Air fryers are a great way to make chicken wings. I like a nice crispy wing but not wings that are reduced to chicken jerky. My 50/50 Wings recipe has solved this and if you have an air fryer I recommend you try my 50/50 Wings for yourself! Just cook these 50% on air fry and 50% on the bake setting for wings that are nice and crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. So good!
Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.
LOVE THEM CHICKEN WINGS!
I am on my second air fryer now. My first was a Ninja 5-quart basket fryer which served me well for a few years. Eventually the mesh in the bottom of the basket let loose from the sides of basket and it had to be put out of service. These type of fryers work well for chicken wings as well. You just need to stir the wings periodically to ensure even browning of the wings. My current air fryer is the Ninja SP101 Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven with 8-in-1 Functionality. Making wings in this bad boy is a walk in the park!
Follow my 50/50 Wings recipe below to get crispy juicy wings that will be the hit of the party! Make sure you have some of our famous Bear Dog’s Kitchen All Purpose Rub on hand to season your 50/50 Wings ahead of cooking these up in your air fryer.
The Prep
Start with fresh chicken wings and make sure they are thawed out and relatively dry. Now you can apply the rub directly to the wings one by one, flipping and repeating as you go but this takes a lot of time and wastes a lot of seasoning. I recommend using a gallon size zip-loc bag to apply the rub. You may need to do this in two batches but it’s still quicker and easier than applying rub to wings by shaking the seasoning directly onto the wings.
To use the zip-loc method, place about 3 tbsp. of the Bear Dog’s All Purpose Seasoning & Rub into the bottom of the one gallon zip-loc. Now place about 1 pound of wings into the bag and seal up the bag leaving a good amount of air in the bag as well to make shaking and coating the wings easier. Shake the bag pretty quickly for about 5 or 10 seconds or until the wings are nicely coated with the rub.
The 50/50 cook
My 50/50 Wings rely on 15 minutes of air frying followed by 15 minutes on bake to achieve a wonderful crispy exterior while maintaining a juicy wing on the inside. To accomplish this simply set your air fryer on ‘Air Fry’ for 15 minutes at 395 F degrees. Once pre-heated, slide the mesh rack of wings into the fryer with the catch pan underneath to catch the juices/drippings from the wings while they cook.
Once the 15 minutes has expired, using a tongs or a fork, flip the wings over to get ready for the next portion of the cook. For the second half of the cook, set the air fryer on “Bake” and set to 395 F degrees, cook for another 15 minutes to finish the cook on your 50/50 Wings.
The Serve
Now that you 50/50 Wings are done cooking simply go ahead and serve these up however you love to eat your wings. One of my favorite ways to eat these is to toss 6 or 8 wings in a bowl and drizzle with ranch dressing and Frank’s Extra RedHot. Now I know that’s probably not for everyone. Of course tossing some wings on a plate and serving dipping sauce on the side is always a good way to go as well. Suggestions for sauces and sides include BBQ sauce, sweet & sour sauce, ranch dressing, hot sauces, even a little of your favorite jam or jelly!

Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken wings
- 1/4 cup Bear Dog's All Purpose Seasoning & Rub
Instructions
- Make sure your chicken wings are thawed and relatively dry before cooking.
- Toss the 1/4 cup of Bear Dog's All Purpose Seasoning & Rub into the bottom of a 1 gallon zip-loc bag.
- Place the chicken wings into the zip-loc bag and seal the bag, leaving some air in the bag to aid in the shaking/mixing process.
- Shake the bag to coat the wings in the rub.
- Place the wings in a single layer on the air fryer mesh screen trying to leave a small space between each wing.
- Pre-heat air fryer on 'Air Fry' setting and 395 degrees with the timer set to 15 minutes.
- Once pre-heated, slide the mesh rack of wings into the fryer with the catch pan underneath to catch the juices/drippings from the wings while they cook.
- Once the 15 minutes has expired, using a tongs or a fork, flip the wings over.
- Set the air fryer on "Bake" this time staying at 395 degrees for another 15 minutes.
- Remove wings at the end of this 15 minute "Bake' and serve with your favorite sauces!