Jamaican-inspired spicy crispy chicken wings with a hint of allspice and thyme with honey to tame the heat served with a side of fresh sliced pears and shredded vegetables with mixed greens tossed in a complementary simple vinaigrette to the easiest jerk-rubbed chicken wings.
A Flavorful Balance
Try the Jamaican-inspired Crispy Air Fryer Honey Jerk Rubbed Chicken Wings! Illuminated by vibrant Caribbean flavors, these wings crisp perfectly in the air fryer and boast a spicy jerk rub infused with warming allspice and thyme.
A sweet honey tames the heat, creating a flavorful balance that will tantalize your taste buds. Enjoy them alongside refreshing sliced pears, crunchy shredded vegetables, and a mixed green salad tossed in a light, complementary vinaigrette for a healthy and satisfying island-inspired feast.
Get ready to spice up your busy weeknight, game night, or romantic dinner for two with this easy and delicious recipe idea! Tip: Multiply the recipe for party wings.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Easy Air Fryer Sticky Date Teriyaki Chicken Wings
- Best Air Fryer Caribbean Style Citrus Chicken Wings
- Spicy Peanut Chicken Wings with Mushroom Jollof Fonio Pilaf
- Loaded Plantain Fries with Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Spicy Slaw
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Ingredients
First, prepare the shredded vegetables slaw by thinly slicing the cabbage, carrots, and pear and combining it with a dressing made with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper using an immersion blender into a resealable bag.
Season the whole chicken wings with salt, black pepper, and avocado oil. Cook the seasoned wings in the air fryer. Then, refry the hot air-fried batch of wings with a mixture of honey and Jamaican jerk paste in the preheated air fryer.
Next, drain the dressing from the marinated shredded vegetables and finish it with fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest. Finally, combine the marinated vegetables and pears with mixed greens.
See the air fryer jerk chicken wings recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step instruction picture guide.
Using an immersion blender to emulsify dressings helps prevent fat separation in addition to honey, which works as a binding agent.
Massaging the vegetables with the dressing helps break down the cellular walls to increase the absorption of dressing quickly.
Modified: The chicken wings will be par-cooked before adding the honey jerk paste since honey burns quickly.
The dressing works in two ways: It marinates the vegetables and is later used as a vinaigrette.
The vinaigrette is finished with zest and chopped herbs to heighten the flavors in addition to presentation.
How to Stack Chicken Wings?
Start by placing the flat side of the wing horizontally next to the salad.
You should place the second wing in the opposite direction to achieve contrast and stability.
Position the final wing with its flat side facing upwards for a more attractive presentation.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn other ways to prep chicken. In addition, find out why avocado oil is used instead of olive oil for these air fryer recipes.
Substitutions
Dairy Free
- This air fryer chicken recipe is already dairy-free.
Gluten-Free
- This delicious Jamaican jerk chicken wings recipe is already gluten-free.
Vegetarian
- Unfortunately, there is no plant-based substitution for this air fryer chicken wings recipe.
Convenience
- Shredded Cabbage and Carrots - Use store-bought pre-made slaw mix.
- Honey - Try using brown sugar instead, working it into the paste.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings. FYI: Scotch bonnet peppers are commonly used in Jerk paste seasoning.
Equipment
- Resealable Bag - Used for marinating the vegetables and pear slaw with the dressing.
- Immersion Blender - To make the vinaigrette. I developed this recipe using the KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender. However, you can use a portable blended like the Hamilton Beach Portable Blender or the Nutribullet Personal Blender (which I also own). Tips: The portable blender is weaker and can take longer to emulsify the dressing. When making the dressing in the Nutribullet, place all the ingredients, including the oil, and then blend.
- Air Fryer - Used to fry the chicken wings. I developed this recipe using the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Electric Grill. Don't have an air fryer? Try using your oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 minutes, placing your wings on a single layer on a baking sheet tray with a wire rack. Then, brush on the rub for the last few minutes to finish to a nice dark golden brown. Tip: For easy cleanup, use parchment paper.
- Paper Towel - For drying the chicken wings to remove the recess moisture, allowing the seasoning to adhere to the wings' skin for a crispier texture.
- Large Mixing Bowl - Used for mixing the chicken wings. And later to finish the salad.
- Meat Thermometer - Especially for chicken, It's always good to have a meat thermometer like the ThermoPro Digital Meat Thermometer handy to ensure the correct cooking temperature.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the Jamaican jerk wings in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store it in an airtight container with the salad and dressing separately. As a result, the meal will last up to four days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above for the chicken. Then, place it in a labeled, airtight container or resealable freezer bag in the freezer. Tip for Leftover Chicken Wings: Right after I cool my wings, I place them straight into the freezer bags, and when I want a snack, I throw them straight into the air fryer and reheat. The moisture from being frozen keeps them moist and steamy.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking Tip
Crispy Wings - For seriously crispy air fryer wings, pat them extra dry with paper towels before seasoning and air fry them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes for best results. This foolproof air fryer method makes the best wings by locking them in moisture, leading to golden perfection!
Frequently Asked Questions
Score that authentic jerk flavor! Major supermarkets offer popular jerk rubs like Walkerswood or Grace. Check out your local Caribbean grocery stores for island-made options.
Explore online retailers like Amazon for brand variety, or get crafty and customize your own with online recipes! Authentic jerk rubs usually feature allspice, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, and nutmeg. Happy jerkin'!
Here are some quick finds on Amazon:
Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Hot & Spicy and Mild Combo Pack
Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Mild
Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Hot
Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for other air fryer recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy and Healthy Spicy Turkey Meatball Kale Soup
- Quick Air Fryer Lime Chicken Wings with Spicy Green Sauce
- Best Air Fryer Caribbean Style Citrus Chicken Wings
- Easy Air Fryer Sticky Date Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Poultry Recipes
Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy Spicy Creamy Coconut Mushroom Chicken with Rum
- Creamy Cheesy Sage Chili Pumpkin Chicken Pasta
- Easy Baked Cheesy Crispy Barbeque Chicken Cutlets
- Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender salad
Video
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Honey Jerk Rubbed Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Pear Slaw Salad
- ¼ cabbage
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium pear
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 3 cups baby mixed greens
- ¼ cup parsley leaves
Honey Jerk Chicken Wings
- 6 whole chicken wings
- salt and pepper
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ tablespoon jerk paste
Equipment
- Resealable Bag
- Paper Towel
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Cut the cabbage, carrot, and pear into thin strips, place them in a resealable bag, and set them aside.
- Make the Dressing: Blend the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of honey, salt, and pepper Using an immersion blender. Then, blend it with avocado oil.
- Make the Slaw: Combine the dressing with the shredded salad, seal the bag, remove any air, massage the ingredients for 30 seconds, and refrigerate.
- Prepare the Chicken Wings: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a cooking time of 17 minutes. Then, pat dry the chicken with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the Chicken Wings: Place the chicken in the air fryer basket with the wing's tips tucked under the neighboring chicken and cook.
- Make the Wet Rub: Clean the bowl and combine the honey and jerk paste while the chicken cooks. When the time is up, add the hot chicken to the bowl, allow the heat to melt the honey mixture, and toss with the honey jerk paste.
- Re-fry the Chicken: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a cooking time of 4 minutes, and cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, chop the parsley and set it aside.
- Place the chicken with the tips tucked under the neighboring chicken wing again and cook. While the chicken fries, massage the slaw again and place it back into the fridge.
- Finish the Dressing: Drain dressing from the marinated vegetables into a container, add chopped parsley and zest, and set aside.
- Finish the Dish: Combine the vegetable mix with the mixed greens and plate it bunched up on the center half of the plate. Then, stack the chicken wings next to the salad. Note: You can find a photo tutorial on how to stack the chicken wings on the blog.
- Finally, drizzle the dressing on the salad and around the bottom of the plate.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook the jerk-rubbed chicken wings to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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