You can’t beat these crispy Keto Chicken Wings dripping with luscious garlic parmesan sauce. They are the ultimate low carb Game Day finger food!
Have I ever mentioned that chicken wings are my favorite food group? Yes, I really do think these unassuming little chicken parts deserve their own food group. I consider them to be a very important part of my low carb diet.
And these Garlic Parmesan Wings are seriously addictive. They have a crispy, golden brown exterior and succulent meat. The buttery, garlicky sauce certainly doesn’t hurt either!
My whole family loves these keto chicken wings. We find ourselves jostling and fighting for that last one on the tray. Even when I make a double batch!
Can’t get enough of that garlic parmesan combo? Check out my Keto Garlic Parmesan Knots made with fathead dough, and my Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts for more.
Easy crispy wings at home
Want to know how to make crispy keto chicken wings in your oven? This little tip blew my mind when I first learned about it. But it really does get the skin nice and crispy without the trouble of deep frying.
And it uses a common ingredient that you likely have in your pantry right now: Baking powder.
I first discovered this little trick from Recipe Tin Eats. I found it hard to believe that adding a little baking powder would result in such delectable wings. But it does, it really does!
And I’ve since used this same trick for other recipes such as Buffalo Drumsticks and Cajun Wings. I even used it to crisp up the skin for some Keto Fried Chicken.
Reader Testimonials
“Hello heaven! These wings are unreal – bursting with flavor, and crazy easy! I have a new go-to game day recipe!” — Courtney
“Made these tonight for “living room tailgating” and they were perfect!! Served them with a Bleu cheese/ranch dressing and that really went well with the garlic Parmesan!” — Naomi
“THESE WINGS ARE SOOOOOO GOOD!! THESE WINGS ARE AMAZING!! Follow the directions – you won’t be disappointed! I NEVER leave feedback, but man, you gotta make these wings!” — Mary
Ingredients you need
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- Chicken wings: You can use fresh or frozen wings. If using frozen, make sure to thaw them completely. Pat the wings VERY dry before adding the baking powder and seasonings.
- Baking powder: This is the secret ingredient to crispy keto chicken wings. Use aluminum free baking powder, as some people notice a bitter taste with brands that contain it. Don’t use baking soda as it will taste very strong and unpleasant.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. I tend to use salted for savory recipes like this.
- Garlic: Either press or mince the garlic finely. You want small pieces to get good coverage over the wings.
- Parmesan: I like to use the very finely, somewhat powdery, grated Parmesan that comes in a tub in the cheese section, because it sticks to the wings a little better. But you can also use freshly grated Parmesan. Note that I am not referring to the junky Kraft variety that comes in a green can, as that often contains fillers and anti-caking agents.
- Fresh parsley: Fresh parsley adds better flavor and color, but if you only have dried, you can use that too. Use only 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried parsley.
- Seasonings: Paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
1. Coat with baking powder: Place half of the wings in a heavy duty ziploc bag and sprinkle with half of the baking powder. Shake vigorously to coat, then place the wings a greased baking. Repeat with the remaining wings and the remaining baking powder.
2. Add seasoning: In a spice jar, combine the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle lightly over the wings on both sides.
3. Bake at low temp: Bake 30 minutes at 250ºF minutes, until the wings feel dry and crisp. This first baking phase helps render the fat and crisp up the skin.
4. Bake again: Increase the oven heat to 425ºF. Place the wings back on the rack, skin side down. Bake 15 minutes, then flip over once more and bake another 10 minutes.
5. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a microwaveable safe bowl or in a saucepan. Whisk in the garlic and parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Expert tips
This is honestly the best method for oven-baked wings out there. The baking powder does add a fair amount of saltiness, as does the Parmesan, so use a light hand with the salt until you know how they taste.
You can also prepare these garlic parmesan wings in an air fryer. You don’t need the baking powder to crisp them up, but many readers still use it to make the wings extra crispy.
Air Fryer Method: Place the wings skin side down on the air fryer rack and cook at 400ºF for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook again for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the skin is crispy. I use the air fryer for my pickle brined wings.
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. You can re-heat them in a warm oven, although they will never be quite as crispy as when they are freshly cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
While chicken wings on their own are keto-friendly, you will want to steer clear of
wings that have a thick breading or are served with sugar-laden sauces. These keto garlic parmesan wings are super crispy and have only 1.3g net carbs per serving so they’re a great choice.
Look for wings that are coated in naturally sugar-free seasonings and sauce. Classic Buffalo sauce is usually sugar-free, as is garlic parmesan and lemon pepper. Cilantro lime is another good option. And you can always use my sugar-free BBQ sauce if you’re craving sweet wings!
Baking powder is slightly alkaline and it raises the pH levels on the chicken’s skin. This breaks the proteins down more easily giving you the crispy brown skin we crave. It also reacts with the natural juices in the wings to form carbon dioxide. This creates small bubbles in the skin which also helps create a crunchy texture.
What to serve with keto chicken wings
Enjoy these delicious buttery wings as is or serve with one of these delicious sauces:
- Chunky Feta Dressing
- Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- Sugar Free Carolina BBQ Sauce
- Keto BBQ Sauce
- Sugar Free Honey Mustard
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) chicken wings
- 1 1/2 tbsp (1.5 tbsp) baking powder
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) paprika
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) cayenne
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup (33.33 g) grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF and place a baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the rack with oil to prevent sticking.
- Place half of the wings in a heavy duty ziploc back and sprinkle with half of the baking powder. Shake vigorously to coat, then place the wings on the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining wings and the remaining baking powder.
- In a spice jar, combine the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle lightly over the wings on both sides.
- Bake 30 minutes, until the wings feel dry and crisp to the touch. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 425ºF. Flip the wings so that they are skin side-down and bake 15 minutes. Then flip them over once more to be skin side up and bake another 10 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a microwaveable safe bowl or in a saucepan. Whisk in the garlic and parsley.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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Best recipe for crispy wings other than frying.
I wonder if it’s because of the cornstarch in the baking powder? Dredging in cornstarch works really great when frying pork or chicken. Makes outside crispy, inside moist. If you let it sit a few minutes after dredging, before frying, it makes it even more crispy. I also use a little gluten free 1-1 flour with the cornstarch for dredging. Really really rally good!!
It’s not… read the post, you will see it’s about a reaction on the surface of the skin of the chicken. I’ve researched it myself! 🙂
“Skin side down?” wings have skin all around. Can you clarify, please.
The top skin is more abundant… top-side down, perhaps?
I simply want to reiterate that you are great. very entertaining and humorous. keep up the good work!
Thanks!
About the salt…the suggestion to go light on it is very good advice. When making this recipe the first time consider eliminating the salt and adding salt later to the cooked wings. The recipe is fantastic and makes great wings!
If you read the updated recipe, you see that’s what it already says…
I made these last week, and they were sooo good. Butter, garlic, parmesan – what could be bad? We couldn’t stop eating them. The addition of the baking powder creates a nice crispiness too, but I did find that I needed to bake them longer than instructions recommend.
Made these tonight for “living room tailgating” and they were perfect!! Served them with a Bleu cheese/ranch dressing and that really went well with the garlic Parmesan!
Very delicious and easy to make. Great directions. Brushed the cooking rack and was a very easy clean-up for me and my husband really cleaned up the wings, lol !!! I really enjoyed how crispy they got and the sauce to toss them in was very flavorful. Thank you!!
Wonderful!
I’d LOVE to try this in my new Air Fryer!
Is the assembly the same? What would be the cooking instructions?
Thankyou, Carolyn ????
Skip the baking powder! Follow my instructions for cooking air fryer wings here: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-pickle-brine-chicken-wings/
So good! Perfectly crisp. Will definitely make again a and again! Thank you for a great recipe!
These are my absolute favorites. I could eat them morning noon and night!
OMG! I made these per the recipe using Bell&Evan wings from WF and fresh rosemary from my patio garden. They were “finger lick-in’ good”. Hubby just started Keto (yay) and they really satisfied him. I can’t get over how delicious they were.
Sounds great!
The wings took longer than called for, I increased temp to 450 for 10 additional minutes.
They stuck badly to the rack, maybe it should be sprayed to prevent losing some of the crispy skin.
While they were crispy, the flavor before adding the sauce was unpleasantly bitter. Once the sauce was added it was not noticeable.
The garlicky sauce was yummy, I recommend heating the sauce in the oven for 10 minues while the wings cook to mellow the sharpness of the raw garlic..
So I have to respond to this because there are some issues with this review:
For one thing, the instructions DO say to brush the rack with oil to avoid sticking. So reading more closely might help.
Secondly, they aren’t meant to be eaten without the sauce.
Thirdly, I suspect your oven is off, if you had to bake them that long. Either that, or your wings were a LOT larger than most.
Such an easy yet delicious recipe. I added a little paprika to give it a little kick 🙂
OMG! Just made these for dinner tonight. I ended up flipping mine over and cooking another 10 minutes because the undersides were not at all crispy and then tossed 1/2 in a buffalo sauce for my husband. They were amazing. My husband loves wings and was skeptical but a couple of wings in he was commenting we should try all sorts of different sauces. Thanks for the recipe. Will be making them again!
Glad you liked them! I think the rack you use can make a difference to the undersides but glad it worked out.
Kids loved it. very good and easy recipe, i tried it last night
Hi! What is the dipping sauce you used in your video? May I ask for the recipe please! Thanks!
Good question, this is so long ago. Probably ranch or blue cheese dressing. But I have a fab creamy feta that would be good with this and if you prefer, you can sub bleu cheese for the feta. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-creamy-feta-dressing-and-dip/
I made these for church pitchin and they were gone in no time
I keep them on my rotation because we all love them
Glad to hear it!
tHESE WINGS ARE SOOOOOO GOOD!! THESE WINGS ARE AMAZING!! Follow the directions – you won’t be disappointed! I NEVER leave feedback, but man, you gotta make these wings!
Thank you! <3
These were awesome, followed recipe. My first time making wings and I will definitely make again.