There's Only One Way You Should Be Cooking Frozen Chicken Wings

Perhaps you bought fresh chicken wings and weren't able to make them right away, maybe you bought too many and need to save half to make later — or just maybe you grabbed a bag of the best store-bought frozen chicken wings. Whatever the reason, when the time comes to enjoy those frozen wings, you may be wondering if there's a way to cook them directly from frozen, without having to go through the process of thawing. The answer is yes. To find out more about how to make this happen, Daily Meal spoke with Shawn Matijevich, the lead chef-instructor of Online Culinary Arts & Food Operations at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Matijevich's preferred method, which he calls "unconventional," is none other than the air fryer. The chef tells us, "I like to toss frozen chicken wings in the air fryer at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes. I flip them halfway through and once they are nice and crispy, I toss them in my favorite wing sauce." And if you need sauce ideas, you can steal the sauce recipe from our sticky Cantonese barbeque chicken wings.

The air fryer is undeniably convenient, but is it really the best method for cooking frozen chicken wings? As chef Shawn Matijevich explains, the air fryer method allows for something that other methods, such as the conventional oven, do not: cooking without thawing. Without the hassle of thawing, cooking frozen chicken wings is much simpler and faster. But, on top of the convenience, air fryer chicken wings actually benefit from being cooked from frozen.

Matijevich says, "Cooking wings from frozen is also the best way to cook them in the air fryer to get that crispy and flavorful crust." And if you're worried about missing out on depth of flavor because you're skipping the marinating step, don't fret. The chef adds, "You're not losing flavor by not marinating them beforehand if you toss them in sauce and let them sit for one to two minutes before enjoying."

If you want to learn more about the air fryer in general, including how exactly it works, you can read our guide on the most common air fryer questions, answered. But trust us and Matijevich — those frozen chicken wings will come out crispy and delicious after a short time in the air fryer and a quick toss with your favorite sauce.