Sprig Originals's kitchen / Air Fryer Smoky Dry-Rub Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Smoky Dry-Rub Chicken Wings
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Shatteringly crisp wings with a sweet-smoky barbecue rub, cooked entirely in the air fryer basket — no oil, no dredging, no oven. A little baking powder in the seasoning dries the skin as it cooks, so you get that deep-fried crackle in under half an hour. Half the rub goes on before cooking and half gets tossed on hot, so the flavour stays bright instead of scorching.
Ingredients
Wings
- 2 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
- 1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
Smoky BBQ Rub
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Stir the smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl. Spoon half of this rub into a second small bowl and set it aside for finishing.
- Pat the wings very dry with paper towels — this is the single biggest factor in crispness. Put them in a large bowl, sprinkle over the baking powder and the first half of the rub, and toss with your hands until every piece is evenly coated and no white powder is visible.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes. Arrange the wings skin side up in a single layer in the basket, leaving a little space between pieces (cook in two batches if your basket is small). Air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes.
- Flip each wing with tongs and air fry another 10 minutes at 380°F, then raise the heat to 400°F and cook 5 to 6 minutes more, until the skin is deep golden and blistered and a thermometer in the thickest drumette reads 195°F.
- Tip the hot wings straight into a clean bowl, sprinkle with the reserved rub and toss for 15 seconds so it melts onto the skin. Rest 3 minutes and serve from the bowl.
Chef's tips
- Don't crowd the basket — overlapping wings steam instead of crisp. Two quick batches beat one soggy one; hold batch one on a plate and give it 2 minutes back in the basket at the end to reheat.
- Baking powder, not baking soda. Baking powder raises the skin's pH so it browns and crisps; baking soda in this amount tastes soapy.
- For a sticky version, toss the finished wings with 3 tablespoons of barbecue sauce instead of the reserved rub, then return them to the basket at 400°F for 2 minutes to set the glaze.
- Frozen wings work if fully thawed and patted bone-dry; wet wings will never crisp properly.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
321calories
26gprotein
3gcarbs
22gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
Made with Sprig
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