Garlic Parmesan Wings
Oven-baked wings with crackly skin, tossed in melted butter with fresh garlic, Parmesan and parsley and run under the broiler: the no-heat wing found on many American wing menus.
After Buffalo, the wing became a blank canvas. Wikipedia says wings became a popular bar food across the US in the 1970s and 1980s, that wing chains followed (Buffalo Wild Wings in 1982, Hooters in 1983), and that restaurants kept adding sauces influenced by other cuisines and unusual flavors. Garlic and Parmesan is one of the no-heat choices that turns up on many of those menus. We found no documented origin for it: no restaurant, date or person, so this page does not name one. The two American styles are a butter sauce like this one and the creamy, mayonnaise-based chain style in our Creamy Parmesan Garlic Wings recipe.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Oven-baked wings with crackly skin, tossed in melted butter with fresh garlic, Parmesan and parsley and run under the broiler: the no-heat wing found on many American wing menus.
🇺🇸 The original
The Buffalo original is plain: wings fried without any breading, tossed in a hot sauce and melted butter, served with celery and blue cheese dressing. See the Buffalo Wings (Anchor Bar Style) recipe.
📖 Origin story: Who Really Invented Buffalo Wings? The Anchor Bar vs John Young →
Why it works the kitchen science
Baking powder on the skin
It draws out moisture and helps the skin brown and crisp in a hot oven, so baked wings get a crackly surface without a fryer (Taste of Home; America's Test Kitchen uses the same trick in our Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings recipe).
Sauce, then broil
A quick blast under the broiler after saucing melts the cheese onto the skin and takes the raw edge off the fresh garlic.
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line two 15x10-inch rimmed baking pans with foil and coat with cooking spray. Mix the baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Step 2
Cut through the two joints of each wing and discard the tips. Toss the pieces in the spice mixture and shake off the excess.
- Step 3
Spread the wings out on the pans with space between them and let them stand 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until the skin is golden and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- Step 5
While they bake, stir the melted butter, Parmesan, parsley and garlic together in a large bowl. Toss the hot wings in the sauce.
- Step 6
Heat the broiler. Set the sauced wings on a greased rack in a broiler pan and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is very crisp. Watch closely and serve right away.
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Serves 4 (as a light main; 2 hungry wing eaters) · 2 dozen wing pieces and about 1 cup sauce · 1 hr 5 min total
Wings
- 12 chicken wings (about 2 1/2 lb)
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
Garlic parmesan sauce
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Line two 15x10-inch rimmed baking pans with foil and coat with cooking spray. Mix the baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Cut through the two joints of each wing and discard the tips. Toss the pieces in the spice mixture and shake off the excess.
- Spread the wings out on the pans with space between them and let them stand 5 minutes.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until the skin is golden and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- While they bake, stir the melted butter, Parmesan, parsley and garlic together in a large bowl. Toss the hot wings in the sauce.
- Heat the broiler. Set the sauced wings on a greased rack in a broiler pan and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is very crisp. Watch closely and serve right away.
Adapted from Taste of Home, "Garlic Parmesan Wings" by Nancy Mock, recipe by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen (tested by Margaret Knoebel), as written. Taste of Home says 2 dozen pieces serve two to four; we call it 4 light servings. Taste of Home cooks "until juices run clear"; we use 165°F (USDA FSIS). Taste of Home. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Shake off the baking powder well; too much can taste bitter.
- Use real Parmigiano Reggiano grated fine if you have it; it melts more smoothly than canned.
- Buy whole wings and cut them yourself if you can (Taste of Home).
- For a creamy, chain-style version, see our Creamy Parmesan Garlic Wings recipe.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- A wing chain invented garlic parmesan wings. Folklore: often assumed; we found no documented origin.
- Baking powder makes baked wings crisp. Documented (Taste of Home; America's Test Kitchen, our Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings recipe).
- Fresh garlic beats garlic powder. Folklore: this recipe uses both, powder on the skin and fresh in the sauce.
- Garlic parmesan wings should be butter-based, not creamy. Folklore: both styles are sold; it is taste, not rule.
Every other wing
Buffalo Wings (Anchor Bar Style)
Unbreaded wings fried crisp and tossed in a buttery cayenne pepper sauce, served with celery, carrots and a chunky blue cheese dressing, the way Buffalo's Anchor Bar made them famous.
Atlanta Lemon Pepper Wet Wings
Crisp fried wings tossed in melted butter with a little hot sauce, lemon and honey, then showered with a homemade lemon pepper seasoning: Atlanta's favorite way to order wings.
DC Carryout Wings with Mambo Sauce
Whole wings dredged in seasoned flour and fried hard, then drenched in mambo sauce, the sweet, tangy, red carryout sauce Washington calls its own.
Hot Honey Wings
Wings in a light seasoned-flour coat, fried crisp and tossed in melted butter, chili-infused honey, cider vinegar and red pepper flakes: sweet first, heat second.
Nagoya Tebasaki (Sweet Soy Chicken Wings)
Wings dusted in potato starch, fried twice, coated in a sweet soy, mirin, garlic and ginger glaze and finished with sesame seeds and pepper, the bar snack Nagoya is famous for.
Korean Soy Garlic Wings (Double Fried)
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Jamaican Jerk Wings
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Filipino Adobo Chicken Wings
Wings marinated and simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, then tossed in the cooking liquid boiled down to a glaze with onions and served with sweet homemade banana ketchup.
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings (Baking Powder Method)
No fryer and no fuss: wings tossed with baking powder and salt, roasted on a rack in a very hot oven, broiled for extra crunch and tossed in a quick hot sauce, butter and molasses sauce.
Creamy Parmesan Garlic Wings, Inspired by Buffalo Wild Wings
Inspired by, not official: plain fried wings tossed in a creamy sauce of roasted garlic, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon and dried herbs, in the style of the sports-bar chain's Parmesan Garlic flavor.
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