'Double fried' Air Fryer Wings with Filipino-inspired Glaze
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 40 mins | Yield: 1 dozen wings
One of the things I learned how to cook solely so I can enjoy them any time is chicken wings. We were deprived of sports for most of the year because of the pandemic and when basketball came back, I revisited my chicken wing recipe. As I read and perused many different recipes, I learned the secret of double frying to get the crispiest wings.
Sometimes though, using all that oil to fry chicken not only gets too messy for me to clean up, but also makes for a heavy and greasy dish. We were recently gifted a toaster oven with an air fryer function and I thought this was a good opportunity to try a healthier version of my favorite chicken wings. If you do decide to try this recipe out sans air fryer, just do 20 minutes for first fry and 10 minutes for second fry in a pot with enough oil to cover the wings about 3/4 of the way over medium-high heat (replacing steps 4 and 8). Enjoy!
Ingredients
Chicken wings:
· 2 lbs chicken wings (cut into little drumlets and wings)
· 1/3 cup corn starch
· 1/2 tsp salt
· 1/4 tsp pepper
· sesame seeds (optional, for topping)
Glaze:
· 1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
· 2 tbsp honey
· 1/2 inch piece of ginger, sliced thinly
· 2 whole cloves garlic, slightly crushed
· 2 tbsp sriracha
· 1 tbsp vinegar
Tools:
The air fryer I used is the Cosori 'CO130-AO 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo' that we recently got as a gift.
Instructions
Preheat air fryer to 400˚ F.
In a medium bowl, mix prepared wings with salt and pepper, mixing to season each piece. Let sit for 5 mins.
Place cornstarch on clean, flat tray or flat plate. Dredge each piece of wing in the corn starch, making sure to tap off any excess. Set coated wings on air fryer mesh tray and spray or brush lightly with oil of choice (e.g., PAM).
Cook in preheated air fryer for 25 minutes, making sure to turn wings over halfway through and spraying other size with oil as well.
While chicken is cooking, place ginger and garlic in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on microwave setting. This will slightly 'cook' the ginger and garlic and prevent intense or harsh flavors on glaze.
Add soy sauce, honey, sriracha, and vinegar to the garlic and ginger. Let rest while the chicken cooks.
Once chicken has cooked for first 25 minutes, take out of air fryer and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Place back in the air fryer at the same 400˚ F and cook for another 15 minutes, once again turning the wings halfway through. This second 'fry' will help the skin become super crispy.
After the second 'fry', take a small brush and carefully brush the wings with prepared and cooled glaze. Flip over and brush the other size of each wing. Tip: brushing over tossing in the glaze will ensure the wings stay crispy.
Plate and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!