Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings (Air Fryer!)

You’ll love these Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings that don’t skip a beat on that extra crispy skin when whipped up in the air fryer! These juicy wings get tossed in a glorious, homemade garlic butter sauce with plenty of freshly grated parmesan. A perfect appetizer to make for any occasion or event; oven-baked notes included!

I feel like I was one of the last folks on the planet to get an air fryer. Seriously, I already own quite a few different cooking appliances and felt like my countertops (and kitchen, really) couldn’t take any more things, ha! But alas, peer pressure won after I kept seeing people rant and rave about theirs. I finally bought one and then it sat in the box for a few weeks because I forgot about it.

Fast forward to recent times, I fully get the air fryer hype and am 1000% on board! It’s so super clutch for all kinds of cooking, y’all. While I haven’t used it for millions of things just yet, I do have some favorites thus far. Like salmon, hash browns, fries, veggies, and chicken! Speaking of chicken, air fryer chicken wings are my holy grail staple…like these garlic parmesan wings, gahhh.

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings 🤤

Aside from lemon pepper wings, garlic parmesan wings are my next best friend. These wings are loaded with flavorrr and so extra crispy thanks to the magic that is the air fryer! Fresh garlic and parmesan are in abundance here- and I do mean abundant. The crispy wings get tossed in a delicious garlic butter sauce that clings to them, I’m obsessed because they’re just so good like that!

⇢ Other recipes: chicken piccata meatballs, creamy lemon herb butter ravioli, my red beans and rice, brunch-inspo like chicken and waffles or shrimp and grits, and creamy spinach artichoke chicken or this chicken adobo! ♡

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Chicken wings: I typically grab whole chicken wings that I cut myself, separating the flat from the drumette piece. You can discard the chicken tips or save them for making homemade stock/broth (which is what I usually do!). Some grocery stores sell “party wings” that are already cut for you which eliminates the need to cut the wings yourself, you do you.
• Olive oil: Just a little for coating the wings & seasonings together.
• Baking powder: Interesting huh? Yes, peeps. Baking powder is a star ingredient to ensure extra crispy wings, trust me. Baking powder (not to be confused with baking soda!) contains a few ingredients that react with salt and help to raise the pH level in the chicken. When coated onto the wings, the peptide bonds break down, drying out the skin to yield super crispiness.
• Seasonings: I use garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground white pepper (freshly ground black pepper as a sub), and salt. The spices lineup is simple because we want that garlic parmesan flavor to shine through!
• For the garlic butter sauce: butter, garlic, and chopped parsley (feel free to use fresh chopped parsley or lightly dried parsley that’ll hydrate in the sauce).
• Parmesan: For the best wings, freshly grated parmesan is non-negotiable.

How To Make Garlic Parmesan Wings

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Prep & season the wings. Pat the chicken wings dry. Add the wings into a large bowl and toss in the olive oil, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, and salt- to taste. Use your hands to massage everything into the wings to fully coat. Then set the wings aside.
2. Air fry the wings. Add the wings into the air fryer. Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook the chicken wings for 20 minutes, flipping the wings at the halfway mark. Notes below for oven & stovetop cooking instructions.
3. Make the garlic butter sauce. At the last 5 minutes on the wings’ cooking time, prepare the garlic butter sauce. Add the butter, garlic, and parsley into a small saucepan over heat. Allow the butter to melt through and stir the mixture to fully incorporate the sauce and then remove from heat.
4. Toss & serve. Add the crisp wings into a bowl, pour in the garlic butter sauce along with the freshly grated parmesan. Toss the wings to fully coat. Serve these garlic parmesan wings immediately. Enjoy!

⇢ I own >> this air fryer << and have been thoroughly enjoying it 🙌🏾

Tips + Tricks For The Best Wings

You may have additional questions about these garlic parmesan wings. Like other BBR recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the instructions card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Use fresh garlic! – I cannot stress this enough, y’all. This recipe calls for 10 cloves of garlic and it’s absolutely divine for these garlic parmesan wings! You see, those jars of pre-minced garlic have lost its potency and are not recommended. Grab some garlic cloves and either mince them yourself or pass them through a garlic press for fresh, ultra-potent garlic flavor.
• Use fresh parmesan! – Get those pre-shredded bags of parmesan outta here. You’ll need a *fresh block* of parmesan that you’ll grate using a grater tool.
• Toss when still hot – The sauce is the last thing made because we want that garlic butter sauce to be nice and hot when poured over the wings. The flavors meld and cling onto those crispy wings, it’s really a chef’s kiss moment 👅

No Air Fryer? Alternative Ways To Cook Wings

• Oven-baked wings: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prep and season the wings as noted in the recipe card. Grab a large baking sheet fitted with a wire rack in place (air flow ensures crispiness). Then spray the rack with cooking spray to keep the wings from sticking to it. Place the wings on the rack and bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping them at the halfway mark. Cook the wings until they’re golden, crisp, and cooked through. Then toss with the sauce.
• Stovetop-frying wings: Fill a pot with oil (peanut, vegetable, canola, etc.)- Just enough for the oil to come halfway up the pot, enough for the chicken to float. A deep-fry thermometer will help you know when the oil is hot + ready. Add the prepped/seasoned chicken wings, in batches, into the oil. Fry until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Then toss with the sauce.

Storing Leftover Garlic Parmesan Wings

First, I cannot believe you have leftovers. Like, seriously though? Ha. Although, these garlic parmesan wings store and reheat like a dream! Keep any leftover wings you have stored inside of an airtight container.

You can reheat them in 2 recommended ways: back in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes until warmed through or in the oven at 325°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. ⇢ Both methods will ensure that the garlic parmesan wings get back nice and crispy, just like the same day you made ’em!

These Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings need to be on your must-make list if you’re a chicken wing fanatic. The end. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

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