Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Baking Powder

Name: Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Baking Powder
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 900 g (2 lbs) chicken wings; 1 tablespoon baking powder; to taste salt; to taste pepper; as needed olive oil spray (optional)

Incredibly crispy chicken wings made in the Air Fryer with a simple trick: baking powder. The result is a golden, tender crust without needing much oil.

Time: 35 min2 servingsDifficulty: Easy200°CChicken

Steps

1
Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove moisture from the skin.
2
Preheat the Air Fryer to 190°C (375°F) for 5 minutes.
3
Sprinkle baking powder evenly on both sides of the wings, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
4
Place the wings in the Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spray with olive oil. Cook for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through.
5
Increase temperature to 200°C (400°F) and cook for another 5 minutes until very crispy. Serve with your favorite sauce.

Shopping list

900 g (2 lbs) chicken wings, 1 tbsp baking powder, salt, pepper, optional olive oil spray

Recipe story

This recipe originates in the United States, where culinary science enthusiasts discovered that baking powder helps dehydrate chicken skin, resulting in an extremely crispy texture. Popularized in modern kitchens, it quickly became a preferred method for perfect wings without deep frying.

Ingredient Secrets

Black pepper

Known as 'black gold' in antiquity, pepper was so valuable that it served as currency and tribute. In the Middle Ages, Venetian merchants controlled the pepper trade, and individual peppercorns were often counted. Legend has it that when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, demanded tribute from Rome, he included 3,000 pounds of pepper.

Sea salt

Sea salt, extracted from ocean waters by evaporation, was one of the most precious goods of antiquity, used both as food and as currency. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which is the origin of the word 'salary'. Salt roads connected entire civilizations, and in the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable it was called 'white gold'.

Olive oil

Originating in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil was already produced in ancient Crete 5,000 years ago. In ancient Greece, it was considered a gift from Athena and used in lamps, cosmetics, and religious ceremonies. The Romans spread it throughout the empire, and in the Middle Ages, monasteries preserved the tradition of its production.