These crispy garlic parmesan wings are tossed in an addictive, buttery homemade garlic parmesan sauce, better than your favorite wing joint, huge on flavor!
Garlic Parmesan Wings Recipe
We're cooking up Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends, and I know you're going love this recipe!
I'm a chicken wing fanatic and these are some of my favorites. These are pretty similar to what you might get a Buffalo Wild Wings, a Wingstop, or some of your other wing joints.
Only difference is these are homemade, which is always best, where you can control all the ingredients and spices that go into the recipe.
These wings focus on the combination of buttery goodness and savory parmesan cheese, with a few extra seasonings tossed in to bring that spicy kick we all crave.
I hope you love them as much as we do.
Let's talk about how to make garlic parmesan wings, shall we?
Garlic Parmesan Wings Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- FOR THE CHICKEN WINGS
- Chicken Wings. Separated and wing tips removed.
- Baking Powder. Use aluminum free. This draws out the moisture from the chicken skins, which helps with crispiness.
- Spices. Smoked paprika, cayenne (optional for extra spicy), garlic powder, salt, black pepper.
- Vegetable Oil.
- FOR THE GARLIC PARMESAN SAUCE
- Butter.
- Parmesan Cheese. Grated.
- Spices. Paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, plus optional red pepper flakes and hot sauce for some extra kick. Fresh garlic is great for flavor, too, and chopped fresh parsley for garnish.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Wings - the Recipe Method
First, prep the chicken wings by patting them dry, then seasoning them in a large bowl with the spice mix.
For baked wings, bake the seasoned chicken wings at 250 degrees F (120 C) on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes, then increase heat to 425 degrees F (220 C) another 30 minutes.
See my post on crispy baked chicken wings for more tips.
For air fryer chicken wings, pat the wings dry with paper towels and season them with the spice mix.
Add a bit of oil to the air fryer and set the wings on a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry the wings at 250 degrees F (120 C) for 15 minutes. Flip, and increase the temp to 400 degrees F (205 C).
Air fry another 15-20 minutes until nice and crispy. Set on a wire rack to drain of excess oil, if needed.
Make the garlic parmesan sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan or pot, then swirling in the parmesan cheese and spices until well combined.
Toss the wings with the sauce and life is good.
Boom! Done! Your garlic parmesan chicken wings are ready to serve. They look so good! These will not last long. Serve with some celery and blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Consider brining or marinating your chicken wings for an extra layer of flavor. These help the wings retain moisture within, and also results in wings that are more tender and flavorful. See my grilled chicken marinade, or try my spicy BBQ chicken marinade recipe for big flavor.
- Refrigerate your seasoned chicken wings for a few hours, or overnight, to let them dry out even further. This results in the most amazing crispy chicken wings every time.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover garlic parmesan wings will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer to enjoy again, though they usually aren't as crispy.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my garlic parmesan wings recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN WINGS
- 2 pounds chicken wings separated and wing tips removed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum free
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne optional, for extra spicy
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
FOR THE GARLIC PARMESAN SAUCE
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes or use crushed dried chilies or 1 fresh hot chili, sliced (optional, for spicy!)
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce optional – use your favorite!
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
PREP THE CHICKEN WINGS
- Pat the wings as dry as you can get them. This will help with the crispiness.
- Set the wings into a large bowl and season with baking powder, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to get them nice and coated. The baking powder helps with the crispiness.
FOR BAKED CHICKEN WINGS
- Heat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C). Set the wings onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 C). Flip the chicken wings and bake another 30 minutes, or until the wings are cooked through and the skins are nice and crispy.
FOR AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS
- Pat the chicken wings as dry as you can with paper towels.
- Set the chicken wings into a large bowl and toss them with the baking powder, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper, to evenly coat the skin.
- Oil the air fryer basket with vegetable oil and set the seasoned chicken wings into the air fryer basket in an even layer. Air fry at 250 degrees F (120 C) for 15 minutes.
- Flip the chicken wings, then set the air fryer temperature to 400 degrees F (205 C). Air fry for another 15-20 minutes, or to your desired crispiness. Internal temperature of chicken wings should reach 165 degrees F (74 C) internally when measured with a meat thermometer.
FOR THE GARLIC PARMESAN SAUCE
- Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. When melted, stir in the parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes, hot sauce and salt and pepper until well combined.
TO SERVE
- Toss the finished chicken wings in the garlic parmesan sauce and serve!
Nutrition Information
Jay says
Hi Mike,Can I use minced garlic instead of garlic powder
Can I use minced garlic instead of garlic powder for garlic -parmesan wings??
Mike Hultquist says
You surely can, Jay. I would use 1/2-1 teaspoon or even more, depending on how garlicky you like it. Enjoy!!
Jay says
Thanks Mike, going to try them tonight
Steve Gardner says
Hi Mike, these were delicious — the low-heat/high-heat method worked exceptionally well. One note, as I thought it might, the parmesan balled up, kind of granulated, when mixed into the melted butter. It tasted great, but was not the best texture for me. It reminds me of the challenge of making a good cacio e pepe. Parmesan does not melt well in liquid, and I’ve found that sprinkling a bit of grated parmesan onto the wet food (either pasta or, in this case, chicken wings) a bit at a time, mixing, then repeating, has worked better for me. I plan to take that route next time.
Thanks for all the great recipes. I just put up 4 bottles each of fermented Hatch chili hot sauce and 4 bottles of hot sauce from fermented long red chilis (not sure what they are called) that I get at the Korean markets here in Houston. Fabulous!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for the feedback, Steve! I love to hear about the hot sauce!
Aaron Hooks says
Hi Mike,
I made these last . I took a page from one of your other recipes and let the wings set in the fridge over night to get them dry.
Here is my question - they had a taste that I assume was the baking powder - it was a kind of after taste.
Any thoughts on the cause?
Thanks! Kepp doing what you are doing.
Aaron
Mike Hultquist says
Aaron, did you use baking "soda"? The recipe calls for baking "powder". And it should be aluminum free, which is mentioned in the recipe card. Not sure if that was the issue or not.
Aaron Lysle Hooks says
Mike,
That was it - my baking powder has aluminum! Argh!!!
RamonRaymondRivera says
ps/like to know if ok to fry wings in oil don't do much frying do have big airfrier in box new also toaster oven big airfrier everything electric for now good no gas?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can fry the in oil. The toaster oven is good, just be sure to follow temps.
Suzanne Parrish says
Hi Mike. it's just me and I need to fix a huge pkg of wings in the freezer. Can I freeze the leftovers? I plan to make them tomorrow. Thanks, Suzanne
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Suzanne. Great! Yes, you can freeze leftover chicken wings. You can reheat them in the oven to enjoy them again. They may not have the same texture, but the flavor is still good!
Brian G says
Hey Mike. I've got a question on your recipe posted on 2 Aug. Garlic Parmesan Wings. In your notes you talk about brining or marinating the wings overnight. If I do this, would I on the next day pat them dry of the marinade and then do the dredging of the wings in the baking powder mix and then putting them in the refrigerator to dry them out further? Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Brian G.
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Brian. Yes, if you brine them or marinate, be sure to pat the wings nice and dry so the skins can crisp up. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Jeffery M kantor says
delicious wings on a Sunday nite watching football. : )
Mike H. says
Absolutely, Jeffery. My favorite! =)
Mike says
...and if I want to do these on the grill? I don't do so good inside...
Mike H. says
Mike, I don't see why not!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu i never had garlic parmesan wings before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike H. says
Enjoy, Ramya.