Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by Harry & Johan. This post may contain affliate links, see privacy policy
Reheat chicken wings in an air fryer in just minutes for hot, crispy results with an air fryer - this guide covers tips for all kinds of wings.
I love chicken wings! If I am eating at a restaurant for the first time, I will always order the wings (spicy wings if they have them!), and the restaurant will be judged on how good their wings are! But many times, I order a bit too many wings and have to take them home as leftovers.
The next day, when I am craving wings, I know that the air fryer is the best way to reheat chicken wings! They come out crispy and still saucy, and it's super quick too. Now, I always order some extra wings because I know I can reheat them in the air fryer until they taste fresh again!
Using quick hot air circulation, an air fryer beautifully crisps up the skin while heating the wings through in just minutes. This article will walk you through how to perfectly reheat all kinds of wings, including breaded, baked, or saucy buffalo wings.
If you want to turn your leftover chicken wings into a complete meal, serve them with some easy vegetable sides! You must try my Air Fryer Greek Potatoes, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob in Foil, or my Easy Air Fryer Carrots and Potatoes. Check out all my Air Fryer Vegetable recipes for more inspiration!
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📋 Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Using an air fryer to reheat saucy, breaded, or baked wings works incredibly well for a few reasons:
- Super hot dry air makes the skin crispy again without added fat or oil.
- The wings reheat quickly and evenly in just minutes.
- Saves heating up the whole large oven!
- Avoids unappealing, soggy results from the microwave.
- Restores wings to just-cooked, fresh-from-the-fryer quality!
🍗 Ingredients
Reheating wings in an air fryer requires only:
- Leftover cooked wings - breaded, baked, or sauced all work perfectly!
- Nonstick cooking spray or oil for brushing plain wings.
The powerful hot air circulation does the rest of the work of crisping up the exteriors without the wings needing any extra batter. Use any cooked wings you have on hand - fried, baked, or takeout!
See the recipe card for quantities and complete instructions!
📖 How to Reheat Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Step 1: Preheat Air Fryer to 370-400°F
Properly preheating the air fryer is key to getting wings ultra crispy:
- For breaded boneless wings, preheat to 370°F. Higher heats can over-cris and dry out the coating.
- For naked or saucy whole drumettes, go up to 400°F to maximize crisping.
- Preheat the air fryer for at least 5 minutes before cooking.
Heating up the air fryer first ensures it’s hot enough to start browning the skin immediately.
Step 2: Prepare Wings Correctly Before Air Frying
To get the best possible results, properly prepare wings before cooking:
- Breaded wings - Place cold breaded wings directly in fryer basket in a single layer. Avoid stacking.
- Plain naked wings - Give a light coat of oil using cooking spray or brushing to encourage browning without drying them out.
- Saucy wings - Brush any sticky sauces you want on wings in the last few minutes of cooking so they caramelize slightly.
Proper prep before air frying leads to hot, crispy, saucy wings every time.
Step 3: Cook Wings for 3 - 5 Minutes in Air Fryer
The exact cooking time will vary based on amount and size of wings as well as your air fryer model:
- For reheating a smaller batch, cook for just 3 minutes until heated through.
- When reheating a large batch of wings, extend the time to 6 - 8 minutes for cooked-through results.
- Flip wings over halfway during cooking for evenly crisped wings on top and bottom.
- Cook wings for at least 4 minutes before checking doneness.
Closely monitor wings to avoid overcooking. Wings are fully reheated when internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 4: Adjust Air Fryer Cook Time As Needed
The specific cook time required will depend on the amount of wings and your particular air fryer appliance model.
- Start checking wings after 4 minutes of cooking.
- Add 1-2 minutes more if required to reach desired doneness.
- Cook time may be a bit shorter for boneless wings vs. whole chicken wing drumettes.
Frequently check wings and adjust air fry time accordingly for perfect results.
Top Tip: Taking wings straight from the fridge to the air fryer will make them cook unevenly. Instead:
- Let wings sit out at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before reheating.
- This helpful step allows them to cook through much quicker and more evenly.
Letting wings rest on the countertop leads to ideal results.
🧂Serving Suggestions
Pair your freshly reheated wings from the air fryer with fun dipping sauces and sides:
- Celery and carrot sticks served with creamy ranch or tangy blue cheese dip in small bowls.
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries - cook them in the air fryer too, for an easy side dish!
- Cool coleslaw or potato salad for a contrasting crunch.
- Moreish dipping sauces like blue cheese, barbecue, ranch, etc. in small bowls.
- Pickled vegetables like jalapeños and cucumbers for some crunch.
With hot juicy wings and classic accompaniments, you have the perfect appetizer spread or quick snack!
⏲ Equipment
An air fryer is a compact countertop kitchen appliance that uses convection technology to circulate hot air around food. This allows you to reheat wings to crispy perfection without the oil of deep frying. Air frying also avoids the unappealing rubbery texture wings can get when reheated in the microwave.
An air fryer reheats leftover wings better than any other kitchen appliance. I tested this recipe using this Instant Pot Vortex air fryer! Here’s why it works so well for restoring crispy textures:
- Super hot air quickly crisps up and browns the skin.
- Rapid circulation reheats the insides without drying out the juicy meat.
- No added oil needed to get wings ultra crispy again!
- Shorter, more consistent reheating time than oven.
- Doesn't make wings rubbery like the microwave.
For deliciously crispy reheated wings in just minutes, an air fryer is the clear winner!
Don’t have an air fryer on hand? You can still reheat wings decently using other appliances:
Oven
- Preheat oven to 425°F to get air circulating.
- Place wings on a wire oven rack on a baking sheet.
- Cook 6 - 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Monitor closely to avoid overcooking.
Toaster Oven
- Preheat toaster oven to 400°F.
- Place wings on metal rack or baking sheet.
- Cook for 6-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Check frequently for doneness and to make sure the don't burn or dry out.
Microwave (Using Broil Function)
If your microwave has a broil or grill function, then you can try reheating your wings using that! Using a microwave without a grill function will make your leftover wings soggy.
- Microwave wings for 2-3 minutes on a microwave-safe dish.
- Check and stir every minute to avoid hot spots.
- Finish by broiling 1-2 minutes to crisp the skin.
While these methods won't be as crispy as the air fryer, you can still reheat wings decently using alternative appliances.
🍶 Storage
To make your leftovers last as long as possible, be sure to store wings properly after initial cooking:
- Let wings cool completely on a baking sheet before storing to prevent sogginess.
- Refrigerate wings in a sealed, airtight container for 3-4 days. An airtight container prevents drying.
- For longer freezer storage, wrap wings tightly in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Always thaw frozen wings thoroughly in the refrigerator before reheating.
- When reheating, only cook the amount of wings needed to avoid sogginess from repeated reheating.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQs
The air fryer helps maintain crispiness. Also, don't overcrowd and brush plain wings with oil before cooking.
Preheat your air fryer to 370°F for battered wings or 400°F to reheat naked/sauced drumettes.
Flipping wings over halfway through air frying allows for even reheating and crispiness on both sides.
Yes, an air fryer is ideal for crisping up leftover breaded boneless wings from restaurants or homemade wings. For boneless wings, reduce the air frying time by a couple of minutes.
Most batches of wings take just 4-6 minutes when air frying at 370-400°F. Very large amounts may need up to 8-10 minutes. Check frequently after 4 minutes.
👨🏻🍳 Top tips
- Don’t overcrowd the basket - leave space between wings for ideal air circulation.
- Flip wings over halfway for evenly reheated crispiness top and bottom.
- Use nonstick spray before cooking naked wings to prevent sticking.
- Only brush sauces on wings in the last minutes to avoid burning.
- Closely watch cooking time to prevent accidentally overcooking.
Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a comment below and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
📒 Recipe Card
Reheat Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- Leftover chicken wings if you have a large amount of leftover wings, air fry them in batches for best results!
- Vegetable oil (if reheating un-breaded wings)
Instructions
- Let wings sit out for 15-30 minutes to reach room temperature before cooking.Leftover chicken wings
- Preheat the air fryer to 370-400°F. 370℉ is best for breaded wings, and 400℉ is best for plain, un-breaded wings.
- Place wings in a single layer in the fryer basket, being careful not to overcrowd. If you're reheating plain, unbreaded wings then spray or brush some oil over the wings before air frying. This prevents them from drying out too much.
- Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, flipping halfway. Check the wings at around 4 minutes to make sure there is no burning or that they don't dry out.
- Toss with your favorite wing sauce in the last 1-2 minutes if desired.
- Remove from the air fryer, serve and enjoy!
This recipe was tested with these air fryers:
🍳 More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes!
- How to Reheat Fried Chicken in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
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