These Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Wings are smoky, juicy, and packed with bold tandoori flavor. A quick dry brine and spiced yogurt marinade season every bite, not just the skin. The air fryer gets them crispy and charred in under 20 minutes, no grill needed, and they bake up just as well in the oven.
If you've made my Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken quarters, this marinade will look familiar. The double marinade is the real trick here: the salt brine draws out moisture so the yogurt marinade actually sticks and seasons instead of sliding off, giving you that deep, seasoned bite tandoori chicken is known for.
🕒 15 Minutes of Hands-On Work: Marinate, then let the air fryer do the rest
🔥 Char Without a Grill: Smoky, blistered edges straight from your countertop
🍗 Party-Ready: Easily doubles for game night or a crowd
🌶️ Heat, Your Way: Dial the spice up or down to taste
🧊 Marinate Ahead: Prep a day early for zero day-of stress
🍽️ Oven Friendly: No air fryer? No problem
Key Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these tanadoori wings. See recipe card for quantities.
Chicken Wings - with skin split into drumettes and flats so they marinate evenly and cook faster.
Plain Yogurt - use full-fat for the best texture, low-fat can make the marinade watery.
Ginger and Garlic - fresh, minced ginger and garlic pack more punch than the paste versions.
Kashmiri Chili Powder - gives the wings their signature red color without much heat. Regular chili powder won't give the same color.
Other Seasoning - red chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and garam masala round out the marinade. Adjust the chili powder and pepper flakes to control the heat.
Lemon Juice - use fresh for a brighter flavor.
Orange Food Color - purely for that classic tandoori look. Skip it if you'd rather keep things natural, the flavor won't change.
Helpful Tips + Variations
- Get rid of any strong smell. If your wings have a strong poultry smell, soak them in cold water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for 10-15 minutes, then drain and pat completely dry before marinating.
- Don't skip the dry brine. Salting the wings before marinating seasons the meat deeper and keeps them juicier after cooking.
- Give them room to crisp. Overcrowding the basket traps steam and stops the wings from charring properly. Cook in batches if needed.
- Every air fryer runs a little different. Check your wings a couple minutes early the first time you make these, since size and model can shift the cook time.
- Turn up the heat. For spicier wings, add more red chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes rather than swapping out the Kashmiri chili, which is there for color, not heat.
More Chicken Wings
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 488 g (~12) chicken wings with skin split into drumettes and flats
- ¾ teaspoon salt for dry brining
Marinade
- ¼ cup (60 g) plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ¼ teaspoon deep orange food color optional
Finishing
- 1½ tablespoon (20 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- pinch deep orange food color optional
Instructions
- Place the wings in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to coat evenly. Let them rest for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight for the best flavor.
- In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, red chili powder, turmeric, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garam masala, oil, and food color.
- Add the wings and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the wings from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F).
- Arrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 8-10 minutes.
- Flip the wings, increase the temperature to 200°C (400°F), and cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until lightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F).
- For a deeper tandoori color, mix the butter, Kashmiri chili powder, and food color (if using). Brush the wings lightly during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Let the wings rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot with cilantro mint chutney, lemon wedges, and sliced onions.
Video
Notes
- Dry brining the wings with salt before marinating seasons the meat more deeply and helps keep it juicy.
- Kashmiri chili powder provides the classic bright red color with mild heat. For spicier wings, increase the regular red chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes instead.
- Every air fryer cooks a little differently, so cooking times may vary slightly depending on the size of the wings and your model.
- If your wings tend to have a strong poultry smell, soak them in cold water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for 10-15 minutes. Drain, rinse briefly if desired, and pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Brush with the butter mixture during the last 2 minutes of baking.
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