Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Printable)

Crispy, juicy wings coated in garlic parmesan sauce, cooked quickly in an air fryer for perfect bites.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs chicken wings, split and tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 0.5 tsp kosher salt
04 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
05 - 0.5 tsp garlic powder
06 - 0.5 tsp paprika

→ Garlic Parmesan Sauce

07 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
02 - In a large bowl, toss chicken wings with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12 minutes, flip, then cook an additional 10 to 13 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
04 - Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning. Remove from heat.
05 - Transfer cooked wings to a clean bowl. Pour garlic butter over wings, add Parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes if desired. Toss to coat thoroughly.
06 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Crispy exterior and juicy inside in under 30 minutes with zero oil splatters or deep fryer cleanup.
  • The garlic Parmesan coating tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually barely touched it.
  • Naturally gluten-free and works perfectly for game days, casual appetizers, or when you want something impressive but easy.
02 -
  • Never skip flipping halfway through—the bottom side needs that direct heat to get as crispy as the top, and skipping this step will leave you with one soggy side.
  • Let your garlic cook just long enough to turn fragrant, not to brown; I once got distracted and turned around to find my butter smoking and my entire sauce tasting harsh and bitter.
  • Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or your wings will steam instead of crisp; if you have more than 1.5 lbs, cook in two batches.
03 -
  • Dry your wings with paper towels before seasoning—excess moisture creates steam in the air fryer and prevents crisping, so this one step makes a real difference.
  • If you're doubling the recipe for a crowd, cook in two batches rather than crowding the basket; your second batch might take slightly less time since the air fryer is already at temperature.

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