Garlic Parmesan Wings
Published May 6, 2023 • Updated February 24, 2026
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If you’ve tried my classic air fryer wings or my buffalo wings, you know I take wing night seriously. These wings are the ones my family requests most, and I’ve been making this version since I first tried to recreate that Buffalo Wild Wings flavor at home. What makes them work is the buttery garlic sauce that gets brushed on mid-bake, not dumped on after. That timing detail is the difference between crispy skin and soggy, greasy wings.
I coat each wingette and drumette in a mix of baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. The baking powder is doing real work here. It raises the pH of the chicken skin, which breaks down proteins and creates tiny air bubbles that crisp up as they bake. Salt draws out moisture while the baking powder handles browning. Together they give you that deep-fried crunch without a drop of oil.
Then comes the good part. I make a quick sauce with freshly minced garlic, melted butter, grated parmesan, and a pinch of salt. I brush about two-thirds of it onto the wings partway through cooking, then toss them in the rest when they come out. I tried dumping all the sauce on at the end once and ended up with a soggy mess. The mid-bake brush lets the butter meld into the skin while it keeps crisping.
What separates these from the chain restaurant version? Fresh garlic instead of garlic powder in the sauce. I mince 6 cloves and let them hit the warm butter, which gives you that sharp, real garlic flavor you can’t get from a shaker. The parmesan needs to be freshly grated too. I’ve tried the pre-grated kind from a can and it clumps instead of melting into an even coating. A block of parmesan and a microplane make all the difference.
I’ve tested this in both the oven and the air fryer, and both deliver. The air fryer at 400 degrees gives you results that rival deep frying, especially for smaller batches. Mine takes 16-22 minutes depending on wing size, and I flip halfway to get both sides evenly crisp. For oven-baked wings, the wire rack is non-negotiable. It elevates the wings so hot air circulates underneath, and you get even crispiness on every side. I bake at 450 degrees, flip and brush at the 15-minute mark, then finish for another 10-12 minutes.
These are my go-to keto appetizer for game night. I’ll set out a platter of these alongside chili garlic wings for a two-flavor spread, or pair them with buffalo chicken dip when I’m feeding a bigger crowd. One batch feeds about 4 as an appetizer, and I’ve doubled the recipe for parties without any issues.
How to make garlic parmesan wings
- Pat the wings dry and toss in a mix of baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. I go through a stack of paper towels here. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.
- Bake on a wire rack at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Make the garlic butter sauce while they bake. I mince the garlic fresh, stir it into melted butter with grated parmesan and a pinch of salt.
- Brush the wings with about two-thirds of the sauce, flip them, and bake another 10-12 minutes until crispy.
- Toss in the remaining sauce once they come out. For extra crunch, I pop them under the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with freshly minced parsley and more grated parmesan.
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Ingredients
2 ½ pounds party chicken wings -
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon salt, divided
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
½ teaspoon black pepper
-
6 cloves garlic, minced
-
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
-
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare wings & preheat oven
Preheat oven to 450 °F. Pat wings dry with a paper towel. Then transfer wings to a large bowl. Set aside.
- 2 ½ pounds party chicken wings (wingettes & drumettes)
Mix dry coating for a crispy, crunchy wing
In a small bowl, combine baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Toss the wings
Sprinkle about half of the baking powder mixture on the wings and toss or stir. Sprinkle remaining and toss again until evenly coated.
Initial bake
Cover a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. Spray rack with cooking spray in order to keep the skin of the wings from sticking to the rack. Evenly space wings on top of the wire rack. Bake at 450 °F for 15 minutes.
Prepare garlic parmesan sauce
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine minced garlic with melted butter, parmesan cheese and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of mixture for the final toss.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
Add flavor and bake again
Remove tray from the oven. Brush the tops of the wings with butter garlic mixture. Flip wings over (so the other side will get crispy) and brush with garlic butter mixture all over each wing. Return to the oven to bake for another 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and crispy.
Final toss
Remove from oven. Transfer wings to a large bowl. Pour on reserved garlic butter mixture and toss. Sprinkle with minced parsley and dust with extra parmesan if desired.
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
Air fryer instructions
Preheat the air fryer to 400 ºF, when hot add a single layer of evenly spaced wings coated with baking powder mixture (making sure wings are not touching to allow for even air circulation). Bake for 16-22 minutes depending on their size, flipping the wings around the halfway mark and brushing with first coating of garlic parmesan mixture. After air frying, toss with remaining buttery garlic parm mixture.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does baking powder make wings crispy?
I use baking powder on almost every wing recipe I make. It works by raising the pH of the chicken skin, which breaks down proteins faster and creates tiny air bubbles on the surface. Those bubbles brown and crisp in the oven, giving you that crunchy texture you'd normally only get from deep frying. It's one of my favorite tricks for low carb wings. I've tried baking soda too, but it can leave a metallic taste if you use even a little too much. Baking powder is more forgiving.
What's the difference between using fresh and pre-grated parmesan?
I've tested both, and it matters more than you'd think. Fresh parmesan grated on a microplane melts smoothly into the butter and coats the wings evenly. The pre-grated kind from a can has anti-caking agents that make it clump instead of melt. My wings came out with little cheese patches instead of a smooth, even coating. If you're making this, spend the extra minute grating a block. The difference is obvious.
Can I make these ahead of time for a party?
I've done this a few times for game day. You can coat the wings in the baking powder mixture, arrange them on the wire rack, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. The overnight rest actually helps because it dries out the skin even more. I make the garlic butter sauce ahead too and just rewarm it before brushing. I prep these alongside keto sausage balls for a full appetizer spread. I wouldn't bake the wings ahead and reheat though. They're best straight out of the oven.
Why does the parmesan cheese stick to the foil?
I learned this the hard way. When the garlic butter drips through the wire rack onto the foil below, the parmesan in it bakes on and turns into a cement-like crust. My fix: always use a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. The rack keeps the wings elevated, and the foil underneath catches drips for easy cleanup. I spray the rack with cooking spray before placing the wings so they release cleanly. After baking, I just crumple the foil and toss it.
Can I double this recipe for a crowd?
I double this all the time for parties. The only thing I change is using two baking sheets instead of trying to fit everything on one. Crowding is the enemy of crispy skin. If the wings overlap or touch, the sides steam instead of roast. I also make about 1.5 times the garlic butter sauce when I double, because I find the original amount stretches a little thin over twice the wings.
How do I know when the wings are fully cooked?
I use a meat thermometer every time. The wings are done when the thickest part of the meat (not touching bone) reads 165 degrees. I usually pull mine around 160 because they coast up a few degrees while resting. Visual cues help too: the skin should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when you cut near the bone. After making these dozens of times, I can usually tell by the color, but I still spot-check with the thermometer.
What else can I use instead of baking powder for crispy wings?
I've experimented with a few options. Cornstarch gives a lighter, more delicate crunch but doesn't brown as deeply as baking powder. Baking soda works but you need way less (about a third of what you'd use for baking powder) or the wings taste soapy. Some people use a thin mayo coating before adding parmesan, and I've tried it. It creates a good crust but adds extra fat and changes the flavor. For this recipe, I keep coming back to baking powder because it lets the garlic and parmesan flavors come through without competing.
Been making these for probably a year now and the thing that finally clicked was finishing the parmesan off heat, not during the last couple minutes in the oven. You pull them out, toss in the garlic butter, hit them with the cheese while they're still hot but not baking, and instead of melting into a smooth glaze the parmesan stays in rough little clusters that grip the skin and give you crunch on crunch. That texture difference is real. First few times I followed the recipe straight and they were solid, but that parmesan finish is what makes me want to start the next batch before this one's gone. Also dropped my second bake to about 12 minutes, my oven runs hot. Four stars because it took a few rounds to get there, not because there's much to criticize.
The rough cluster thing is real. When it melts in during the last few minutes you get a glaze, which works, but those craggy bits gripping the skin give you a second layer of crunch. Trying the off-heat finish next batch.
Made these in the air fryer Friday because I wasn't running the oven at 90 degrees outside, and the skin came out legitimately crispy. Only note: double the parmesan at the end. Six cloves of garlic in that butter is already doing a lot, and the extra cheese rounds it out in a way the original amount doesn't quite get to. Everything else I'd keep the same.
Air fryer when it's 90 out, no question. And you're right about the parmesan - with six cloves of garlic in there, a quarter cup doesn't catch up. I'll try half next batch.
Stirred a squeeze of fresh lemon into the garlic butter before tossing. Not going back. The parmesan still comes through but there's this brightness that cuts the richness in a way I didn't expect. Making these every pool day this summer.
Lemon in the garlic butter. I haven't tried that yet but I'm doing it next batch. Makes sense that the acid cuts through all that richness.
My husband took one off the wire rack before I was done plating and didn't say a word, just nodded. Beginner me was not sure about adding the garlic butter mid-bake but that skin comes out genuinely crunchy and now I understand why.
Silent nod beats any compliment. That mid-bake step looks wrong on paper but it's what keeps the skin from going soft when you toss them.
I almost skipped the baking powder step because putting that on chicken just felt wrong to me. Made them anyway and the skin came out with this crispy, almost crackly texture I've never gotten from baking wings before. It's not a perfect stand-in for fried (nothing really is), but for oven wings these were the best I've made. Trying a different sauce next time but keeping that baking powder trick forever.
Yeah that crackle is the whole thing. For sauces - lemon pepper or a dry rub stays crispier than butter-heavy ones. Buffalo works but the skin softens faster.
Made a double batch on Sunday and reheated them in the air fryer Monday night. The baking powder coating keeps them from going rubbery, which is the thing that always kills wings for meal prep. These are staying in the weekly rotation.
Baking powder wings reheat better than anything else I've tested. That's the whole meal prep case for it. 375 for about four minutes in the air fryer. I've been doing Sunday double batches since I figured that out. Most coatings won't hold like that.
Pat them dry, coat in the baking powder mix, then leave them uncovered on a rack in the fridge for an hour before they go in the oven. The skin gets noticeably drier and the crunch out of the oven is a different level. Added two extra garlic cloves to the butter sauce and it stays mellow, not sharp.
I do mine overnight sometimes and the skin difference is real. Extra garlic in warm butter rounds out fast, you can push it further than you think.
Brought these to a party last weekend and the non-keto guests kept asking why the skin was so crispy (baking powder, I told them, and they still didn't believe me).
The disbelief is half the fun. Baking powder on chicken skin sounds made up but here we are.
Brought these to a cookout last weekend and they were the first thing gone (I figured the pulled pork would win). Two people asked what I marinated them in because of that crunch, and explaining 'baking powder' felt like giving away a magic trick. Should've doubled the batch.
Baking powder always wins that conversation. Two sheet pans next time, not one crowded one.
Went in skeptical about the baking powder coating, but the skin came out with this crackly, almost fried crunch straight from the oven. Brushing the garlic butter on halfway through is what makes it.
Halfway is everything. Too early and you've steamed the crust right before it sets.
Made these Sunday for my husband and two kids and the thing that got me was my younger one, who normally picks at anything that isn't pizza, ate four wings without saying a word and then looked up and asked if we could have them again Wednesday. That's the reaction I was waiting for. The baking powder coating is the real move here. I've made wings plenty of ways and the skin on these was properly dry and crispy, not rubbery at all. I did the mid-bake garlic butter brush exactly as written and the garlic caramelized just enough without burning, which is always the thing I worry about with fresh minced garlic at 450. Whole house smelled incredible when I pulled them out. Going to double the sauce next time because we were scraping the pan.
That kid reaction gets me every time. And yes, double the sauce (at minimum). I usually make 1.5x and still find myself scraping the pan.
The mid-bake butter brush is the move. Six batches in and I still look forward to it, watching the skin stay crispy under the sauce instead of going soft. Four stars because I'm still dialing in the garlic-to-parmesan ratio, but that won't stop me from making batch seven.
Six batches and still counting. On the ratio, I land at 6 cloves to 1/4 cup parmesan. Go heavier on the cheese and the garlic disappears.
Grabbed the rack out of my toaster oven because I didn't have a proper one, and every single wing came out with this ridiculous crackly skin that I was not prepared for (four stars because I oversauced on my first try, not because of the recipe).
Toaster oven rack is fine for this. And yeah, oversaucing on round one is basically a given with this sauce.
I've made wings plenty of times but never tried the baking powder coating before and honestly kept second-guessing myself while prepping (it just seems like a weird thing to put on chicken). Followed the instructions anyway and they came out with this actual crunch, the kind where the skin snaps when you bite in. The mid-bake garlic butter step is what I'll do from now on instead of just tossing at the end. Way crispier than I expected for something this easy.
The baking powder thing looks wrong right up until it doesn't. That snap is exactly why I won't do wings any other way.
Tried adding a second coat of butter right when they come out of the oven, while they're still hot, and the parmesan melts into the skin instead of sitting on top. Way better texture. Keeping that step.
Second coat right out of the oven. Never thought to do that but it makes sense, the residual heat actually works the parmesan in. Stealing this.