Description
These Air Fryer Chinese Chicken Wings are a quick and easy way to enjoy restaurant-style crispy and juicy wings at home. Marinated in a flavorful blend of Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and spices, then lightly coated in a mix of cornstarch and flour before air frying, these wings deliver a perfect balance of crispiness and succulence with minimal oil and effort. Gluten-free adaptable and perfect for make-ahead meals or snacks.
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 lb chicken wings
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
Coating
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Oil spray
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl or ziplock bag, combine the chicken wings with peanut oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ground ginger, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper powder. Mix thoroughly, massaging the marinade into the chicken to ensure even coating. Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (176°C) to ensure the wings cook evenly and achieve a crispy texture from the start.
- Prepare Wings for Air Frying: Drain the wings, discarding marinade liquid. Pat wings dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and all-purpose flour and then toss wings in this mixture until evenly coated with a dry-ish layer, leaving some flour visible on the surface.
- Arrange and Spray Wings: Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, skin side down. If wings don’t fit, cook in batches. Spray the wings generously with oil spray to prevent dry flour spots and aid crisping.
- Air Fry: Cook the wings for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once midway through cooking (around 6-8 minutes depending on wing size) to ensure even crispness. The wings should turn golden brown and crispy when done.
Notes
- Flipping the wings once during cooking helps achieve more even crisping; however, cooking without flipping still produces excellent results if placing wings skin side up initially.
- Adjust flipping time based on wing size: flip smaller wings at 6 minutes, larger wings at 8 minutes for best results.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the Shaoxing wine with dry sherry and ensure soy sauce is gluten-free or use tamari.
- Ensure wings are patted dry before coating to maximize crispiness in the air fryer.
