Go figure?! I have been avoiding trying an air-fryer for a couple of years now. I mean, isn’t that like something that is impossible? Frying in air? Because for me, my culinary background taught me that deep frying is the cooking of food by the transfer of heat through a fat. So you kind of see my dilemma? I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of an air-fryer. And I succumbed to that old human response of fearing what I didn’t understand. Now, with all transparency, I still don’t understand the physics involved in creating crispy food by air-frying but I’m now a fan! Air-fryer wings in a spicy molasses glaze!

I should also mention before proceeding that I didn’t decide to try air-frying and then go out and buy a machine. No, no, no. A family member gave me one. I’m way too cheap to spend money for a “gadget” on a whim! But it turned out to be a game changer in my cooking tool bag. A paradigm shift in my appetizer world, if you will. Here’s what I tried.

air-fryer wings in a spicy molasses glaze

My Air-Fryer Wings

As I said, I was trying something new so I decided to start out slow and easy. What could be easier than wings (and cheaper in case I screwed up!)? My first batch was a test run. I used my standard, simple seasoning combination of salt, pepper and garlic powder and that was it. No sauce, or glaze afterwards, just the chicken.

When I pulled that first batch out of the basket, and the wings were crispy and deep golden brown, I was almost immediately hooked. The aesthetics were awesome! But the final proof was in the bite. The crunchy, crisp exterior was followed by a moist and juicy interior with the simple seasoning providing the backdrop. “Oh my!”, I think were my actual words. And, unashamedly I ate the whole batch just like that. After a brief recovery period I began thinking of an enhancement sauce or glaze. This is what came to mind.

My Spicy Molasses Glaze

I’ve always liked the pairing of sweet and heat. There are a myriad of ingredient combinations that can provide this but I went with molasses for the sweetness and a trifecta of spices for the heat. I used cayenne pepper, harissa seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Yep! Simple and elegant is oftentimes a great thing.

Below you’ll see the exact recipe for the glaze. I applied it to another batch of air-fried wings and popped them under the broiler for 30-45 seconds to get that good stickiness. Let me tell you … no, let me show you the finished product!