Oven baked chicken vs air fryer crispy, which side are you on?

I used to swear by my oven for wings, 45 minutes at 400 with flipping twice. Switched to the air fryer last summer after my buddy Alex in Austin said his came out crunchier, and honestly mine did too in 25 minutes flat. But my oven still does better for a whole bird, so am I missing something with the fryer or just stubborn?

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grace_knight702mo ago

Read something in Cook's Illustrated a while back comparing the two, and they said the air fryer wins on surface crisp because it pulls moisture out faster than a standard oven can. But they also noted you can get close by using a wire rack over a sheet pan and letting the chicken rest uncovered in the fridge overnight before baking, which dries the skin out first. I tried that trick with my oven and it worked pretty well, but the air fryer still saves me time on weeknights. For a whole bird though, I agree with you, the oven has more room for even heat and you don't have to worry about crowding. Maybe keep both, since each one has its job.

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