The one thing that ruins air fryer chicken wings every time

I kept getting soggy, chewy wings and could not figure out why. My friend in Phoenix, who uses her air fryer almost every day, finally asked me a simple question: are you drying them first? I was just tossing them in sauce and putting them straight in the basket. She told me to pat the raw wings completely dry with paper towels, then toss them in a little baking powder and salt before cooking. I tried it last night, and it was a total game changer. The skin got super crispy, almost like they were fried, and the meat stayed juicy inside. I cooked them at 400 degrees for about 22 minutes, flipping halfway. It turns out that extra moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Has anyone else found a different trick for getting that perfect crunch on wings?

3 comments

3 Comments

blairc901mo ago

Wait you were putting SAUCE on BEFORE cooking? That explains everything, the sugar in most sauces just burns and steams the skin. I always dry them, use baking powder, and only sauce after they're fully crispy.

shane_park921mo ago

You do the baking powder thing too? I tried that once and it worked great, but I got a weird aftertaste. Maybe I used too much. What's your ratio for it?

cole_flores441mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah that weird aftertaste... I know exactly what you mean. I do like a teaspoon per pound of wings, any more and it gets kinda chemical tasting.