Oil-Free Air-Fryer Chicken Wings (Bonus: With Fries)

Buffalo Wings are a pretty dumb thing to eat much or very often. Take the fattiest part of the chicken, with skin, deep fry it in fat, toss it in a sugar-laden sauce, then dip it in a 100% fat sauce like blue cheese dressing.

Here’s a better way, though for ketotarded morons it doesn’t have enough fat and has too much protein, LOL.

What a stupid lot of fucking fools.

…Anyway, the Air Fryer, ladies and gentlemen. Be smarter while enjoying the essentially good nutrition in birds while avoiding some of the downsides.

Get 10-12 thawed wings (for the 3.4 quart air fryer), patted dry, tossed in about equal proportions of salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne (the cayenne is super important—and it only renders a mild spicyness). Of course, you can play with whatever seasonings you like (like onion and/or garlic powder), and you can toss also toss them in a spicy or savory sauce after cooking— and you ought not need much of any sugar or fat. I’ve tossed them in just a few shakes of a standard bottled hot sauce. Take your pick.

Go ahead and pre-heat your air fryer for a few minutes. Then, simply add your seasoned wings at 400F for 11 minutes. Turn them over, then air fry another 11 minutes. Here’s what I do, instead of a sauce, typically: I toss them in dry, grated parmesan as soon as they come out. Hell’s Bells. I could eat these every damn day. Good thing I have three packages of frozen wings in the freezer (well, at this point, had).

Tim Steele told me they make a mess, but that wasn’t my experience. Took a minute, and I wiped the basket clean with a paper towel. Amazing ease. I have used this unit for every single meal since I got it a few weeks ago, except for heating up frozen mixed vegetables on the stovetop here and there. I would never go without one. It’s my favorite kitchen appliance and most essential I’ve ever had, by far. I love my InstantPot and I use it a lot. I use this 10 times more.

I have the 3.4 Quart version of the Power AirFryer, but check out any of the Amazon links they serve up below.

Don’t cheap out. The reviews on the cheap ones, say $50-75, say the outside gets hot and parts warp from heat and don’t fit right after some usage. This unit is about $100 and I’m about to order up a second one, 6-quart version, so that I’ll have more flexibility.

…Here’s another idea: combined air fryer fries and wings, but with a twist. To make good air fryer fries it’s simple, but preparation ahead of time is best for simplicity and rapidity. First, par boil a bunch of russets. I do five pounds at a time. You can do peeled or with skins. I typically do them peeled.

1. Cover the whole potatoes in cold water in a boiling pot.
2. Place on the stove, on high.
3. Once they come to a boil, remove them from the heat immediately.
4. Let them sit for exactly 5 minutes in the hot water.
5. Drain the hot water immediately and cover with cold water to stop further cooking.
6. Once cool, place them whole in the refrigerator overnight (this forms resistant starch).
7. The next day, cut them into fries. I think something between thin and steak fries is the best size.
8. Toss them in a big preparation bowl with plenty of salt (I like a little pepper too) and a small amount of oil, like I use no more than a TBS or two for the whole 5 pounds and much of it coats the bowl. I prefer using Sisson’s Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil over EVOO which surprised me. The taste and texture is better.
9. Now, pack them flat in a couple of large Ziplock freezer bags (so they don’t freeze all clumped together).

Now, within a few hours, you have low-fat, high resistant-starch fries on demand. Always preheat the air fryer, but you can do the fries right out of the freezer or let your portion thaw for an hour or so. Do them at 400F. If out of the freezer, I do them for 18 minutes. If thawed, 15 minutes. In either case, toss them halfway through cooking.

In this case, to have them with my wings, I do a hybrid. I fist do the fries for 10 minutes and pull them out. Then, I do one side of the wings for 13 minutes. Then, I pull them out too, put the fries back in and place the turned over wings on top of the fries for the final 13 minute cooking.

You get the idea. That’s right. Some of the seasoned chicken fat dribbles over the fries.

Amazing; and best of all, no mess. Cleanup consists of wiping the pot down with a paper towel. The basket is dishwasher safe as well.

…Oh, hang on a second. I jut made up a little afternoon snack for dad and mom, and she cut up some vegetation and added a little of her homemade ranch dressing.