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These crispy air fryer chicken wings are marinated in a zesty citrus and garlic sauce, and taste so freaking good you’ll want to make them every night!
I’ve fallen in love with my air fryer, which -not gonna lie- kind of surprises me!
We used to have a deep fat fryer and I hated it. It made tasty food, sure, but it also made our kitchen smell like a McDonald’s… even three days later. It was a total pain to clean. And I was always freaked out about my kids getting too near it while the food was frying, so I had to babysit it the entire time.
Read: Weeknight Kimchi Fried Rice
When my husband brought home an air fryer for me to try, I rolled my eyes. It’s massive and takes a ton of electricity to use. But once I started experimenting with it, I quickly realized it was worth the effort to drag out of the cupboard whenever I was in the mood for crispy, tasty food.
I don’t have to babysit my air fryer, and it’s easy to clean. I don’t worry about the safety of my kids being near it, since the outside stays relatively cool to the touch.
The Air Fryer Makes Everything Crispy and Delicious
And the food cooked in the air fryer! Just #swoon. Crunchy breaded fish, leftover restaurant fries brought back to life, near-perfect crostini, and more. I’ve really been enjoying trying out new air fryer recipes.
Enter these crispy air fryer chicken wings, tossed in a citrusy-garlic marinade. I’ve made them twice in the last week, and I foresee even more in the future!
Toss these Extra Crispy Chicken Wings in a Zesty, Citrusy Marinade Before Cooking
The marinade is simple- only a handful of ingredients. To get the best flavor, soak the chicken wings in the marinade for at least an hour, and 12 hours is probably best.
The marinade is sweet, punchy, zesty, with a tiny kick from a ¼ teaspoon of chili flakes. It makes these crispy chicken wings addictive and flavorful, and I bet you can’t eat just one!
Then, cook the chicken wings in the air fryer at just 15 minutes on 400*F. It’s so much less than baking, less greasy than frying, and ten times as crispy and delicious!
Read: Extra-Crispy Melty Cheesy Chorizo Potato Skins
A word on the recaito in this crispy chicken wing marinade
Recaito is a Puerto Rican flavor base (which is sometimes swapped with Puerto Rican sofrito), made by blending cilantro, garlic, onion, and green pepper. It adds a big punch of fresh flavor to this marinade, and I really recommend it- but if you can’t find it, swap in the same amount of freshly chopped cilantro, instead.
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PinDescription
These crispy sir fryer chicken wings are first marinaded in a zesty citrusy garlic marinade, then fried to crackly perfection with no oil!
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken wings
1 cup lime juice
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup recaito (see note)
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
Combine ingredients of the marinade in a large bowl or ziplock bag, mixing well. Add the chicken and share or stir to coat.
Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour prior to cooking (12 hours is best)
To cook, heat the air fryer to 400*F. Arrange the chicken in the grate of the air fryer, leaving some space between each wing or drumstick (you may have to cook in two batches)
Cook for 15 minutes or until skin is crispy and brown and starting to blacken at the tips. Remove from the air fryer and serve.
Notes
Recaito is a Puerto Rican flavor base (which is sometimes swapped with Puerto Rican sofrito), made by blending cilantro, garlic, onion, and green pepper. It adds a big punch of fresh flavor to this marinade, and I really recommend it- but if you can’t find it, swap in the same amount of freshly chopped cilantro, instead.
Keywords: crispy air fryer chicken wings
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