Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe (Chinese-Style)

Are you looking for the perfect crispy, crunchy, and tasty chicken wings? Look no further than this recipe for Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, a Chinese takeaway classic!

These mouthwatering wings deliver a tantalizing combination of savory, spicy, salty, and peppery goodness that will leave you craving more.

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Jump to Recipe

I know that readers like to skip to the recipe card, but I recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.

Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

If you’re a TikTok user, you may have seen the big debate about Chinese food in the UK vs the USA!

Arguments about why in the UK we call it “a Chinese” (a shortened form of “a Chinese takeaway”), and why we have different dishes like curry sauce, chicken chow mein, and salt and pepper chips.

My local Chinese [takeaway] does a lot of other salt and pepper dishes, including squid, prawns (shrimp), mushrooms, beef, and chicken. And we love ’em all!

But as a healthier alternative to takeaway, I made a batch of salt and pepper chicken wings in the air fryer.

And when I say they were good, they—were—good!

The best thing about these air fryer chicken wings is that they are crispy and crunchy on the outside but deliciously juicy on the inside!

This recipe would make a great starter for a dinner party, a tasty main dish with some noodles or fried rice, or as an appetizer for parties or gatherings with friends.

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe

While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, ingredients, and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon, Amazon Fresh, or other stores if available online.

Equipment Needed For This Recipe

• Air Fryer – this is (one!) of the units we have. Cook times and instructions will vary among different air fryer units. Be sure to check the recommended guidelines for bone-in chicken thighs for your specific unit before preparing this recipe
• Sharp Knife
• Chopping/Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls
• Rubber/Silicone Spatula
• Kitchen Tongs

Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use cups and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American US customary, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, that you can mix cup measurements with weighted measures, but never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Chicken Wings

One of the hero ingredients in this dish is chicken wings, so here are some more recipes using the same:

• Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Wings Recipe
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wings for Parties & Big Game Days
• Instant Pot Sesame Garlic Chicken Wings – A Great Game Day Appetizer
• Lemon-Pepper Baked Chicken Wings – An Awesome Game Day Appetizer!

How Do I Make Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings?

The printable recipe card with the full ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.

Step 1 – Preheat Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to the “Air Crisp” function if yours has that, and set the temperature to 350°F/180°C and set the timer to 10 minutes. Press “Start” to preheat the unit.

Step 2 – Prepare Chicken Wings: Place the chicken wings into a large bowl, and add the sesame oil and rice wine. Toss to cover.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, white pepper, ground ginger, and some salt and black pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken wings and toss to evenly coat.

Step 3 – Part-Cook Chicken Wings: Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to work in batches. Spray the air fryer basket with some cooking spray, and arrange the chicken wings in a single layer. Spray with more cooking spray and cook for 10 minutes.

If cooking in batches, tip the part-cooked chicken wings into a clean bowl, and cook the remaining wings.

Step 4 – Add Aromatics: Add the sliced chili peppers and green onions to the bowl of part-cooked chicken wings and shake to coat.

Step 5 – Cook Chicken Wings: Add everything from the bowl back into the air-fryer and cook for 10-15 mins, until dark golden brown and cooked through.

Step 6 – Make Dipping Sauce: Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a bowl and whisk together. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

Step 7 – Garnish & Serve: Transfer the chicken wings to a serving platter with a bowl of dipping sauce. Sprinkle over chopped chilies and green onion, serve, and enjoy!

More Air Fryer Recipes

Looking for more dishes to make in your air fryer? Check these recipes out next:

• Air Fryer Mummy Meatballs with Marinara Sauce for Halloween
• Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Thighs & Potatoes Recipe
• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip

Recipe Tips

• Cook times and instructions will vary among different air fryer units. Be sure to check the recommended guidelines for chicken wings for your specific unit before preparing this recipe.

Storing Leftovers & Freezing

• Storing Leftovers:
  • Cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  • Ensure food is piping hot throughout when re-heating.
• Freezing Instructions:
  • Cool completely and transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag.
  • If freezing in food bags, squeeze out as much air from the bags as possible.
  • Place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Label with the name of the dish, thawing/reheating instructions, and the date to keep track of your food storage.
  • To defrost the chicken wings place them in the fridge to thaw overnight (or at least 12 hours).
  • Reheat until piping hot throughout and reaches an internal temperature of 70°C/165°F but this can differ depending on the cut.
• With all leftovers, make sure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
• Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking
• You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).

Printable Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe Card

To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card do not print.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Michelle Ordever

Achieve crispy and flavorful perfection with Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, where the hot air circulation creates a golden and seasoned crust that will have you reaching for seconds.

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 482 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x4x

• 2¼-2½ lb 1kg-1.2kg chicken wings (about 16 wings)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or Japanese mirin
• ¼ cup 30g all-purpose (plain) flour
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• Cooking oil spray
• 1 red chili thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 green onions spring onions, thinly sliced​

For the Dipping Sauce

• 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
• ¼ cup 100g Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar​
• 2 tsp mild curry powder

For Garnish

• 1-2 red chili peppers thinly sliced
• 2 green onions thinly sliced

SUGGESTED PRODUCTS

• Silicone Kitchen Tongs
• Ninja 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with Air Fry
• Ninja 5-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer

Instructions

 

• Set the air fryer to the "Air Crisp" function if yours has that, and set the temperature to 350°F/180°C and set the timer to 10 minutes. Press “Start” to preheat the unit.
• Place the chicken wings into a large bowl, and add the sesame oil and rice wine. Toss to cover. In a small bowl, combine the flour, white pepper, ground ginger, and some salt and black pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken wings and toss to evenly coat.
• Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to work in batches. Spray the air fryer basket with some cooking spray, and arrange the chicken wings in a single layer. Spray with more cooking spray and cook for 10 minutes. If cooking in batches, tip the part-cooked chicken wings into a clean bowl, and cook the remaining wings.
• Add the sliced chili peppers and green onions to the bowl of part-cooked chicken wings and shake to coat.
• Add everything from the bowl back into the air-fryer and cook for 10-15 mins, until dark golden brown and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a bowl and whisk together. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken wings to a serving platter with a bowl of dipping sauce. Sprinkle over chopped chilies and green onion, serve, and enjoy!
  
  
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 532mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g

Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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Dinner Party Menu Suggestions

You’ve made the appetizer, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:

• Soup: Fragrant Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup with Garlic and Ginger
• Salad: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta & Olives
• Main Dish: Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli Penne Pasta
• Side Dish: Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
• Beverage: Fruity Island Escape – A Tropical Rum Cocktail
• Dessert: Homemade Peach Cobbler Recipe with No-Churn Vanilla Ice cream

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.

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