Air Fryer Chicken Wings in the Ninja Foodi Grill

These Ninja Foodi chicken wings will take your meal from good to great.

Let’s say Friday is near and you’re planning to relax by enjoying your favorite chicken wings while watching a basketball game or a favorite flick. TGIF.

But instead of enjoying delicious chicken wings that are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, you get soggy on the outside, dry chicken, and an annoying, greasy feeling in your mouth. Oh, no! That is the downside of fast-food takeout. If you do make your own at home, not all ovens and recipes can give you that juicy, tasty interior and crrrispy sound (did you hear it?) with every bite.

Ditch the oven and the deep fryer! It’s time for you to get your hands on this very easy, very convenient recipe (we also show you how you can cook frozen chicken wings in a Ninja Foodi Grill).

Once you’ve tried this recipe, there’s no going back. So, read on to know how you can make healthier, crispier air fryer chicken wings using a Ninja Foodi Grill or a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer!

Bonus: this comes with a recipe for an unforgettable buffalo sauce and creamy yogurt dip!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Fried chicken wings are a favorite hang-out snack or a dish perfectly paired with a tall glass of cold beer.

To save more time in the kitchen and have more time to relax, use the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer or Ninja Foodi Grill. It’s possible to cook chicken wings in conventional ovens, but it takes a significantly longer amount of time.

As for air fryers, you’ll just need to prepare the ingredients, toss the chicken, pop it in the fryer, and set the timer. Super easy.

In a nutshell this recipe works because:

• It uses less oil than a deep fryer or over the stove!

• The "air crisp" function on the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill works exactly the same as an air fryer

• The air crisp basket can hold up to 2 pounds of wings or fries

You can use either the Ninja Foodi Grill or the Ninja Foodi Air Fyer for this recipe. 

NOTES ON THE INGREDIENTS

For the Wings:

• Chicken Wings: You can use fresh chicken wings from your local butcher, but you can also use the frozen ones you can get from the grocery store.

• Cornstarch: This will give you a nice, crunchy breading. Using cornstarch instead of flour will prevent a soggy exterior.

• Onion Powder & Garlic Powder: In this recipe it’s good to use powder so that you can easily mix these spices with cornstarch.

• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Don’t forget Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste. You’ll also need canola or avocado oil spray just to make sure the wings won’t stick on the tray.

For the Buffalo Sauce:

• Butter: Butter gives the rich base for the buffalo sauce.

• Garlic: You can use Garlic Powder, but for this recipe, it’s best to use minced garlic.

• Hot Sauce: Such as Frank’s hot, but feel free to use your favorite hot sauce! 

For the Dip:

• Mayonnaise: You can use homemade or store-bought. 

• Yogurt: You can use Greek style or the regular yogurt...as long as it’s plain!

• Parmesan Cheese: Grate the cheese, or buy the ready-use grated ones. Parm gives the dip a salty-cheesy kick!

• Parsley: To add a little bit of fresh notes to the taste.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the wings at the joints to give you three pieces - a drumette, a wingette and a tip (you can discard the tip)
2. Pat chicken dry w/ paper towels.
3. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper
4. Toss evenly over wings to ensure every surface is coated 
5. Pre-heat the Ninja Foodi Grill to Air Crisp at 390 degrees 
6. Spray bottom of the air crisp tray with Canola oil and allow it to come to heat. 
7. When it’s ready and prompts you to “Add Food,” open and add wings. Lay out wings in tray and spray the wings with canola or avocado oil
8. Set the timer to 30 mins, turning them over at 12 - 15 mins in.
9. For the sauce: About 10 - 15 mins before the wings are done, melt the butter in a separate pot or saucepan.
10. Add minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute and then add hot sauce of your choice to taste.
11. In the last 5 mins, pour hot sauce on wings and grill for the remaining time 
12. For the dip: mix mayo, yoghurt, cheese and parsley in a separate bowl. Enjoy! 

EXPERT TIPS

• To make sure the chicken wings are extra crispy, make sure to use cornstarch or a combination of cornstarch and a pinch of baking powder.

• Another trick for this is to make sure to pat dry the chicken using paper towels. Wet poultry may cause uneven coating

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTION

• For the dip, instead of parsley, you may add fresh dill.

• If you want a different depth of cheesy flavor, you may add blue cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Just be careful of the amount since blue cheese can overpower the rest of the ingredients.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

For a complete Friday Night experience, serve it with a glass of ice-cold beer.

If you want to add some side dishes, this recipe goes well with potato fries, onion rings, or chipotle rice!

Leftover chicken wings can be shredded off the bones as a filling for quesadilla, burrito, wraps, or sandwiches.

STORAGE TIPS

If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container and pop them in the freezer. It’s not recommended to refrigerate them because the chicken tends to dry out that way.

To reheat the frozen leftovers, thaw for a few hours. Then pop it in the airfryer for around 10-15 minutes until it’s crispy again.

So there you have it, an easy, convenient dish that will surely level up your hangouts!