Step 1

Place chicken wings in a sealable Ziploc bag. Add olive oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper (and cayenne, if using) in the bag. Shake well to combine, press air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the chicken to fully coat. Place in the fridge and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Step 2

Add flour in a shallow bowl. Add beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Roll the chicken wings in the flour, then dip in the eggs to fully coat, and then back in the flour once more.

Step 3

Heat 1/8-inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes (I used about 1/4 cup in my large pan). Place the coated chicken wings in the pan and cook for 1 minute on each side until the flour coating turns light brown.

Step 4

Remove from heat and place wings on a plate for 5 minutes to cool down, then place in the air fryer basket. (Note that 10 pieces of wings fit perfectly in the air fryer basket).

Step 5

Cook at 350 F for 20 minutes. Open and shake the basket halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.

Step 6

Prepare garlic topping (optional): Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, Italiano seasoning, salt and chilli peppers, if using. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant. Remove from pan and drizzle on top of the chicken wings.