Chicken wings are a universally loved party food, a staple "bar food" introduced in the 1950s. While classic wings are often deep-fried and tossed in various sauces, this keto-friendly version offers a healthier and equally delicious alternative. These Keto Garlic Parmesan Wings are a fan favorite for a reason! You will be licking your fingers and asking for more. You can’t beat these crispy Keto Chicken Wings dripping with luscious garlic parmesan sauce.
These keto air fryer garlic parmesan wings are simple to prepare and make a super tasty appetizer or meal. Whether you prefer baking or air frying, this recipe provides options for achieving perfectly crispy wings with a luscious garlic parmesan sauce.
Why Chicken Wings on Keto?
Chicken wings, on their own, are naturally keto-friendly. However, it's crucial to avoid wings with thick breading or 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.
Choosing Keto-Friendly Wing Sauces
When selecting wing sauces on a keto diet, look for options coated in naturally sugar-free seasonings and sauces. 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!
The Secret to Crispy Keto Chicken Wings
Baking powder 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. 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.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Preparing the Wings
Ingredients
- 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. Joanie likes to use Fresh Chicken Wings that are already split and thaw them before air frying.
- Baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- 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. Garlic is grown in our area as a cash crop because the deer won’t eat it. That means there is fresh home-grown garlic available all year around. That is the best but you can also use prepared minced garlic for convenience.
- 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. Shredded Parmesan Cheese works the best for these wings.
- 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.
Instructions
- 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.
- Add seasoning: In a spice jar, combine the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Bake at low temp: Bake 30 minutes at 250ºF minutes, until the wings feel dry and crisp.
- Bake again: Increase the oven heat to 425ºF. Place the wings back on the rack, skin side down.
- 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.
- Season with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil. Mix so coating is uniform.
Marinating the Wings (Optional)
For enhanced flavor, marinate the wings after tossing them with garlic, salt, pepper, and oil. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before air-frying.
Cooking Methods
Oven-Baked Keto Garlic Parmesan Wings
Truly crispy oven baked wings with a buttery garlic parmesan sauce. This is honestly the best method for oven-baked wings out there.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 250ºF and place a baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the rack with oil to prevent sticking.
- Coat with Baking Powder: 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.
- Add Seasoning: In a spice jar, combine the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle lightly over the wings on both sides.
- Bake: Bake 30 minutes, until the wings feel dry and crisp to the touch.
- Increase Heat and Flip: 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.
- Prepare the Sauce: Melt the butter in a microwaveable safe bowl or in a saucepan. Whisk in the garlic and parsley.
- Toss and Serve: 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.
Air Fryer Keto Garlic Parmesan Wings
The easiest way to prepare wings is by air-frying. After they are air-fried they can be tossed with your preferred sauce. Pat your wings dry before air frying and use a light olive oil coating of your Air Fryer basket before cooking. The Air Fryer will eliminate this problem.
- Preheat: Preheat air fryer to 400℉ (200℃).
- Prepare Wings: Place wings in a large bowl. Drizzle avocado oil over wings and toss to coat. Add minced garlic, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper to the wings and toss again to coat.
- Air Fry: Place wings on the air fryer basket or tray with space between wings so air can circulate (may need to cook wings in 2 batches depending on basket or tray size). Cook chicken wings for 25 to 30 minutes flipping halfway through the cooking time (25 minutes for thawed wings and around 30 minutes for frozen wings, or until done).
- Prepare Garlic Parmesan Sauce: When the wings are done frying, melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl, then add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes . Add 1/4 of parmesan cheese for flavor. Stir to combine.
- Toss and Serve: Add cooked wings to a large bowl and drizzle the cooked wings with the melted butter and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese & chopped parsley and toss the wings to coat. Plate and then add a garnish of the remaining grated parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley.
Additional Air Fryer Tips
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees.
- Place one layer of wings in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the wings and cook for 15 additional minutes.
- If you are using frozen wings, start the Air Fryer at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, then pump up the temperature to 390 degrees for 25 minutes.
Garlic Parmesan Sauce Variations
The Garlic Parmesan Sauce in Joanie’s recipe is simple and delicious. A combination of freshly grated Parmesan (boxed or jarred parmesan will just not work), butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley are all that is needed. Joanie adds some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick, but they are optional. She also likes to coat the wings before cooking with a little garlic powder and olive oil.
- Roasted Garlic: Another delicious idea is to use chopped roasted garlic instead of fresh raw garlic in your sauce. Check our French Garlic Soup Recipe for instructions on how to make roasted garlic.
- Smoked Paprika: For another taste twist, add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the wing coating for a unique smoky flavor for your wings (before cooking).
- Crushed Red Pepper: Frontier Co-op Organic Crushed Red Chili Pepper delivers vibrant heat and bold flavor. Made from high-quality organic chilies, it’s perfect for adding spice to any dish. Just a pinch of this crushed chili pepper brings bold spice to your favorite dishes.
Serving and Storing
Garlic Parmesan Wings (Air Fryer) are the perfect snack meal for “game day” or any day. Less than 1g of carbs and so delicious.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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.
Equipment Recommendations
- Air Fryer: We did a lot of research before deciding on our Cosori Air Fryer. It has become a major gift item for the Holidays and we can see why. Quicker meal prep, ease of use, uniform results with measured cook times, no greasy splatters, and a lot of fun. We do suggest a 5.8 quart if you have a spot for the larger size. The Cosori has a more square-like basket and it just holds more than the round basket models. We like the digital pre-sets and the 1700 watts of power. The Cosori model we chose can also be controlled with a phone app over WiFi - it even responds to Alexa.
- Ninja Foodie: I have a Ninja Foodie which can be used to air fry, pressure cook, and more. I have a NInja Foodie which I love. You can use it to air-fry, pressures cook, saute, and more.
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