Crispy Air Fryer Sriracha Chicken Wings

Crispy air fryer wings with a sticky sriracha glaze - because fried chicken should be crunchy, spicy, and mess-free.

Air fryers are more popular than ever, and for good reason, they promise crispy, golden food with barely any oil. But let’s be real: not all air fryer recipes deliver. Sometimes you get soggy fries, limp vegetables, or the worst offender — chicken wings that just don’t crisp up!

That’s where this recipe comes in. If you’ve been searching how to make chicken wings EXTRA crispy in the air fryer, you’ve just found the only recipe you’ll ever need. These wings are crunchy, golden, and coated in the most addictive sriracha glaze.

Ingredients

For the Wings (Serves 3–4, about 20 wings / 1–1.2kg)

• 20 chicken wings (~1–1.2kg), patted completely dry

• 1 ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 ½ heaped tablespoons starch (potato starch, tapioca starch, or cornstarch)

• 1 heaped tablespoon rice flour

• 1 tablespoon self-raising flour OR plain flour + ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• ½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable, etc.)

• ¾ teaspoon garlic granules

• ¾ teaspoon chilli flakes

• ¾ teaspoon dried parsley

• ¾ teaspoon dried coriander

For the Sriracha Glaze

• 3 tablespoons of your favourite sriracha sauce (I used Thai Dragon Sriracha Black Fire Sauce)

• 1 garlic clove, finely diced

• ½ bird’s eye chilli, finely diced OR ½ teaspoon hot chilli powder

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• 25ml water

• ¼ teaspoon cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon dried parsley

• ¼ teaspoon dried coriander

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon ginger powder

• ¾ teaspoon brown sugar (or regular sugar)

• Salt to taste

• Sesame seeds and sliced spring onions for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preparing the Wings

1. Pat the wings completely dry with kitchen roll. Any moisture left on the skin will prevent crisping.

2. In a large bowl, toss the wings with salt, starch, flours, black pepper, lime juice, oil, and seasonings. Make sure every wing is evenly coated. The starch is essential for crispiness, while the flour (or bicarbonate of soda, if using) adds a light texture.

3. Lay the wings out on a tray or plate in a single layer and refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour). This step allows excess moisture to evaporate, which leads to a much crispier skin when cooked.

Step 2: Making the Sriracha Glaze

1. In a small saucepan, combine sriracha, diced garlic, chopped chilli (or chilli powder), lime juice, soy sauce, ketchup, water, onion powder, ginger powder, sugar, and salt.

2. Set the heat to low and stir continuously as the sauce begins to warm. Do not allow it to boil — this will cause the sugars to burn before everything has had a chance to combine properly.

3. In a small bowl, mix ¼ teaspoon cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water to create a smooth slurry.

4. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. This will thicken the glaze slightly so that it coats the wings properly without dripping off.

5. Continue stirring on low heat for 2–3 minutes until the sauce has thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Step 3: Cooking the Wings in the Air Fryer

1. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Let it heat for at least 3 minutes so that the wings cook evenly.

2. Arrange the wings in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Do not overcrowd them! If they’re packed too closely together, they will steam instead of crisp.

3. Drizzle or spray a light layer of oil over the wings. This helps with browning and crisping.

4. Cook at 200°C for 10 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, flip each wing over, drizzle/spray a little more oil, and cook for another 8–10 minutes.

6. Check the internal temperature of the wings using a meat thermometer. They should reach at least 74°C at the thickest part. If they haven’t reached this temperature, cook for another 2–3 minutes.

7. Turn off the air fryer and leave the basket open for 5 minutes. This allows the wings to firm up further before they are coated in the glaze.

Step 4: Coating and Serving

1. Place the cooked wings in a large bowl.

2. Pour the sriracha glaze over the wings and toss until they are evenly coated. The glaze should be thick enough to stick to the surface without running off.

3. Transfer the wings to a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.

4. Serve immediately. These wings are best eaten fresh while the skin is still crisp and the glaze is warm.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

My air fryer wings aren’t crispy enough - what went wrong?

If they’re coming out sad and soggy instead of crispy and golden, something went wrong in the prep. First, did you pat them completely dry? Any moisture left on the skin will sabotage the crispiness. Did you coat every single wing evenly in the flour and starch mixture? If some wings had patchy coating, they won’t crisp up properly. Also, starch (any) is crucial. It forms that delicate, crunchy crust, so don’t skip it. 

Overcrowding the air fryer is another common mistake. If the wings are touching on top of each other, they’ll steam instead of crisp, so cook them in batches if necessary. Leaving them uncovered in the fridge helps dry them out for an even better crunch, so be patient. Also, don’t skimp on oil please! Air frying is healthier, sure, but a light drizzle or spray helps with even browning. Finally, once they’re cooked, let them sit in the open air fryer for five minutes before tossing in sauce. This helps them firm up instead of going limp the second they touch the glaze.

I don’t have rice flour. What should I do?

Rice flour is the secret to achieving that fluffy yet crunchy texture in air-fried chicken wings. It crisps up really nicely without getting too dense. If you don’t have it, you can substitute cornflour (cornstarch), but make sure to sift it well to aerate it. This helps mimic the lightness of rice flour, but if you can find rice flour, use it! It makes a real difference.

I don’t like (insert ingredient). Can I swap it with (insert ingredient)?

Yes. You are a human with free will - go crazy!! Hate coriander? Skip it. Don’t like spice? Use a milder sauce. Prefer honey over sugar? That works too. Cooking is an experiment, and the only way to find out what works for you is to try. Let me know how it turns out!

Can I make these wings in the oven instead?

Yes. Bake at 190°C (fan) for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through on a baking rack. You won’t get the exact same air-fryer crisp, but they’ll still be good.

Can I use frozen wings?

You absolutely can, but defrost them completely first. Frozen wings release too much water, making it impossible to get a crispy finish. Pat them dry thoroughly before seasoning.

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