Crispy garlic parmesan chicken wings are baked in the air fryer. These are perfect for game day or party and are healthier than deep-fried. The chicken wings are coated in a delicious coating of minced garlic, melted butter, lemon juice, and smoked paprika.
In a couple of weeks, most Americans will gather around their television with their friends, some delicious finger foods, and cold beer to watch two Titan football teams clash with one another to wing the Lombardi trophy. It’s an American tradition! So even if you don’t care too much about the game, like me, you have to look forward to some football game food classics, and chicken wings are a good part of that.
My husband is what I call a fried chicken wing connoisseur. He loves chicken wings. Mainly fried chicken wings. Furthermore, my husband’s favorite chicken wing recipe is Garlic Parmesan and Buffalo Hot Garlic, but let’s stick to the garlic parm wings for this post. Shall we?
Ingredients for the Parmesan Chicken Wings
Although these chicken wings have explosive flavor, they don’t require many ingredients. I’m sure you may already have most of the ingredients in your home. Just coat the wings with the ingredients and air fry.
Garlic: This is a necessary ingredient to give these chicken wings. Be sure to use freshly minced garlic. But, if you have prechopped garlic that comes in a jar, that is fine too.
Butter: The butter is what brings everything together. For this recipe, you are going to want to use unsalted butter. This is because salt and other seasonings are already throughout the chicken wings.
Parmesan Cheese: I used grated parmesan that you typically use to shake over pasta, and although the wings were still delicious, I couldn’t help but wonder if the flavor would be better if I used freshly grated parmesan that you typically get from the cheese section in
Lemon Juice: There are a lot of flavors, and combining the butter with parm gives the chicken wings a saltiness that needs to be balanced by adding some acid and freshness. Fortunatley, adding some lemon juice does both. So you will be able to taste the wings, but the lemon flavor isn’t overpowering.
Parsley: I love parsley. Parsley does add a fresh pop of freshness to the chicken. I used dried parsley, but adding fresh parsley would elevate the flavors slightly.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: This is one of my favorite ingredients. The pepper flakes give a subtle spicy element to the wings.
Combining all these ingredients makes one delicious butter mixture, and then tossing the wings in the sauce is where the magic happens.
How to make crispy air fryer garlic parmesan chicken wings
Learning how to make the crispiest air fryer chicken wings in the air fryer has been trial and error for me. I’ve tried several ways, but I finally came up with the best methods.
Use Baking Powder: I know this seems very weird, but I learned from watching some science guy that the baking powder’s chemical reaction on the chicken’s skin helps the skin to crisp up.
Make sure the chicken wings are dry: One way you can do this is by laying the chicken wings out on a baking rack in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, and the chicken will dry out on the outside. Once you’ve done that, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, at least.
Cook on high heat: Cooking the chicken wings on high heat ( 400 F degrees) in the air fryer on both sides is sure to make these chicken wings super crispy.
These Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings are perfect for game day, but this appetizer is also an excellent option for low-carb and keto dieters. Serve with a side of your favorite dipping sauce and celery sticks.
Commonly Asked Questions
The cooking time for these wings is 30 minutes, 15 on both sides in the air fryer. You will flip them after 15 minutes.
If you stack the chicken wings in the air fryer, they won’t get as crispy as possible. You want to give them space so the heat can cook them evenly and the air can crisp the skin.
This depends on the size of the air fryer basket and the recommendations given by the manufacturer.
Yes. Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees, lay the wings on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes on one side.
Similar Recipes
If you like recipes like this, you will enjoy the recipes below!
- 9 Chicken Wing Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Wing
- Honey Ginger BBQ Chicken Wings
- Garlic Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Garlic and Ranch Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Description
Crispy garlic parmesan chicken wings are baked in the air fryer. These are perfect for a game or party, and they’re healthier than deep-fried.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb. Party Chicken Wings, thawed
- 1/2 tbsp. Seasoned salt
- 2 tsp. Black pepper
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. Smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp. Baking powder
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 6 tbsp. Unsalted butter, melted
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
- 1/2 tsp. Red crushed pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. Dried parsley
- Garnish: celery and carrot sticks
Instructions
To prep the chicken:
- Lay the chicken on a wire rack to air dry in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, minimum 1 hour. If you don’t have time, pat the chicken wings dry very well.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, and baking powder to the chicken. Use your hands to mix the chicken well with the seasoning and spices. Lay the chicken backing on the wire rack and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Turn the air fryer on and set it at 400 degrees. Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly lay out the chicken wings in the basket and bake the chicken on both sides for 15 minutes.
- Combine the melted butter, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, parsley, red crushed pepper flakes, and fresh lemon juice squeeze in a separate medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together.
- Add the cooked chicken wings to the bowl and toss evenly coat the chicken with the garlic parm mixture—place on serving tray alongside ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Will this work for frozen wings? Confused with the leaving them out process?
You want your chicken wings to be thawed. Your chicken is in the refrigerator so it should be fine. You can put a bakeing sheet under the chicken to catch any drippings or cover in plastic wrap.