Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Wings
These air fryer chicken wings seasoned with salt and pepper, are crispy, delicious, and ready in just 30 minutes. They are a great option for those who want something simple, without a lot of fuss.
Air-fried salt and pepper wings are simple wings with crispy skin and delicious flavor. These wings are perfect for the person who wants a wing without all the fuss of a messy sauce, and who prefers to let the flavor of the chicken shine through.
They are a great balance to a wing platter with bolder options such as Air Fried Honey Hot Wings, or the flavor-packed Air Fryer Parmesan Garlic Wings.
Chicken wings, with their crispy skin, juicy meat, and endless flavors, are one of the most popular finger foods to see on an appetizer platter.
Whether it’s football parties, movie nights, or casual get-togethers, they are always a hit.
If you are feeling like chicken wings, but not in need of appetizers, wings can also be enjoyed as part of a main meal. They are great with sides such as Street Corn Pasta Salad, Creamy Mac & Cheese, or a simple plate of Air Fried French Fries.
While saucy wings that leave you licking your fingers and looking for the roll of paper towels are delicious, sometimes you want something a little simpler.
These salt and pepper wings are the perfect choice. Made with only four simple ingredients, they are easy to make, and take less than 25 minutes in the air fryer.
There is no breading on these wings. Instead, they are tossed in a small amount of olive oil which when combined with the power of the air fryer creates the crispy, delicious skin you are looking for.
Because of the simple seasoning, these air fryer salt and pepper wings are the ideal wings to enjoy with various dips and sauces on the side. While we love them with ranch dressing or blue cheese, we find these wings also pair well with other dips such as Garlic Chive Mayo Dip, Honey Mustard Sauce, or Creamy Jalapeno Sauce.
Leftovers store well and can be enjoyed hot or cold, making them a great choice for tossing in the lunch box the next day, or a late-night snack.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Split chicken wings – You will want about one and a half pounds of chicken wings with the wing tips removed. This is about 16 pieces, depending on the size and how many flats for drummettes you have. Our family does a mixture of flats and drumettes because one of us prefers flats and the other prefers drums, but you can do all drumettes or flats. This recipe will also work fine with whole chicken wings if that’s what you have.
Olive Oil – A little bit of olive oil helps the ranch seasoning stick to the wings and aids in crisping them. You can use other oils, such as avocado oil, canola, or vegetable oil if you prefer
Pepper – Fresh cracked pepper is best for this recipe, but you can use ground pepper if that is all you have. However, you will want to use about half the amount. You can also use other pepper blends such as lemon pepper, if you like. And if you want to add a bit of heat, a few chili flakes.
Salt – We like using coarse salt in this recipe, such as kosher salt or coarse sea salt. You can use table salt if you like, but you will want to reduce the measurement by about half.
Storing Leftover Chicken Wings
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
They should keep for about three days.
Leftover cooked chicken wings can also be frozen. Simply store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. They will store well for several months.
Reheating Leftover Wings
To reheat, you can pop the wings in the air fryer at 350°F for 5-6 minutes until they are warmed through.
They can also be placed in an oven-safe dish, covered with foil, and heated in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
Top Tips & Tricks
- For best results, you want to make sure you are cooking these in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray. Wings that are stacked will take longer to cook and will not be as crispy.
More Delicious Air Fried Wings
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Air Fried Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken wings split (about 16 pieces)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper or 1 tsp ground
Instructions
- Place the chicken wings in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing the wings to ensure they are well seasoned.
- Place the wings in a single layer of the air fryer basket. Cook at 380°F for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through, until crispy and golden.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
