How to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings

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Learn how to cook frozen chicken wings; it’s fast, easy, and convenient! You can bake, boil, or air fry chicken wings from frozen.

Did you forget to take the wings out of the freezer? No problem! Cooking chicken wings from frozen is easy, and the results are all that you could wish for! Season them with your favorite spices or toss them in a sauce for a quick and delicious dinner or appetizer.

And if you like hot wings, check out the Korean Chicken Wings, the Spicy Baked Chicken Wings, or the Whole Baked Chicken Wings. Also, learn how to make Quick Pan-Fried Chicken Wings, How to Boil Chicken Wings, or how to make Baked Whole Chicken Wings.

Why should you cook frozen wings?

• Convenient: The only way to go if you forgot to defrost them.
• Fast: It takes less than an hour to have dinner ready. The prep time is less than 5 minutes.
• Versatile: You can use your favorite seasonings or toss them in your favorite sauce.

Recipe ingredients

• This post is all about learning how to cook frozen chicken wings; what kind of spices or sauce you add is up to you – the sky is the limit.
• I have my favorite dry rub seasoning that I buy in the store, but I often season them with salt, pepper, and maybe some paprika and garlic powder, which is my “default” seasoning for pretty much anything.
• When it comes to sauces, you can toss the baked wings with bbq sauce, buffalo sauce, red hot sauce, honey lemon sauce, and so on, whatever you like.

What kind of wings to use?

• You can buy fresh chicken wings and freeze them yourself, or use some that you purchased frozen.
• You can bake either whole or split pieces. If they are whole, you should add extra minutes to the cooking time.

Cooking methods

How to boil frozen chicken wings?

• Boiling them is a great start, especially if you want to bake or grill them after. Boiling will defrost and cook them; once this is done, all you have to do is bake or grill them long enough to make the skin crispy and delicious.
• This technique is the best to use when the chicken pieces are frozen in a clump. Check out How to Boil Chicken Wings for detailed instructions on how to boil fresh wings as well.

Step-by-step instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add a chicken stock cube or one teaspoon of chicken stock powder or paste into the water. Alternatively, add salt, black pepper, and 2-3 bay leaves.
• Cook: Carefully add the frozen wings (1). Cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through (2).
• If they are frozen in a block, let them cook for 5 minutes and carefully pull them apart using two forks. You might need to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time; always check that the meat is cooked through before serving.

Continue cooking the boiled wings

Broil:

• Preheat the oven to broil, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush it lightly with oil (or spray it with nonstick spray).
• Arrange the boiled pieces on it and season them generously on both sides. Broil for 5 minutes, flip and broil for another 5 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crispy. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. You can toss them with sauce after the initial 5 minutes if you like and continue cooking them until done.

Bake:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/ 230 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush it lightly with oil (or spray it with nonstick spray). Season the cooked chicken wings and bake them for about 20 minutes.

Grill the dried and seasoned boiled pieces for about 10 minutes on medium heat until nicely charred and crispy. Flip them regularly.

Deep-fry: Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan (about 3 inches/ 7 cm deep) to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius. Ensure that the pieces are completely dry. Fry them in batches, for about 10-15 minutes per batch or until golden brown and crispy. Place on kitchen towels to remove the excess fat.

How to bake frozen chicken wings?

Step-by-step instructions

• Set the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit/ 220 degrees Celsius, but you don’t have to preheat it. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly brush the rack with oil or spray it with nonstick spray.
• Cook: Arrange the frozen pieces on top. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Season and flip: Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle them generously with seasoning. Flip using tongs and season the other side as well (3).
• Return to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes or until cooked through. You can brush them with sauce about 5 minutes before you finish cooking them (4). Or toss them with sauce once you take them out of the oven.
• For extra crispiness, turn on the broil and broil them for 5 to 10 minutes or until crispy. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.

How to air fry frozen chicken wings?

• Check out the full article Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.

Step-by-step instructions

• Preheat the fryer if necessary. My air fryer needs 3 minutes of preheating.
• Season: Place the frozen wings in a large bowl, sprinkle with the seasoning and toss well to coat.
• Cook: Place the pieces into the air fryer basket in a single layer (5). Cook for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Flip them using tongs.
• Cook: Increase the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit and continue cooking them for another 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes.
• You can toss them with sauce now and cook them for 2 more minutes (6).
• Check out The Best Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners.

Expert tips

• The boiling method is the best way to prepare the wings for grilling. It cooks them and drastically reduces the grilling time, which is always a good thing.
• Make sure you season the meat generously.
• Check that the chicken is cooked through before serving; the safe internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit/ 74 degrees Celsius. If you don’t have a meat thermometer (Amazon affiliate link), tear one piece and check the color of the meat near the bone, it should be completely white; there is no pink allowed.

Recipe FAQ

How to serve?

• As a main with mashed potatoes, potato salad, mac and cheese, potato wedges, salads or vegetables.
• As an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce, I love a nice blue cheese sauce or ranch dressing and some carrot or celery sticks on the side.

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