Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings are crispy, juicy, and flavor-packed! Bake or broil these cheesy, fragrant wings and serve with a creamy dipping sauce. Enjoy for dinner or double the recipe to share for game day and parties!

These Garlic Parmesan Wings are one of our favorite easy meals. Just follow our simple instructions for broiling or baking depending on your preference! Serve them on their own or pair them with other zesty wings like our Honey Garlic or Lemon Pepper Wings.

Jump to:

• About Garlic Parmesan Wings
• Ingredients
• Substitutions/Variations
• Instructions
• What Goes With Garlic Parmesan Wings
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• Cooking Tips
• Related Recipes
• Did You Like This Recipe?
• Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

About Garlic Parmesan Wings

• Taste - These garlic parmesan wings are richly herby and cheesy.
• Texture - The wings have the perfect crispy outside and juicy inside.
• Effort - This recipe is easy. All you need to do is prepare and season the wings, bake them, then toss them in garlic parmesan sauce.
• Time - It takes about 5 minutes to prep the wings, either 15 or 45 minutes to broil or bake the wings, then about 5 minutes to toss the wings in sauce.

Ingredients

Oven Baked Wings

• Chicken wings - You can use either flats, drumettes, or both.
• Olive oil - Olive oil helps to make the wings crispy.
• Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice adds a bright citrus flavor.
• Baking powder - Baking powder creates more surface area on the wings and helps them get crispy.
• Kosher salt - Kosher salt accentuates the other rich flavors.
• Freshly ground black pepper - Pepper adds a nice little spice.
• Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds a light garlicky flavor to the wings.
• Smoked paprika - Smoked paprika is smoky, spicy, and a little sweet.

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

• Butter - Butter is the rich base for the sauce.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic adds the quintessential aroma.
• Lemon juice and zest - Lemon juice and zest add brightness.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan - Freshly grated parmesan cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a sharp nuttiness.
• Italian flat leaf parsley - Parsley has an earthy pepperiness.
• Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayonnaise - Add sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayo to make the sauce thick for dipping.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions/Variations

• Spicy - Add red chili flakes or cayenne pepper to the garlic sauce to imbue heat.
• Onion powder - Sprinkle some onion powder on the wings for a light oniony flavor.
• More garlic - If you love garlic, add more!
• Pecorino - Use pecorino or a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano if you like the taste of pecorino.
• Whole wings - You can also use whole wings for this recipe. If you use whole wings, make sure to spread the wings so they cook evenly and get crispy.
• Chicken tenders - If you’re making this recipe for kids, use breaded chicken tenders and cook per the packaging instructions then toss in the sauce as instructed in our recipe. The bone has more flavor, but tenders are safer for children.

Instructions

Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings

• Preheat oven to bake - Place the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
• Prepare chicken - Add olive oil, lemon juice, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Dry chicken wings with a paper towel and place in the mixing bowl. Then toss the wings in the mixture until completely coated. (Photo 1, 2, and 3)
• Bake chicken - Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet or a greased cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Leave some space between each wing and avoid crowding so the chicken cooks evenly and gets crispy. (Photo 4)

• Turn over - Place in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes, turning the wings over halfway through. Cook until the skin is crispy and golden and the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C). (Photo 5)
• Make wing sauce - While the wings bake, add butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 4 tablespoon Parigmiano-Reggiano, and ½ tablespoon parsley in a saucepan. Warm on low heat until the butter and cheese is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Stir until combined then remove from heat. (Photo 6 and 7)
• Make dipping sauce, optional - To make a dipping sauce, whisk together sour cream with 2 tablespoons of the garlic parmesan sauce. You can also use greek yogurt or mayonnaise. Add a pinch of kosher or sea salt to taste. Whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together. If you don’t want to make the dipping sauce, use the extra garlic parmesan sauce for your wings. (Photo 8)

• Toss in sauce - Remove the crispy chicken wings from the oven and transfer to a clean mixing bowl. Then toss in the remaining garlic butter sauce until coated and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan and ½ tablespoon of chopped parsley on top. (Photo 9, 10, and 11)
• Serve - Transfer to a clean serving platter and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. (Photo 12)

Broiled Garlic Parmesan Wings

• Preheat oven to boil - Place the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to broil on high.
• Prepare chicken - Add olive oil, lemon juice, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Dry chicken wings with a paper towel and place in the mixing bowl. then toss the wings in the mixture until completely coated.
• Broil chicken - Then, arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet or a greased cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Leave some space between each wing and avoid crowding so the chicken cooks evenly and gets crispy. Place in the oven and cook for 10-14 minutes, turning halfway through. Make sure to quickly remove the rimmed baking sheet and close the oven door when you turn the wings over to avoid the hot air from escaping. Cook until the skin is crispy and golden and the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C).
• Make wing sauce - While the wings bake, add butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 4 tablespoon Parigmiano-Reggiano, and ½ tablespoon parsley in a saucepan. Warm on low heat until the butter and cheese is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Stir until combined then remove from heat.
• Make dipping sauce, optional - To make a dipping sauce, whisk together sour cream with 2 tablespoons of the garlic parmesan sauce. You can also use greek yogurt or mayonnaise. Add a pinch of kosher or sea salt to taste. Whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together. If you don’t want to make the dipping sauce, use the extra garlic parmesan sauce for your wings.
• Toss in sauce - Remove the chicken wings from the oven and transfer to a clean mixing bowl. Then toss in the remaining homemade garlic butter sauce until coated and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan and ½ tablespoon of chopped parsley on top. Finally, transfer to a clean serving platter and serve immediately.

Pro tip - Don't burn the garlic - Be careful to not turn up the heat too high when you make the wing sauce or the garlic can burn and become bitter. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant and softened.

What Goes With Garlic Parmesan Wings

These homemade garlic parmesan wings are an easy and flavorful main course or appetizer. We love to make them for a simple weeknight meal or for parties with family and friends. For dinner, we usually enjoy them with a delicious side like potatoes or rice and a tasty veggie like our 10-Minute Sautéed Broccolini (Broccoletti) or elotes corn.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Refrigerate leftover garlic parmesan wings for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. In order to reheat the wings, reheat them in the oven at 300°F until warm. You can also freeze the wings in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months.