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What A Jerk Chicken Wings | Easy Air Fryer Recipe
What A Jerk Chicken Wings
Juicy air-fried chicken wings basted with seasoned butter until they're golden, punchy and loaded with jerk-inspired flavour.
Buttery jerk wings with a proper seasoned crust
These aren't wings that get a quick dusting of seasoning five minutes before dinner.
We coat them generously in What A Jerk and give the seasoning time to work its way in. Then they're air fried until golden, while repeated bastings of seasoned butter build up a rich, punchy crust on the outside.
Juicy in the middle. Loads of flavour on the outside. Exactly how wings should be.
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Flavour Profile
Big, savoury jerk-inspired flavour with plenty of herbs and spice, wrapped around juicy chicken with a rich, buttery crust.
Spicy:
Savoury:
Herby:
Rich:
Buttery:
Recipe Info
Ingedients:
600g whole chicken wings
Moreish What A Jerk Seasoning, enough to coat generously
200g butter
Prep time: 15 minutes + minimum 1 hour marinating
Cook time: 18–20 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Difficulty: Easy
To serve:
Seasoned skin-on fries
Your favourite creamy dip
Shredded cucumber salad
Top Tip:
Make more than you would normally eat as these are seriously addictive!
Made with What A Jerk
What A Jerk does the heavy lifting here. First it's massaged straight into the chicken and left to work its magic, then another hit goes into melted butter for basting while the wings cook.
That double hit builds layers of flavour rather than leaving all the seasoning sitting on the surface.
Watch it Come Together
Want the quick version? Watch how we turn a pile of wings, What A Jerk and plenty of butter into something worth getting messy for.
1. Prepare the wings
Using a sharp knife, divide each whole chicken wing into smaller portions by carefully cutting through the joints.
Discard the wing tips, then trim and tidy the remaining pieces as needed. Pat the wings thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
Top Tip: Don't try to hack through the bones. Feel for the joint and cut cleanly through the gap with a sharp knife. It's easier, cleaner and considerably less chaotic.
2. Season and marinate
Coat the wings generously with What A Jerk Seasoning.
Get your hands involved and really massage the seasoning into every piece, making sure all sides are well covered.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you've got the time, leave them for up to 24 hours for even more flavour.
Top Tip: Don't just sprinkle and hope for the best. Properly working the seasoning over the wings gives you much more even flavour and coverage.
3. Start air frying
When you're ready to cook, preheat your air fryer.
Arrange the wings in the basket with enough room around them for the hot air to circulate. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches.
Cook at 180°C for 18–20 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes.
4. Make the What A Jerk butter
While the wings are cooking, melt 200g butter and mix in a generous amount of What A Jerk Seasoning.
After the wings have been cooking for around 5–6 minutes, brush them generously with the seasoned butter.
Turn them and continue cooking.
Every 3–4 minutes, turn the wings and brush with another layer of What A Jerk butter.
You're gradually building that golden, buttery seasoned crust rather than dumping everything on at once.
Top Tip: Salted butter works brilliantly if you want an extra savoury, salty hit. Just remember the seasoning brings flavour of its own, so taste and adjust rather than going mad with extra salt.
5. Finish and serve
Continue cooking until the wings are golden on the outside and completely cooked through.
Give them one final light brush of the What A Jerk butter just before serving.
Pile them up with seasoned skin-on fries and your favourite creamy dip.
Then put them in the middle of the table and watch everyone suddenly forget how sharing works.
Don't Waste a Bite
Got leftover wings? Strip the chicken from the bones and you've already done most of the work for tomorrow's lunch.
Loaded fries - jerk chicken, cheese, spring onions and your favourite sauce.
Chicken wraps - warm the meat and load it up with salad and a creamy dressing.
Jerk chicken pasta - stir through a creamy or cheesy pasta sauce.
Loaded nachos - chicken, cheese, salsa and sour cream.
Chicken salad - throw the cold meat over a crunchy salad for something marginally more respectable.
Store leftovers chilled and use within the appropriate food-safety window.
Top Tip:
Give the seasoning time to do its job. One hour will give you good wings, but if you're organised enough to season them the night before, even better.
And don't skip the repeated butter basting. Several lighter coats while the wings cook will build far more flavour than pouring it all over at the end.
Kit For Going Low & Slow
You don't need a drawer full of gadgets to get great results from your air fryer. We've pulled together the air fryer gear we rate for easier prep, cooking and clean-up.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I marinate the wings overnight?
Absolutely. One hour is enough to get started, but leaving the wings coated in What A Jerk Seasoning in the fridge overnight gives the seasoning much longer to work its way into the surface of the chicken.
Do I have to cut whole chicken wings into pieces?
No. If you've bought wings that have already been separated into flats and drumettes, most of the prep has been done for you. If you're starting with whole wings, cut through the joints and discard the tips.
Can I cook these without an air fryer?
This specific recipe has been developed around the air fryer, but the same seasoning and butter-basting idea could be adapted for an oven. Cooking times would need adjusting accordingly.
How do I know when the chicken wings are cooked?
The wings should be piping hot and completely cooked through, with no raw meat remaining around the bone. For the most reliable check, use a food thermometer in the thickest part without touching the bone.
Why do you baste the wings several times?
Because you're building layers. Repeatedly brushing the wings with seasoned butter as they cook helps create a richer, more evenly seasoned crust than simply adding one big coating at the end.
What dip goes best with What A Jerk wings?
Something cool and creamy works nicely against the heavily seasoned wings. Garlic mayo, ranch-style dressing or a cooling yoghurt-based dip would all work well.
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