Air fryer buffalo turkey wings are extra large wings coated in a crispy coated and tossed in spicy buffalo sauce. If you love buffalo wings, these wings will take your next wing night to a new level. Turkey wings are meatier than chicken wings and are perfect for a main meal or can be served as an appetizer or snack.
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Why We Love Air Fryer Turkey Wings
If you like chicken wings, you are going to love turkey wings!
Air fryer buffalo turkey wings are a great serving option instead of regular chicken wings. Their larger size means more meat. This makes them perfect for a main meal. But like chicken wings, turkey wings work great on an appetizer platter.
These jumbo-sized wings are perfect for game day, especially when coated in spicy buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese dip.
Not only are turkey wings larger than chicken wings, but they have firmer meat and skin and a slightly more robust flavour.
You can cook and season turkey wings just as you would chicken wings.
The coating on these wings is a simple mixture of flour, cornstarch and seasoning. The coating acts to add flavour, and crunch and helps the hot sauce stick to the wings.
Cooked in the air fryer, these tasty wings take less than 30 minutes to cook. The meat will stay tender and juicy, and the skin will become golden and crisp.
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Ingredients
For a complete list of ingredients, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
These crispy wings are made with simple pantry ingredients, and it is easy to adjust the seasonings depending on your flavour preferences.
Turkey wings – You will want split turkey wings for this recipe. You can usually buy them pre-split from your grocer or butcher. If you can not find split wings, you can buy whole wings. Before you begin, you must remove the tip and separate the flat from the drumette.
All-purpose flour, corn starch, & baking powder – The combination of the flour, corn starch and baking powder gives these wings their extra crispy coating and helps the hot sauce stick. If you need to keep the wings gluten-free, omit the flour or replace it with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend.
Seasonings – The seasoning blend in these crispy wings is made with simple pantry ingredients. The combination of chilli powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, garlic and onion give the wings a savoury, with a bit of smokiness. If you want to keep things simple, you can replace the individual seasonings with your favourite seasoning blends, such as BBQ or cajun seasoning.
Hot sauce – This recipe uses a standard, all-purpose hot sauce. I like to use Frank’s Red Hot, but you can use any brand you prefer. It is mixed with melted butter to help it stick to the wings. You could also use a store-bought buffalo wing sauce to keep things simple.
Step by Step Instructions
Step one – In a small bowl, combine the seasonings with the flour, corn starch and baking powder.
Place the wings on a baking sheet or cutting board and dust them with half of the seasoning blend, making sure to cover all sides of the wings. Let them rest for five to ten minutes until the flour blend becomes sticky, then coat them again.
Step two – Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and generously spray them with olive oil.
Set the air fryer to 380°F and cook the wings for 25-28 minutes. Turn the wings after 10 minutes and respray them with olive oil. Check on the wings again at 20 minutes. If you see any spots of dry flour, spray them with olive oil, then continue cooking until the skin is crispy and juices run clear when the wings are pierced with a fork.
Step 4 – Add the hot sauce, butter, and garlic to a small pot while the wings are cooking. Heat just until the butter is melted and the sauce is fragrant, then remove it from the heat and set aside until the wings are done.
Once the wings are cooked, place them in a bowl, drizzle with as much or as little sauce as you like, toss to coat, and serve.
Pro Tip: The time to cook will depend on your air fryer’s brand, size and wattage, and the size of the wings. Turkey wings are cooked when the juices run clear when pierced with a fork, and the skin is crispy. If you use an instant-read thermometer, turkey wings are ready when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serving Suggestions
These crispy, air-fried buffalo turkey wings are suitable as part of a meal, or they can be served as an appetizer or a snack.
You can serve these wings in the same way you would serve chicken wings. Because they are larger, and more like a chicken drumstick, you only need to account for two to three pieces per person. They are perfect on an appetizer platter for game day or wing night. Crispy turkey wings would be delicious alongside appetizers such as air-fried meatball sub skewers, firecracker shrimp, or buffalo chicken taquitos.
If you want to eat these wings as a main meal, you can serve them with some crispy french fries, sweet potato fries, or a simple salad. They even pair well with dishes such as twice-baked potatoes!
Whether as a meal, appetizer, or snack, we definitely recommend serving these spicy wings with a large dish of blue cheese or ranch dip.
Storage & Reheating
You can store leftover turkey wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days.
You can use the air fryer, oven or microwave to reheat leftover air-fried turkey wings. To reheat turkey wings in the air fryer, set your air fryer to 350°F, and heat the wings for 5-6 minutes until heated through.
Top Tips & FAQS
If you can’t find split wings and don’t want to split them yourself, you can cook turkey wings whole.
Turkey wings are cooked when the juices run clear when pierced with a fork or when the internal temperature reads 165° when using a meat thermometer.
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Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Turkey Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 whole turkey wings split
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Buffalo Sauce
- ½ cup hot sauce like Frank's Red Hot
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced or crushed
Garnish and Sides, optional
- crumbled blue cheese
- ranch dip
- blue cheese dip
Instructions
- If your wings are not already split, remove the tips from the wings and split the flats from the drumettes.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and seasonings in a small bowl.
- Place the wings on a baking tray or cutting board and sprinkle them with half of the flour mixture, ensuring they are fully coated. Let them rest 5-10 minutes until the flour becomes sticky, then coat with the remaining flour mixture.
- Place the wings in a single layer in your air fryer basket and spray generously with olive oil.
- Set the air fryer to 380°F. Cook the wings for 10 minutes, then flip the wings and spray them again with olive oil. Cook for a further 10 minutes, then check the wings. If there are any dry spots of flour, spray them with olive oil. Continue cooking for a further 5-8 minutes until the wings are crispy and golden and juices run clear when the wings are pierced with a fork.If you are using a thermometer, the wings are ready when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Buffalo Sauce
- While the wings are cooking, place the hot sauce, butter, and garlic into a small pot. Heat over low-heat until the butter is melted and the sauce is warm. Then remove from the heat and set aside.
Coat the Wings
- When the wings are finished cooking, place them in a bowl, drizzle with as much or as little sauce as you like, and toss to coat.
- If desired, move to a serving platter and sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.
- Serve with a dish of hot sauce and blue cheese or ranch dip.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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