.
Julia
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
Love it! xoxo
Jennifer
Thursday 2nd of September 2021
We make these all the time and they are delicious!!
Julia
Tuesday 7th of September 2021
Yaaaay! They're just so amazing! xoxo