These Air Fryer Coca Cola wings are tender and juicy with a sweet and juicy glaze on the top, making them finger-licking addictive. Whether you’re looking to try something special for this weekend’s dinner or are just looking for an easy appetizer to make for a movie night or house party you’re hosting, this Chinese American fusion dish is sure to be a winner!
If you ask me, chicken wings are the perfect snack or appetizer to make and serve when you’re hosting. Team it up with your trusty Air Fryer, and you can almost never go wrong- regardless of what recipe you’re trying.
My KFC style honey BBQ wings, lemon pepper chicken wings and copycat buffalo wild lemon pepper wings have all been big hits.
And when I’m on a time crunch, I turn to my Air Fryer Trader Joe’s hot and spicy wings.
These Coca Cola chicken wings though, are just something else, and once you give them a try, you’ll know why!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Wicked delicious: Trust me when I say this- these are going to be one of the BEST chicken wing recipes you’ll have ever tried.
- Easy to make: You’ll need no fancy ingredients or specific cooking procedures to make these wings. Just your pantry staples and a can of Coca Cola.
- Quick cleanup: You’ll be making these in your Air Fryer, which is so much easier to clean. Perfect for parties: These are going to be the ultimate party food. The sweet, sticky glaze is such a winner for all those occasions when you want to impress.
Ingredients For the Air Fryer Coca Cola Wings Recipe
- Chicken wings: Chicken wings offer a nice base for all those delicious spices and sauces. You could try this recipe with chicken drumsticks too, if you want to.
- Coca Cola: I used Cherry Coke for that distinctive fruity sweetness.
- Honey: For that beautiful sweetness to complement the umami from the soy sauce. Brown sugar: For an extra bit of sweetness and that nice glaze.
- Tomato paste: To lend the sauce a bit of thickness and that tangy tomato flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic works best, but you could also use garlic powder if that’s what you have.
- Dry mustard: For that depth of earthy flavor.
- Tabasco sauce: To lend the sauce a kick of heat. You can also use Sriracha or any other hot sauce of your choice.
- Seasonings: Use whatever you like- I used salt, pepper and some paprika.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add a kick of heat to the Coca Cola chicken wings by adding a dash of Sriracha or any other hot sauce of your choice into the mix.
- If the sauce isn’t thickening up, you can add a few spoonfuls of cornflour slurry into it and stir continuously until it thickens.
- Don’t have dry mustard? A spoonful or two of mustard sauce can work well too.
- For a more pronounced savory flavor, add a spoonful of chicken bouillon powder into the sauce.
How to Make Air Fryer Coca Cola Wings
Preheat: To make the Air Fryer Coca Cola wings, first preheat your Air Fryer and grease the basket with some
Prep chicken: Pat dry the chicken wings to remove all moisture and season them with salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice.
Cook chicken: Transfer the chicken to the Air Fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes.
Make sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherry coke with honey, tomato paste, dry mustard, Tabasco sauce, brown sugar and minced garlic. Bring it to a boil and take it off heat.
Slather time: Using a silicone brush, brush some of the cooled sauce all over the partially cooked chicken wings.
Air fry time: Return the wings to the Air Fryer basket and cook for 10-12 minutes, brushing them a couple of times throughout the cooking process, and also flipping them over once.
Plate and serve: Once the chicken is cooked, brush it once again with the sauce, plate and serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks to Make Coca Cola Wings in the Air Fryer
- Just like with most other Air Fryer recipes, remember not to overcrowd the basket with too many chicken wings, as it can cause them to cook unevenly.
- To get the chicken to have an extra bit of crisp texture, add a bit of baking soda along with the salt and pepper to season the chicken.
- Also make sure the chicken is completely dry before you air fry it, or else it can end up all steamed and soft.
- Allow the chicken wings to rest for a couple of minutes before you give it that final slather of the sauce and then serve it. This will help the chicken retain those juices inside and you’ll get the perfect tenderness in every bite.
- Line your Air Fryer basket with a silicone liner or parchment parchment paper to make cleanup easy.
- Top the wings with chopped fresh herbs to add an extra bit of flavor and color.
Storage Instructions
Refrigeration: Got some leftover Coca Cola chicken wings? Transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for 2-3 days.
Reheating: You can reheat the chicken wings in the microwave for a few minutes until they’re nice and warm, or use your Air Fryer if you want that crispiness on the outside.
If you’re using your Air Fryer, don’t forget to place a liner to reduce the mess, and also keep the temperature low to keep the chicken from burning.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Enjoy these sticky and delicious Air Fryer Coca Cola wings with your favorite sauce or dip. I personally love teaming them up with my homemade blue cheese dressing which doubles up as a nice dipping sauce.
And if you’re serving these as a part of a meal, you may want to pair them with something more filling and substantial like Velveeta mac and cheese, copycat Burger King onion rings and some fries like Air Fryer frozen French fries or paprika and garlic French fries.
FAQs
Can I use Diet Coke to make these Air Fryer Coca Cola wings? I wouldn’t recommend using Diet Coke, since it has artificial sweetening agents, not sugar. The sugar in Coke is what we’re looking for to get that nice glaze.
How will I know the chicken is cooked? The best way to check if the chicken wings are cooked is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. If it reads 165 degrees, it is cooked to perfection and ready to be consumed.
Equipment Used
Instant Pot Vortex: Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Basket Air Fryer with 4 Customizable One-Touch Cooking Programs, Digital Touchscreen, Large Non-Stick Fryer Basket, and 6 Quart Capacity, Black-— Easy to clean and easy to use.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- AIR FRYER GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS
- AIR FRYER DRY RUBBED CHICKEN WINGS
- CRISPY AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS
- AIR FRYER TYSON CHICKEN WINGS
- AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS WITH BUFFALO SAUCE
Don’t Forget To Pin!
Air Fryer Coca Cola Wings
Description
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cola Sauce:
- 20 ounces Cherry Coke
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/3 cup honey
Instructions
- Start by using a paper towel to dry the chicken wings. Then sprinkle the chicken wings with garlic salt, salt, and black pepper.
- Set the wings into the air fryer basket for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F, air fryer setting.
- While the wings are cooking, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix the cherry coke, brown sugar, tomato paste, minced garlic, tabasco sauce, paprika, dry mustard, and honey.
- Mix well, and bring to a slight boil.
- Use a pastry brush, brush the cola mixture onto the wings, and return them to the air fryer. Set the temperature to 400 degrees F, air fryer setting, and set the timer for 10 to 12 minutes. Brush them several times during the cooking process with your coca-cola mixture.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F before removing them.
- Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
- Cooking Spray, optional
- Parchment Paper, optional
Nutrition
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