Air Fryer Korean Chicken Wings

Name: Korean Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken wings (bone-in); ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine or soju; 1 tablespoon baking powder (no substitutions); 1 teaspoon gochujang (red pepper paste); 1 teaspoon gochugaru (add more if you like extra spicy) (red pepper powder); ½ teaspoon soy sauce; ¼ cup water; 1 grated garlic cloves; ½ teaspoon neutral oil; ½ teaspoon honey; sliced green onions (optional)

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You need to make these spicy Air Fryer Korean Chicken Wings for your next snack or dinner! This air fryer version is healthier (with less oil) and easier if you’re craving some Korean fried chicken (KFC)! The sweet and spicy sauce is so addicting that it will remind you of the traditional Korean Fried Chicken.

Crispy Korean chicken wings garnished with sesame seeds and green onions on a white plate.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
Steps To Make the Air Fryer Chicken Wings:
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Delicious Chicken Recipes:
Korean Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Healthier Option: With air frying, you’re using less oil. This makes the chicken wings a lighter and healthier alternative to traditional fried wings without sacrificing flavor or texture. If you like this one, wait till you try the Teriyaki Salmon, Korean Short Ribs and Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. These are total air fryer hits you don’t want to miss!
Traditional Korean Flavor: The spicy gochujang sauce mixed with honey makes this sauce taste like traditional spicy Korean chicken. Gochujang brings the signature heat, while honey adds a touch of sweetness and together, they create a rich, balanced sauce.
Quick and Easy: With minimal prep and the convenience of an air fryer, this Korean chicken wings recipe is perfect for a quick yet delicious meal or appetizer. All you have to do is place them in there and wait for them to crisp up! And if you got some time to spare, whip up some Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle), or Tan Tan Udon to enjoy with your air fried chicken wings!

Ingredients

Here’s a look at what you need to make this Air Fryer Korean Chicken Wings at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

chicken wings: I recommend using smaller chicken wings (versus the attached wings) so they crispy up quicker in the air fryer.
shaoxing cooking wine or soju: I like adding cooking wine to help with the gaminess of the chicken wings. It also provides a nice aroma when cooked. Feel free to omit if you don’t drink alcohol.
baking powder: The baking powder makes the wings crispy by drying out the skin, helping it to brown and crisp up during cooking. The simple behind it is that it helps breaks down protein and draw out moisture from the skin.
gochujang – red pepper paste: Gochujang is the base of the Korean sauce. It’s fermented (not funky tasting at all) pepper paste with notes of spiciness and sweetness. You can find this at your local Asian grocery store.
gochugaru (add more if you like it extra spicy!) – red pepper powder: Korean red pepper flakes are more mild than red pepper flakes and less coarse. It brings extra spiciness to the sauce.
soy sauce: adds savoriness to the sauce and helps make it less thick. I recommend to use low sodium.
garlic: adds flavor to the wings. I recommend grating the garlic so it’s not clumpy when you’re taking a bite out of the wings.
honey: the sweetness of the honey mixes well with gochujang sauce. It helps make it less spicy and harmonizes with the sauce. If you want more sweetness, you can add more honey or sugar.

Substitutions and Variations

Try Chicken Drumsticks or Boneless Thighs: If wings aren’t your thing, you can use chicken drumsticks, boneless thighs, or even tenders. Keep in mind that you will need to adjust the cooking time slightly depending on the cut and thickness.
Adjust the Spice Level: If you’re not a fan of heat, cut down the gochujang. Want it hotter? Add gochugaru or a bit of sriracha for an extra kick.
Use Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar: If you’re out of honey, try using maple syrup or brown sugar for a slightly different depth of sweetness in the sauce. Both pair deliciously with gochujang and garlic.

Steps To Make the Air Fryer Chicken Wings:

Raw chicken wings marinated with salt, black pepper, and baking powder in a metal bowl.

Step 1: Wash your chicken wings and pat dry. Next, marinate your chicken wings in ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine or soju, and 1 tablespoon baking powder. Mix everything together.

Raw marinated chicken wings placed in the air fryer basket, ready to cook.

Step 2: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once pre-heated, add 5-6 wings at a time (add more wings if you have a larger air fryer). Air fry for 15 minutes at 400 or until golden brown.

Korean spicy sauce with gochujang, soy sauce, and garlic being mixed in a bowl.

Step 3: While the wings are cooking, make your korean spicy sauce. Mix all these ingredients together – gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, water, grated garlic, oil, and honey until gochujang is not clumpy.

Step 4: Add sauce on pan and heat on medium low heat. Stir the sauce occasionally in the pan so it doesn’t stick. When the sauce starts bubbling, turn off heat. Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes total. Cool sauce down and set aside.

Golden brown air-fried chicken wings on a plate next to a bowl of Korean spicy sauce.

Step 5: Once the wings are done in the air fryer. Take them out and cool for 3-5 minutes. This step is important to make the wings crispy!

Brush applying Korean spicy sauce to air-fried chicken wings on a plate.

Step 6: After cooling, brush a light coating of the korean spicy sauce on both sides of the wing. To garnish, add sliced green onions on top of your air fried chicken wings. Enjoy!

Holding a Korean chicken wing coated in spicy sauce and crushed peanuts.

Expert Tips

It’s recommended to brush your sauce or dip your wings in the sauce. These chicken wings are crispy but are not fried so it’s easy for the skin to soften once the sauce hits. You can also use your sauce of choice like buffalo, parmesan garlic, or you can try my korean soy garlic chicken wings!
No substitutions on the baking powder as it makes the wings extra crispy in the air fryer. If you don’t mind the non-crispiness of the wing, feel free to omit it.
Getting the right Korean ingredients ensure that the flavor tastes like Traditional Korean chicken wings. You can find the gochujang at the Asian grocery store.
For extra crispy chicken wings, air fry them once, let them rest for a few minutes, then pop them back in for a second round of cooking. This technique gives you that extra-crunchy Korean-style finish even without frying in oil.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Make Oven-Baked Wings Instead?

Yes, you can! However, the wings are going to take longer in the oven than the air fryer. You will need to place the wings on a wire rack and baking pan.
Bake them for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit on one side and flip over and cook on the other side for 15 more minutes until crispy.
Make sure to watch the wings and turn them when needed. Since all ovens slightly vary, cooking time might be longer than 40-50 minutes.

Storage and reheating tips

You can store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat the wings, you can place them in the air fryer 2-3 minute on 450 or heat them back up in the microwave. Keep in mind, they won’t be as crispy as when they’re fresh.

How do I serve?

Serve your air fried chicken wings fresh and hot! Serve along with this one pot kimchi rice, wood ear mushroom salad, or sesame seaweed salad for a full meal! This also goes great with noodles like kimchi bibim guksu or rice noodle soup with minced pork—it’s a totally tasty combo.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes:

Hainan Chicken Rice – a super popular chicken and rice dish sold in Asia with ginger scallion sauce.
Japanese Cream Stew – chicken cooked with vegetables in a Japanese cream sauce
Chinese Sausage with Chicken Rice – Chinese inspired one pot rice with fragrant flavors of lap cheong!