Chicken wings in an air fryer

An air fryer is a small convection oven, so chicken wings cooks at 200 °C rather than 220 °C and takes 22–28 min instead of 40–50. That is roughly the usual 20 °C drop and a fifth off the time.

Side by side

The temperature that actually decides it

Times above are for planning. Whether chicken wings is done is decided by the internal temperature and nothing else — appliance wattage varies by roughly a factor of two across the category, and thickness changes the time more than any setting does. A probe thermometer in the thickest part is the only reliable answer.

What goes wrong

• Wings are the food air fryers do best, because rendered fat drains away instead of pooling.
• Dry the skin thoroughly first. Surface moisture has to boil off before browning starts, and that is time the meat spends overcooking.
• A teaspoon of baking powder per 500 g raises the skin pH and crisps it noticeably. Baking powder, not soda.
• Sauce after cooking, never before — sugar in the sauce burns well before the meat is done.

Air fryer wattage and basket size vary widely, so treat the first batch as a calibration run and write down what worked. These figures are compiled guidance, not a published standard.