Honey Lime Chicken Wings are sweet, tangy, and a little spicy, with a crispy coating that comes from the air fryer instead of a deep fryer. Prep takes 5 minutes, cook time is 20, and the whole recipe comes together in about 25 minutes.
The key to the crisp texture is a cornstarch-and-flour coating on the wings before air frying. The honey lime sauce goes on after cooking, so the wings stay crispy instead of getting soggy under the sauce.
When to Serve Honey Lime Chicken Wings
These wings work as a game-day appetizer, a barbecue side, or a quick family dinner with a side salad. Good pairings: broccoli salad with cranberries or red potato salad.
Honey Lime Chicken Wings Ingredients
- Cornstarch and Flour - this combo is the secret to the crispy coating. Cornstarch is what gives the wings that crunch, while the flour adds structure and helps everything stick to the wings instead of flaking off in the air fryer.
- Eggs - act as the binder, giving you a thicker batter that coats the wings evenly rather than a thin, patchy layer.
- Smoked Paprika - brings a subtle smoky flavor you won't get from regular paprika. If that's all you have on hand, regular paprika will still work fine, you'll just miss that smoky depth.
- Lime Juice - used in two places: a splash goes into the chicken coating, and more goes into the sauce for that bright, tangy finish.
- Honey and Hot Sauce - the sweet-and-spicy backbone of the sauce. Adjust the ratio to taste - more honey for sweeter wings, more hot sauce for heat.
How to Make Honey Lime Chicken Wings
Mix together the eggs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cornstarch, flour, and a splash of lime juice in a large bowl.
Add the raw wings and coat them completely.
Preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes at 350°F. Line the basket with parchment paper or a air fryer liner.
Arrange the wings in a single layer, without overlapping. How many fit at once will depend on your air fryer's basket size.
Air fry for about 18-22 minutes total, flipping halfway through, until the wings are golden and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Exact time will vary depending on your air fryer and the size of your wings, so start checking around the 18-minute mark.
While the wings cook, whisk together the lime juice, honey, hot sauce, melted butter, and cilantro in a separate bowl for the sauce.
Once the wings are done, let them cool for a minute or two, then toss them in the sauce until fully coated. Serve hot.
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Honey Lime Chicken Wings FAQs
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these wings will keep for about 4 days.
Pop them back in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes until they're heated through and crispy again. The microwave will work in a pinch, but you'll lose the crispiness.
The cornstarch in the coating does most of the work here, but also make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer.
Yes. Air fry the frozen wings for 5-10 minutes first, then toss them in the batter and continue with the recipe as written.
Air fryer vs. oven for chicken wings, which is better?
I reach for the air fryer most of the time. It preheats faster and cooks the wings quicker than the oven does. But if I'm making a big batch for a crowd, the oven wins since it holds more at once. When I do use the oven, I bump the temperature up to 375-400°F. And if your oven has a built-in air fryer setting, even better, you get the best of both.
Mom Tip
- No parchment paper on hand? A light coat of cooking spray on the basket works just as well to keep the wings from sticking.
- Don't crowd the basket! Wings need room for air to circulate around them. Cram them in and you'll end up with uneven cooking and soggy spots instead of that crispy coating.
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Complete Recipe
Honey Lime Chicken Wings (air fryer)
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 lbs Chicken Wings
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
For the sauce
- 2 teaspoon Lime Juice
- 2 tablespoons Hot Sauce adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 4 tablespoons Butter melted
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Set the air fryer to preheat for 5 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit or 180° Celsius.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper powder, salt, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and lime juice. Give a good mix.
- Add the raw chicken wings, and mix until they are completely covered.
- Then, line the basket with parchment paper and ensure the wings are arranged in a single layer without overlapping. The number of chicken wings you can cook at a time will depend on your air fryer basket size.
- Air for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping half way through. The wings are done when the reach 165° F.
- In another bowl, combine lime juice, honey, hot sauce, melted butter, and cilantro. When making the sauce, feel free to add more or less hot sauce or honey based on your personal taste.
- When the chicken wings are done, let them cool for a minute or two. Then, transfer the chicken wings to the sauce and toss until well coated.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
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