Appreciation post: The best air fryer chicken wings I ever had were at a dive bar in Cleveland

I was in Cleveland last week for a job and stopped into this little bar called The Rusty Nail after work. I ordered their wings, not expecting much, and they were perfect. Crispy skin, juicy inside, not greasy at all. I asked the bartender how they did it, and he just pointed to the kitchen and said, 'Big air fryer, man.' It was that simple. They weren't breaded or anything, just seasoned and cooked. It made me realize I've been overcomplicating wings at home for years, trying to bake or deep fry them. What's your absolute best, no-fuss wing recipe for the air fryer? I need to copy that bar.

3 comments

3 Comments

anthonyp912mo ago

Deep frying still gives you that perfect crisp air fryers just can't match.

the_derek2mo ago

Okay but can we talk about how the best food always comes from a place that looks like a health code violation? My recipe is stupid simple. Pat the wings bone dry, toss them in a bowl with a little baking powder and whatever seasoning salt you have. Don't skip the baking powder, it's the crispy skin cheat code. Single layer in the air fryer, 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, shake the basket halfway. They come out like the bar's, I swear. AnthonyP91 is over there with his deep fryer smelling up the house and dealing with a gallon of oil, while I'm eating the same thing with way less mess.

morgan9152mo ago

Saw a food science guy explain why the baking powder trick works, something about changing the skin's pH for better browning. Totally agree about the air fryer, it's a game changer for weeknights. Still get the craving for proper deep fried sometimes, but I'm not dealing with that oil cleanup after work. Anthony's not wrong about the perfect crisp, but my couch and my sweatpants prefer the air fryer method.