Air Fryer Chicken Wings

These low-FODMAP air fryer chicken wings get crisp skin from a light baking powder dry rub, with onion and garlic powder swapped for smoked paprika and garlic-infused oil.

Prep 10 min

Cook 25 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, patted very dry
• 1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free and gluten-free), for crisp skin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar or cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil

For the optional garlic-free buffalo toss:

• 3 tbsp garlic-free cayenne pepper hot sauce (a plain sauce of peppers, vinegar, and salt, such as Tabasco Original or Louisiana Original)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted (or plant-based butter to keep it dairy-free)
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 pinch cane sugar

To serve:

• 2 tbsp scallion (spring onion) GREEN tops, thinly sliced
• Blue cheese or lactose-free ranch for dipping, small serving

Instructions

Season the wings

1. Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels. Dry skin is what crisps, so take an extra minute here.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder, smoked paprika, salt, sugar, mustard powder, black pepper, and cayenne.
3. In a large bowl, toss the wings with the garlic-infused oil, then add the rub and toss again until every piece is evenly coated.

Air fry

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380 F (193 C). Arrange the wings in a single layer with space between them, working in batches if needed so air can circulate.
2. Cook for 12 minutes, then flip each wing.
3. Raise the temperature to 400 F (204 C) and cook 8 to 12 minutes more, until the skin is golden and crisp and the thickest wing reads 165 F (74 C) on an instant-read thermometer.

Sauce and serve

1. For plain rubbed wings, scatter with scallion green tops and serve straight from the basket.
2. For buffalo wings, whisk the hot sauce, melted butter, garlic-infused oil, and pinch of sugar in a large bowl. Add the hot wings and toss to coat, then top with scallion green tops.

Tips & Substitutions

• Dry the wings well. Surface moisture steams instead of crisping. Pat them dry and, if you have time, leave them uncovered in the fridge for an hour before seasoning.
• Use baking powder, not baking soda. Baking powder raises the skin's pH so it browns and crisps. Baking soda in this amount would taste soapy and metallic.
• Garlic flavor without the bulb. Garlic-infused oil carries the flavor because fructans do not dissolve into oil, so you get the taste without the FODMAP load.
• Keep the buffalo sauce garlic-free. Read the label. Frank's RedHot Original and many bottled wing and buffalo sauces list garlic powder. Plain cayenne sauces like Tabasco Original and Louisiana Original are just peppers, vinegar, and salt.
• Onion note from green tops only. The green parts of scallions are low-FODMAP, while the white bulbs are not. Slice and use the green tops.
• Dip in moderation. Blue cheese is an aged, low-lactose cheese and works in a small serving. Check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes on any dip or cheese.

Why This Works

• Plain chicken carries no FODMAPs. Meat is protein and fat, so the wings themselves are safe. The FODMAP risk in most wing recipes comes from the seasonings and sauce.
• Fructans are not oil-soluble. Steeping garlic in oil, or using a certified garlic-infused oil, delivers flavor while the fructans stay behind, so the oil is low-FODMAP.
• No powders means no concentrated fructans. Onion powder and garlic powder are dried and concentrated, so even small amounts add up fast. The smoked paprika blend covers the savory depth instead.
• Scratch sauce beats the bottle. Bottled buffalo and barbecue sauces routinely hide onion and garlic. Mixing your own from a plain hot sauce keeps you in control of every ingredient.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked wings in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350 F (177 C) for 4 to 5 minutes to bring back the crisp, which the microwave will not do. Cooked wings freeze well for up to 2 months. Store any buffalo sauce separately and toss the wings after reheating so the skin stays crisp.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.