Thai Chicken Wings

Air fried to perfection and then coated in a yummy homemade Thai sauce made of garlic, spicy Sriracha, salty soy sauce, and lemon juice with a dash of sweet honey, this incredible 25-minute Thai Chicken Wings recipe is finger-licking good! The wings are juicy, tender, and bursting with delicious Southeast Asian flavors!

Easy Air Fryer Thai Chicken Wings

Take a look at my blog and it’s probably not hard to guess that I’m a lover of chicken wings. Yet, for the most part, I’ve always baked my wings because I’ve found it to be the best way to perfectly cook them, keep them healthy, and make cleanup super easy. But once I learned how to air fry chicken wings my mind was blown!

Air frying wings is not only quick and easy, but a fantastic way to make them super tasty too! And these Thai Chicken Wings are no exception! In fact, this recipe takes a simple chicken wing and transports your taste buds to a different land. The air fryer infuses all the seasonings into the chicken as it cooks them to perfection with an added pinch of baking soda that works to tenderize the meat.

You can serve these tasty sticky Thai wings as a main dish with some fragrant Coconut Rice and healthy Steamed Broccoli or as an appetizer. They make a great first course or extra dish for an ultimate Thai dinner night when paired with Thai Drunken Noodles and Baked Thai Salmon.

Chicken Wings

• Chicken Wings – You will obviously need some chicken wings to make this recipe. 
• Vegetable Oil – Any type of vegetable oil will work. It just needs to be neutral in taste.  
• Soy Sauce – I always use low-sodium soy sauce in all my recipes. If you are gluten-free just use low-sodium tamari. 
• Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness and helps to adhere the seasonings to wings.
• Baking Soda – Normally used as a leavening agent, but in this case used to tenderize the meat. 
• Black Pepper – Ground pepper adds another layer of spice to season the wings in combination with the salty soy sauce.

Thai Sauce

• Vegetable Oil – To make the sauce, you want to use a type of vegetable oil with no taste such as canola, soybean, or sunflower.
• Garlic – Always use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor. Jarred garlic can sometimes be bitter due to preservatives.  
• Sriracha – It’s a hot sauce made of ground red chilis, vinegar, and garlic that you can find in the condiment aisle.
• Honey – Adds a dash of sweetness that helps to balance the spice and salt. 
• Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice brightens up the Thai sauce by adding a touch of acid that helps to both round out and highlight all the layers of flavor. You can also use lime juice or rice wine vinegar if you don’t have any lemons on hand. 
• Soy Sauce – It’s used like salt in the sauce. However, I like to use low-sodium soy sauce to control the level of sodium. 
• Green Onions – Also called scallions, are used to finish the glazed chicken wings and to add a little subtle onion flavor.

How To Make Thai Chicken Wings

This simple 25-minute recipe is broken down into two easy parts. Air frying the wings and making the yummy sauce. It takes very little effort and you can whip together the sauce while the wings cook. 

Preheat The Air Fryer

Before you even start prepping the wings, now is the time to preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) if needed. Yet, whether or not you need to preheat really depends on your particular air fryer. Some models require preheating and others don’t. However, if your air fryer manual does suggest preheating, don’t skip this step.  

Season The Wings

While your air fryer is heating, start prepping the wings by patting them dry with paper towels and putting them in a large bowl. Then add the vegetable oil, soy sauce, sugar, baking soda, and black pepper to the bowl. Now, toss the wings well in the mixture until they are fully covered with all the seasonings, and then place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. 

Air Fry The Chicken Wings

Cooking chicken wings in the air fryer is really easy! Just put the basket into the air fryer and cook them for 10 minutes at 400°F (204°C). Then remove the basket from the air fryer and flip the wings over. Now, put the basket with the wings back into the air fryer for 10 more minutes. Then put the fully cooked wings into a large bowl. That’s it! 

Note, for food safety, fully cooked chicken wings should have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with a digital cooking thermometer. 

Make The Thai Sauce

You can start making the sauce while the wings are cooking in the air fryer. Just heat the vegetable oil over medium in a small saucepan and then add the minced garlic to cook for 30 seconds until it’s aromatic. Then stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Toss And Serve

Once the Thai sauce is made and the cooked wings are in the bowl, pour the garlic sauce over the chicken and toss well to combine. Now, transfer the Thai chicken wings to your dish of choice, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve immediately with some extra Sriracha or a side of sweet chili sauce if you like.  

Does The Air Fryer Need To Be Preheated?

It depends on the model. If your manual says to preheat then yes. However, if it doesn’t then no. And if you aren’t sure then I suggest preheating your air fryer just to be on the safe side for the best results.

Can I Bake The Wings In The Oven?

Yes! You can easily make baked Thai chicken wings. Just place the seasoned wings in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure that they are evenly spaced apart. Then bake the wings at 425°F (218°C) in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until fully cooked.

Leftovers

Thai chicken wings will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months in an airtight container or sealed bag. To reheat, simply put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium heat or in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes. If they are frozen, it’s best to reheat them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Other Chicken Wings Recipes To Try

• Coca Cola Chicken Wings
• Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings
• Buffalo Wings
• Lemon Pepper Wings