Ready in 20 minutes, these air fryer garlic parmesan chicken wings will make you forget all about your favorite wing spot! Drenched in a buttery garlic parmesan sauce, these crispy and juicy chicken wings are packed with bold flavor.

Our love of chicken wings has been well displayed many times already with recipes like our lemon pepper chicken wings and cajun baked chicken wings. There’s just something so perfect about the crispy skin, juicy meat, and flavorful sauces that always keep us coming back for more! Whether it’s a casual dinner or as an appetizer for game day, these wings never fail to wow our friends and family. Our baking soda trick combined with the air fryer gets the wings crispy in no time… and that zesty garlic-parmesan butter sauce? Pure magic!
Reasons to Love These Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Quick and Easy: Whip up a batch in 20 minutes with our simple to follow steps.
- So Flavorful: With the perfect balance of buttery garlic goodness and cheesy parmesan, the sauce takes these wings over the top!
- Crispy Skin: The air fryer creates a perfectly crispy exterior and juicy interior every time!
- Simple Ingredients: These wings use ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- Perfect for Entertaining: A guaranteed hit at parties, game days, or for a quick dinner.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for garlic parmesan chicken wings in the air fryer. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken Wings: Make sure they’re patted dry before seasoning. This helps the seasoning stick, but also allows the wings to get nice and crispy in the air fryer.
- Baking Powder: We know this sounds wild, but this secret ingredient gives the wings a gorgeous, crispy texture.
- Butter: We use salted butter in our sauce, but if you use unsalted, just add a pinch of salt to the sauce!
- Parmesan Cheese: For the very best consistency and flavor, consider grating the cheese yourself right off the block.
- Fresh Parsley: You can use dried parsley if desired. Just cut down on the amount, since dried parsley is more potent than fresh.
- Garlic: Feel free to measure with your heart, garlic lovers! We have been known to double — or even triple — the garlic when we know we don’t have anywhere to go the next day. 😉
How to Make Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
If you love classic air fryer chicken wings, you’ll love this flavor packed garlic parmesan version. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Dry the Wings: Gently pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Make sure to really get off as much moisture as you can!
- Season the Wings: Mix together all of the seasonings in a small bowl. Then, use this dry rub to season the wings. You can also toss all the seasonings and wings into a ziplock bag and shake it to coat, then toss the bag when you’re done.
- Cook: Cook for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway through to ensure the wings cook evenly. You want them to be crispy all over!
- Make the Sauce: We like to do this when there’s a few minutes left of cook time. Melt the butter, then stir in the parmesan, parsley, and garlic. Microwave again so it’s all warm and mixed well. If you prefer, you can melt the sauce ingredients together in a pan instead.
- Toss the Wings: Transfer the hot wings to a big bowl and toss with the garlicky parmesan sauce. Then serve immediately!
Cook’s Tips & Variations
- Use Avocado Spray: A quick spritz on the wings, before air frying, will help them to crisp up even more.
- Single Layer: Make sure your wings are in a single layer and are not touching each other for even cooking and crispy results.
- Spicy Twist: Add cayenne or chili flakes to the rub, or to the sauce, to turn up the heat.
- Herb Swap: Use fresh rosemary or thyme in place of parsley for a different flavor.
- Oven Baked: Broil on high for 7 minutes on a greased sheet pan on the second level of the oven rack. Flip the wings, lower the heat to low, and broil for 10 minutes more.
Make Ahead Tips
Having people over for party and want to enjoy your time with your guests instead of working in the kitchen? You can prep these wings up to two days before!
- Wings: Coat the wings with the dry rub and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Sauce: Prepare the sauce and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- When Ready To Serve: Add the wings to the air fryer and cook as directed. Melt the sauce again, toss it on the hot wings and serve!
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the parmesan garlic butter sauce
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Use a paper towel to dry the wings thoroughly, then place the wings in a large bowl or a gallon size ziplock bag.
- In a small bowl mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, baking powder, black pepper and salt. Pour the dry rub seasoning over the wings, if using a zip lock bag seal the bag and shake to coat the wings. If the wings are in a large bowl toss until coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange wings in an even layer in the basket.
- Cook for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. The wings are done once they reach an internal temperature of 175°F on an instant read meat thermometer. Optional: Spray the wings with avocado spray before cooking to help them brown and become extra crispy!
- When the wings have 4 minutes left of cook time, make the sauce. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (about 30 seconds). Stir in the parmesan cheese, parsley, and minced garlic. Microwave on high for 1 minute more, stirring halfway through, until sauce is well combined.
- As soon as the wings are done cooking, transfer the wings to a large bowl. Pour the sauce on top and toss the wings to coat. Serve immediately!
So delicious and easy to make!!! We loved them!