Paula Deen Naked Hot Air Fryer Southern Chicken Wings

Paula Deen naked hot air fryer Southern chicken wings are crispy, unbreaded wings with peanut oil, cayenne and a buttery hot sauce glaze that come together in 35 minutes. It's an easy air fryer appetizer for game day, cookout or potluck, and it's a no-fuss Southern comfort food snack.

Cook the wings in batches of 8 so the basket never gets crowded, because hot air has to reach every side of each wing. Pile them in and they steam instead of crisp.

Paula tosses the wings in a warm butter and hot sauce mixture only after they come out of the basket, which keeps the skin crackly instead of soggy. Spraying the wings with oil once midway also helps the skin brown evenly without any breading or flour.

Paula Deen Naked Hot Air Fryer Southern Chicken Wings

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Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

540

kcal

Crispy, unbreaded wings get tossed in a warm butter and hot sauce glaze right after they leave the air fryer. The skin stays crackly while the buffalo sauce clings to every bend of the wing.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) Butter
  

• ⅓ cup Paula Deen Hot Sauce
  

• 2 pounds chicken wings, each wing cut at joint to yield wingette and drumette
  

• 2 tablespoons Peanut oil
  

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  

• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  

• Oil, for spraying
  

Directions

• Make the sauce: Combine 1/2 cup butter and 1/3 cup Paula Deen hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until the butter melts, then keep it warm on the stovetop.
• Season the wings: Wash 2 pounds of chicken wings, cut at the joint into wingettes and drumettes, and pat them dry. Place them in a large bowl, then toss with 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper until evenly coated.
• Air fry in batches: Place 8 wings in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 400°F. Air fry for 25 minutes, shaking occasionally and spraying with oil once during cooking, then repeat with the remaining wings.
• Toss and serve: Toss the fried wings in the warm buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Then lift them out with a slotted spoon and move them to a serving dish.

Tools for this recipe

• Ninja AF101 4-quart air fryer, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO stainless slotted spoon, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use frozen chicken wings?

Thaw them completely in the fridge first, since ice on the skin keeps the wings from crisping. Then pat them very dry before adding the oil and seasoning.

How do I store and reheat leftover wings?

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the air fryer rather than the microwave, so the skin has a chance to crisp up again.

Can I make the buffalo sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the butter and hot sauce mixture can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge. Warm it gently on the stovetop before tossing, because cold butter will clump on the wings.

What can I use if I don't have peanut oil?

Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or vegetable oil, works in its place. The wings will taste slightly different, but the crisping works the same way.

What's the most common mistake with air fryer wings?

Crowding the basket is the big one, since packed wings steam and the skin stays soft. Cook in batches of 8, shake the basket now and then, and the skin comes out crisp.