Description
A delicious and spicy Hot Honey Mustard Chicken Wings recipe made effortlessly in the air fryer. These wings are perfectly crispy with a smoky, tangy, and sweet glaze, enhanced by a balanced kick of cayenne pepper. Ideal for a quick appetizer or game-day snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Wings
- 4 pieces chicken wings (drumettes, wingettes, and tip)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoons olive oil (up to 2 tablespoons optional)
Hot Honey Mustard Sauce
- 3 ½ tablespoons raw and unfiltered honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain old-style mustard
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to 375°F (191°C) and preheat for 25 minutes to ensure even cooking temperature.
- Prepare the Chicken Wings: Pat dry the chicken wings thoroughly, then separate the drumettes from the wingettes and tips for even cooking.
- Season and Marinate: Drizzle the wings lightly with olive oil. Season all sides with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne powder. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes to enhance flavor absorption.
- Arrange Wings in Air Fryer: Place the chicken wings skin side up on the air fryer tray thoughtfully—drumettes towards the inner side near the rotisserie catch, wingettes with tips near the air fryer door.
- Initial Air Frying: Air fry the wings for 5 minutes, then turn them skin side down and continue air frying for another 8 minutes for even crisping.
- Prepare Mustard Mixture: In a shallow bowl, combine Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, cayenne, and salt. Reserve 1 tablespoon separately for dipping. Add apple cider vinegar and honey to the bowl and mix well, setting aside the hot honey mustard sauce.
- Create Mustard-Olive Oil Glaze: Mix the reserved one tablespoon mustard mixture with olive oil until smooth and creamy for brushing on the wings.
- Glaze and Continue Cooking: Remove the wings from the air fryer, brush all sides lightly with the mustard and oil mixture, then return them skin side down into the air fryer tray.
- Adjust Air Fryer Temperature: Lower the air fryer temperature to 370°F (188°C) for the remaining cook time.
- Cook Wingettes with Tips: Air fry wingettes with tips for 5 minutes, then toss them in the hot honey mustard sauce to coat evenly. Place them skin side up back on the tray and air fry for an additional 2 minutes before removing to cool.
- Cook Drumettes: Air fry drumettes for 7 minutes, coat with the hot honey mustard sauce, return skin side up, and air fry for a final 5 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Serve: Transfer all hot honey mustard chicken wings to a serving plate and enjoy with the reserved dipping sauce.
Notes
- This recipe uses an Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven; cooking times and results may vary with other air fryer models.
- You don’t need to wait for the “turn food” reminder; manually turning ensures even cooking.
- Always close the air fryer door when coating the wings to maintain consistent temperature.
- Adjust cayenne powder to your spice preference, starting with ½ teaspoon and adding increments of ¼ teaspoon if desired.
- Adding honey late in cooking prevents it from burning and achieves a perfect charred glaze.
- Wingettes with tips cook faster than drumettes; remove earlier to prevent overcooking.
- Monitor smaller drumettes closely during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients, especially freshly opened cayenne powder, for best flavor impact.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 4 wings)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
