Can I confess how much I love these garlic parmesan wings? Truly crispy oven baked wings in a buttery garlic parmesan sauce. This low carb recipe will have you licking your fingers and asking for more. Get my trick for crispy oven baked chicken every time. Instructional video included.
Why yes, I do already have a keto garlic parmesan wings recipe here on the blog. But it was desperately in need of an update for quite a number of reasons. For one, my photography has vastly improved in the intervening 5 years from the time I published the original wings recipe. Secondly, I have perfected my oven-baked wings so that they are truly crispy, using the unusual step of adding baking powder to crisp up the skin. I felt this basic low carb chicken wings recipe needed the old garlic parmesan treatment. But then again, I think everything needs the garlic parmesan treatment. And finally, I had previously used some pre-packaged herb pastes which, while delicious, didn’t really make an already easy recipe any easier. For some people, those pastes are not readily available, so I decided that fresh is always better and that I wanted this recipe to be accessible to more readers. And well hey, I decided to shoot a video while I was at it.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Wings
Have I ever mentioned that wings are my favourite food group? Yes, I really do think these unassuming little chicken parts deserve their own food group. They easily rank up there as one of my favorite foods. Even more so now that I eat a low carb and sometimes ketogenic diet. Because almost everywhere you go, some restaurant or pub or little hole in the wall will be serving chicken wings and as long as they are not breaded or sugar-glazed, they are usually keto friendly. So I often order wings when nothing else is available.
Of course, there are so-so wings, and there are good wings, and then there are REALLY good wings. Some places just stick them on the menu because it’s expected and they don’t really care about wings. They don’t feel the same way I do about wings, that they should be really crisp and not overly drowned in sauce. They just pop some frozen wings into a fryer and slop some Buffalo sauce on them and consider it done. Yes, I will eat those and make the most of it. But I much prefer places that really care about their wings, that take the time to really crisp them up and then add just the right amount of seasonings and sauces. So you get flavour but you also get to enjoy the crispness and saltiness of the wing itself.
I don’t take the trouble to deep fry my wings at home very often. It’s a fair bit of work and it results in my house smelling like fried food for days. But this awesome method I discovered last year, of tossing the wings with baking powder and then slowly baking them, gets them seriously crispy. It’s the best oven baked method out there, in my humble opinion. It does add a fair amount of saltiness unto itself so use a light hand with the salt until you know how they taste. The parmesan adds saltiness too so be forewarned before you add any salt. I love salt and will happily add more but give them a taste before you sprinkle.
- 3 lbs chicken wings
- 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 ounce grated parmesan about 1/2 cup
- Fresh chopped rosemary or parsley
- Preheat oven to 250F and place a baking rack over a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush rack with oil to prevent sticking.
- Pat wings dry very well (as dry as possible!) and place in a plastic bag. Sprinkle with baking powder, salt, and pepper and seal the bag. Shake to coat. Lay wings in a single layer on prepared baking rack and bake in lower third of oven for 30 minutes.
- Increase oven temperature to 425F and move baking sheet to upper third of oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until crispy. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a microwaveable safe bowl or in a saucepan. Add the garlic, parsley and pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken wings and sprinkle with the parmesan. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce.
Ryan Luedecke says
Nice Carolyn! I didn’t know that baking powder could be used to crisp up the skin. How did you come up with that idea? I like the ingenuity. I always do the lazy wing method of baking at 475F for 40 minutes to crisp them up.
Carolyn says
I didn’t come up with that idea. I saw it on another recipe online once and gave it a try. I am not sure who came up with it originally because many other people have used this method.
Ryan Luedecke says
Cool Carolyn. Thanks for letting me know! Shared this recipes w/ my followers.
Carolyn says
Thanks so much!
Maryann says
The timing of this couldn’t be more perfect. I’ve been craving these wings (and blackened Cajun chicken wings) hard lately. Time to give this the old one two 🙂
Michelle Thiebaud says
Do these wings start out fresh or frozen? TY for your great recipes.
Carolyn says
I usually buy frozen wings and thaw them and then dry them really well before baking.
Michelle Thiebaud says
Thank you! Ever thought of doing an angel food cake? I made one on the weekend from another site, and it was an epic fail 🙁
Carolyn says
Actually, i have tried my hand at it a few times. I am not quite pleased with it yet. They taste great but they shrink away from the wrappers (I did mine as cupcakes), so I need to find a way to give them more structure.
Karen says
Warning: Addicting. Made a batch this weekend and, somewhat ashamed to say, we ate them ALL. Not one left. Um. There were only three of us. Tasty!!! =))
Carolyn says
Yay! They’re so low carb, no worries if you ate them all.
Susan says
So true, Karen! My husband was devouring the wings as he said: ‘Can we have these again, real soon?’. I think there is enough left for another meal…what a winning update, Carolyn.
Thank you for you bring to our tables.
Diane says
Love to read the stories as well as the recipies…noticed you said you still eat low carb, sometimes ketogenic…I thought you were all keto when I started following you…what’s changed and why? What do you consider low carb? I’d really love a slice of apple as opposed to a “fake” sweet dessert, and how i miss beans!
Carolyn says
What I mean by that is simply that I don’t always worry about my macros and/or whether I am in ketosis. Everything I make is appropriate for a keto diet. But I mostly worry about whether my carbs are low enough to keep my blood sugar low, rather than “chasing ketones”, as they say. Nothing has really changed, I’ve always done it this way.
That said, when I feel I’ve gotten off track a bit, I do a few days of what I call “hard keto” for a few days. Really low carb as a bit of a cleanse. But I don’t test my ketone levels all the time. I think some people call this “lazy keto”. I do sometimes work a bit of apple into a recipe but I sure don’t sit down and eat them anymore! I had a tiny slice of my daughter’s peach the other day. 🙂 Like, about 1/16th of the peach.
Kate says
Thank you. As a prediabetic trying not to slip into type 2, I am only concerned about not spiking my blood sugar. I am thin enough and don’t want to lose weight. I read your blog faithfully because I feel like, as another pre diabetic, you “get it.”
Diane says
Thanks! I don’t check my ketones because I don’t want to do the blood test and have found the urine strips VERY inaccurate. Just wanted a bite of apple or nectarine (my dog loves them, and they are better for her than doggie “treats”, neither of us gets much) once in a while. I find if I get a small bite of fruit, it satisfies my craving as opposed to making a sweet keto dessert, which I will over indulge and eat the entire recipe(and gain 1-3 pounds overnight!)!
Carolyn says
Good plan. Then I think you should have a bite once in a while and give the rest to your dog! 🙂
linda says
What can I do to keep leftovers? I live alone and won’t be able to eat all of these – although I’m cutting the recipe down. Say – how many days in the fridge or should they be frozen?
Thanks for your great recipes!!
Carolyn says
They are great in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, can easily be warmed up in a toaster oven. They probably could be frozen but I’ve never tried!
Mary Sawyer says
These look fabulous!
What kind of grated Parmesan do you use? The “fresh” kind that usually comes in a deli-type plastic tub, freshly grated yourself from a wedge or the kind in the green can? Thanks in advance.
Carolyn says
Freshly grated myself, although any kind would probably do here.
Angela says
I used drumsticks since I could get 3 lbs for less than 3$. This recipe is awesome ! Absolutely delicious and fantastically easy. Thank you!!!
Carolyn says
Drumsticks are just big wings, in my opinion 😉
Jeanne says
I have some boneless thighs but skinless? will the baking powder trick work with skinless chicken or even chicken tenders maybe? love your site
Carolyn says
No, the baking powder crisps up skin but it wouldn’t work on skinless chicken.
Monica Burridge says
So I have an AirFryer think this recipe will work in there?
Carolyn says
I don’t have one but I hear great things about them!
Mandy says
If anyone tries these in an Air Fryer please update with how you did them. I just got one. In the meantime I will definitely be making them this way. Sound amazing and I don’t even usually like wings haha.
terri says
Funny, you say serves 8… I was thinking more like two, maybe three…………… I love to eat… and wings… well…..
Carolyn says
Serves 8 as an app but I am with you…I adore wings and could gorge myself on them.
Olivia says
This were amazing!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!! I followed the instructions to a T.
Carolyn says
Glad you like them!
Rita A. Sumigray says
What do you mean when you say serving size “as served”.
Carolyn says
Not sure, my serving sizes have disappeared in my plug in and I need to correct it. This recipe serves 8.
Sharon says
I saw this recipe on your IG story today and I’m so glad I did. We were originally going to have your Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken but when I saw this recipe I told my husband I wanted these instead. So we actually had a few with Buffalo sauce, more with the Garlic Parmesan and my husband had a few with Jerk sauce on them. They were so tender and good, can’t wait to have leftovers 😊. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Carolyn says
Yay! I am experimenting with posting recipes on Stories because people are having trouble clicking through on the regular IG feed!
Des says
Gimme all the chicken wings! Especially with garlic and parmesan!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I have always loved wings, but have only recently become fully obsessed with them. When I see them at a restaurant (one who seems like they would care as you put it) I order them! Love the addition of baking soda. Sounds incredible!
gerry speirs says
The kind of recipe I could eat way too many of!!
Jennifer Blake says
Love a nice crispy baked wing and the savory flavor combo is awesome!