Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings (Printable)

Crispy chicken wings coated in buttery garlic parmesan sauce served with creamy ranch dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken Wings

01 - 2 lbs split chicken wings, tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - ½ tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - ½ tsp garlic powder

→ Garlic Parmesan Sauce

07 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
09 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
11 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ To Serve

12 - ½ cup ranch dressing

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set air fryer to 400°F and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.
02 - Dry chicken wings thoroughly with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
03 - Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 24–26 minutes, shaking the basket or turning the wings halfway through, until golden and crisp.
04 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant without browning. Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan cheese, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
05 - Transfer cooked wings to a large bowl. Pour garlic parmesan sauce over wings and toss to coat evenly.
06 - Serve wings immediately alongside ranch dressing for dipping.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These wings are impossibly crispy without a drop of oil in sight, which somehow feels like you're getting away with something delicious.
  • The garlic parmesan sauce tastes like it came from somewhere fancy, but you made it in a saucepan while your air fryer did the real work.
  • They're ready in under 40 minutes from frozen, which means you can actually pull off last-minute gatherings without stress.
02 -
  • Do not skip patting the wings dry; this one step is the difference between crispy wings and steamed disappointment, and it takes thirty seconds.
  • If your garlic starts turning brown in the pan, it's already too late and will taste acrid, so watch it closely and yank it off the heat the moment you smell it.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese because it melts and coats better than pre-shredded, and the difference is noticeable enough that your guests will taste it.
  • If you're worried about the wings sticking to the basket, give it a very light spray of cooking oil before adding the wings, and shake them at the halfway point so they brown on all sides.

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