I Tried 7 Frozen Chicken Wings & The Best Was Crispy and Flavorful

When it comes to wings, I don't mean to brag, but I know my stuff. I've been writing about food, travel, and other topics for about a decade now. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, I'm a wing expert, and spent years writing countless chicken wing articles, and even judging the National Wing Festival.

Needless to say, I'd like to think that I know a good wing when I see one (and taste one). I'm looking for good sauce distribution (unless they're plain, of course), a nice crispiness, good brining, fresh wings where the bones don't break and just overall good flavor and texture options to have at home in a pinch. I tried 7 different wings, and certain ones stood out from the crowd. Here they are ranked from my least to best favorite.

TGI Fridays Chicken Wings Buffalo Style

These breaded chicken wings are coated in a buffalo style sauce. You can heat these in the microwave or the oven. If you choose to do the oven, you just preheat it to 450°F and bake for about 9 minutes. Flip the chicken over and bake for another 9 minutes. If you want something quick, just heat them in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, flip the wings and cook them for another 3 minutes.

The Look:

They came out of the oven, my preferred cooking method, looking pretty good. They appear a little small, but crispy to the touch. I think cooking them in the oven was the move. I gave them a smell and they had a very odd, almost chemical like smell to them. Not off to a great start unfortunately.

The Taste:

As predicted, I brought the wing up to my nose and took the tiniest bite and it just reeked like this artificial fake, chemical smell that did not seem right. The texture looked decent. I just couldn't get past that smell, and when I pulled the skin back to take a look, the wings had a very mushy, gummy texture. These were horrible, I would never get them again.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $4.44
• Cost per serving: About $2.22

Tyson Buffalo Wings

These all natural chicken wings are a great source of protein! They're coated with buffalo style seasoning and need to be cooked to the recommended 180°F. For a quick way to prepare them, these can be cooked in the air fryer at 375°F for about 22 to 25 minutes, just make sure they're up to temp.

The Look:

I opened the fresh bag and right away noticed that they were a little freezer burned despite being unopened and new. These are the first ones that kind of kept their size and came out still looking jumbo. The skin appears crispy and it's coated in a buffalo seasoning. They smell great, as well!

The Taste:

The chicken was juicy, but although the skin looks crispy, it came out kind of spongy in texture. They're ok, but I don't think I would get this brand again. I also didn't notice a strong buffalo seasoning or much heat. After I took a few bites, I recognized a little build in the heat, but it was really subtle.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $12.99
• Cost per serving: About $1.86

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Tyson Buffalo Style Hot Wings

These wings just need to be reheated, made with 100% all natural chicken, no added hormones or steroids. They can be heated quickly in the air fryer. Just set the air fryer to 330°F before cooking the wings for about 14 minutes.

The Look:

They came out of the air fryer looking a little on the small side, but very brown and crispy. To be frank, I was a little surprised in a good way. I always thought for wings to be good at home you should fry them, but they're piping hot and I'm excited to try them.

The Taste:

The outside looked crispy, but there were a few parts underneath the skin that seemed slightly mushy for some reason. That said, for a quick wing option, it had crispy elements, juicy chicken, and I was overall pretty pleased. I do prefer a saucier wing and although the packaging says there's sauce, it seemed more like a dry rub. I would probably add extra Frank's hot sauce to them, but all in all they're pretty good.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $8.99
• Cost per serving: About $1.80

Good & Gather Buffalo Style Wings

These Good and Gather chicken wings have no antibiotics, no added hormones and no steroids. They have a buffalo style glaze and the back of the bag has suggestions for making your own sauces to dip the wings in. It's recommended that you keep the wings frozen until you're ready to make them. They give oven and microwave directions. If you're going to heat the wings in the oven, do it at 450°F with a lined baking sheet that's sprayed. Put the frozen wings on the baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until they're heated through. If the wings are thawed, you can cook them for about 20 to 25 minutes or until they are heated through. If you want a quick fix, you can cook them in the microwave. Arrange eight wings in a circle on a microwave safe plate before cooking on high for 7 to 9 minutes for the frozen wings or 4 to 5 minutes if they're thawed.

The Look:

I chose to cook them in the oven and they came out looking crispy and smelled awesome. I smelled the heat from the buffalo sauce and noticed that the wings shrunk quite a bit in the oven, but let's give them a taste and see how they are!

The Taste:

The skin is crispy and has a nice snap to it, while the chicken is tender. The heat from the sauce builds slowly. Overall, not my favorite option out of all of the wings I tried, but one that I would use again.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $11.99
• Cost per serving: About $2.40

Perdue Chicken Wings

The all natural chicken wings are marinated and glazed with a solution of water and salt. The chickens are raised 100% vegetarian fed, no animal by-product, raised cage free, and no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. For these wings, there are instructions to cook them in the oven, a skillet, or on the grill. If you're cooking them in a skillet like I did, heat a recommended half teaspoon of vegetable oil per wing in a large skillet on medium high heat. Thaw the wings first and add them to a reduced medium heat before covering and cooking for 28 minutes, turning occasionally or until they are the proper internal temperature of 180°F.

The Look:

I chose to cook them on the skillet, thawing the wings first. I would say they definitely shrink a bit in size while cooking, so watch them closely. I almost burnt them a bit because it's recommended to cover and cook for about 28 minutes, but they definitely cooked quicker than that. Your best bet is to just keep an eye on them and keep turning them. That said, they came out looking quite crispy and delicious, even with the lack of sauce on the wings. I couldn't wait to sync my teeth in to hear that crunch!6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Taste:

The taste was as expected, quite delicious and the skin was audibly crispy. As long as you watch it carefully and make sure they're up to temp, these wings are a great option if you're looking for some freedom to coat them in a variety of sauces.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $11.99
• Cost per serving: About $1.71

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Tyson Restaurant Style Crispy Rotisserie Seasoned Wings

These crispy seasoned wings are dry rubbed with a rotisserie style seasoning with no added hormones or steroids. Tyson recommends cooking them in the air fryer as the preferred method of heating. They suggest lightly spraying the air fryer basket with cooking spray before placing the frozen chicken wings in the basket in a single layer. Heat the air fryer to 360°F and cook them for 12 to 14 minutes.

The Look:

When they came out of the oven, I noticed that the wings cooked up really well in the air fryer. They appeared quite crispy and smelled great. I was excited to give these a try!

The Taste:

These really surprised me! They were insanely crispy while the inside was juicy and smelled fresh. These taste as good, if not better than the wings that you get from a pizza shop, and they were ready in about 12 minutes. These are a solid option if you're looking for a cheaper, but still delicious, wing appetizer at home.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $9.99
• Cost per serving: About $2.85

Perdue Air Fryer Ready Crispy Wings Roasted

These lightly coated chicken wings have no antibiotics. They're roasted, and can be heated quickly in the air fryer at 400°F for 16 to 18 minutes from frozen.

The Look:

They came out of the air fryer looking appetizing, with plenty of crispy browning, piping hot. They appear ideally cooked right off the bat making me excited to give these a try.

The Taste:

I took a bite and heard the best crunch, revealing the best texture so far out of any other wing I've tried. They're easy to cook in the air fryer, the chicken is moist, and tasted fresh. They're roasted, giving you the freedom to do what you want with the wings, whether you choose to eat them as is or add a sauce. I think that's the catch. I noticed a bit of mushiness when the sauce was already added into the frozen wings as far as other options go, and although that's convenient, I feel like it's not the best flavor wise and you're better off just adding the sauce to the wings yourself after they're cooked.

Price Point:

• Cost per package: $10.49
• Cost per serving: About $2.33

When it comes to chicken wings, a great option to keep as backup in the freezer is Perdue Air Fryer Ready Crispy Wings Roasted.

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