Crispy Air Fried Bang Bang Sauce Chicken Wings Recipe

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Nobody wants to deal with hot oil splatters when craving wings. These bang bang sauce chicken wings use your air fryer and frozen wings for maximum convenience with zero compromise on flavor. You will get crispy, saucy, restaurant-quality wings that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, even though you only invested about 30 minutes of actual work.

These irresistible bang bang chicken wings are perfect to serve as a game day snack. They are also great to make as a party appetizer or even a fun appetizer based family dinner. Wings always go great with pizza in my opinion and could serve as a delicious Friday night appetizer without having to order out from a restaurant.

This was inspired by my bang bang sauce chicken sliders recipe on this site, and pairs well with this Cheeseburger Slider recipe.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
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💬 Comments

Ingredients

To make this recipe, frozen chicken wings are your best option due to the ease of air frying them while still accomplishing a crispy texture. The bang bang sauce is made of mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This recipe is best served with a blue cheese dipping sauce.

chicken wings
mayonnaise
sweet Thai chili sauce
garlic powder
kosher salt
black pepper
blue cheese

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Add chicken wings in a single layer to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 380 degrees for 14 minutes, flipping the chicken wings halfway through.

Step 2: Place the chicken wings skin side down in the air fryer and air fry an additional 7 minutes at 400 degrees.

Step 3: In a medium or large mixing bowl mix mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

Step 4: Toss wings in sauce until coated. Serve with blue cheese.

Hint: spray the air fryer basket with a cooking spray or use an air fryer liner to keep the chicken wings from sticking to the air fryer when cooking.

Substitutions

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce - use sweet and sour sauce instead of sweet Thai chili sauce and add a little hot sauce for the slight spice typical in a bang bang sauce
Chicken Wings - use fried shrimp instead of chicken wings for a seafood version
Vegetarian - toss fried cauliflower in the bang bang sauce for a vegetarian version

Variations

Bang Bang Shrimp - use fried shrimp instead of chicken wings for a bang bang shrimp version based on the Bonefish Grill classic
Bang Bang Cauliflower - toss fried cauliflower in bang bang sauce
Smoked Wings - cook the wings in the smoker to add a little smoky flavor to the appetizer
Bang Bang Sauce Burger - use this bang bang sauce on a burger for a delicious flavor combo

See this bang bang sauce burger version on my website!

Equipment

To create this recipe, you will need an air fryer and a large mixing bowl. If frying the wings, you will need a deep fryer. If baking, use a baking sheet.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing after cooking.

Top Tip

For extra heat, add red pepper flakes or chili powder to the sweet chili sauce mixture. There is already a good kick from the sweet Thai chili sauce but this will add a good amount of additional heat.

FAQ

Is there anything that goes well as a garnish for this recipe?

Yes, chopped green onions are the perfect garnish for these delicious wings.

How do I bake the wings if I don't have an air fryer?

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Place under the broiler for 3-5 miniutes until golden brown to get a crispy texture. Baking time may vary depending on size of wings. Follow directions on the package if you are not sure and always bake to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with these air fryer spicy bang bang chicken wings:

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