Cooking Chicken of the Woods mushroom in the air fryer is a great way to make it crispy, delicious, and very much like chicken wings. Toss these chicken of the woods mushroom "wings" in your favorite wing sauce and enjoy!
Prep your chicken of the wood mushroom: brush off any dirt or dust, cut off any tough or woody parts, soak it in a bowl of salt water to get rid of any critters, rinse it, and pat it dry. Use your hands to tear it into chicken wing sized pieces. The exact size doesn't matter as long as the thickness is about the same.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1.5 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and ½ - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg and ¼ cup milk.
Set up your dredging "station" with the flour and egg bowls and the air fryer basket/tray on top of a large plate or cutting board to catch any loose flour.
Dip each piece of the mushroom into the flour on both sides, then into the egg mixture, then back into the flour. Make sure to coat completely in flour, you can scoop some flour on top if needed. Shake off excess flour, then gently place on the air fryer tray or basket.
Preheat your air fryer to 375F, if your air fryer requires preheating.
Spray cooking oil on the tops of the floured pieces of mushroom "wings." I like to hold the air fryer tray over the sink or over the trash can so the loose flour doesn't go flying all over the counter or the floor.
Air fry the chicken of the woods for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway. If there is a lot of loose flour on the other side, you can spray the other side of the mushrooms before putting it back in the air fryer. The cook time will vary depending on your air fryer model and if it needs preheating, but the mushrooms should be crisp on the outside without being too dry. Thinner pieces will take about 15 minutes, thicker pieces might need 18 minutes.
Toss the air fried mushroom pieces in your favorite wing sauce and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition facts are estimated for just the cooked chicken of the woods (not including sauce of your choice), but will ultimately depend on how much flour and oil sticks to your COTW.