Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen, Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
These wings use the same baking-powder oven method as the classic recipe, then get tossed in gently cooked garlic butter with chilli flakes before a final toss in parmesan and parsley.
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Method
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Equipment
- 2 large baking trays
- 2 wire racks that fit the trays
- large mixing bowl
- instant-read thermometer
- small saucepan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 474 kcal |
| Protein | 36.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.4 g |
| of which sugars | 0.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 34.7 g |
| of which saturates | 13.4 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g |
| Salt | 2.42 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Wings
- 1.2 kg chicken wings, split into drumettes and flats tips removed
- 2 tsp baking powder (not bicarbonate of soda)
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Garlic parmesan butter
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 40 g parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
To serve
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1
Dry and season. Pat the split wings dry with kitchen paper, then toss with the baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl, as in the classic base method. Baking powder raises the pH of the skin so it browns and blisters in the oven; use baking powder rather than bicarbonate of soda, which leaves a soapy taste.
- 2
Arrange on racks. Spread the wings skin-side up on wire racks over two trays, leaving space between them. Refrigerating uncovered for 1 hour up to overnight dries the skin further for extra crispness, though it's optional. Twenty minutes before baking, bring the oven to 120°C (100°C fan), with shelves in the lower-middle and upper-middle positions.
- 3
Render at low heat. Bake at 120°C (100°C fan) on the lower-middle shelves for 30 minutes to render the fat out slowly. This gentle stage sets up a crisper skin once the oven temperature rises.
- 4
Blast at high heat. Turn the oven up to 220°C (200°C fan) and bake for a further 40-50 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through. Bake until deep golden and blistered, with the thickest drumette reading at least 74°C, ideally closer to 80°C for maximum tenderness.
- 5
Make the garlic butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add the grated garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and just turning pale gold. Keep the heat low and watch closely, since browned garlic turns bitter almost instantly and would spoil the whole dish.
- 6
Toss in garlic butter. Rest the wings for 5 minutes, then tip them into a big bowl and toss with the warm garlic butter until evenly coated. The butter gives the parmesan something to stick to in the next step.
- 7
Finish with parmesan. Add the grated parmesan and chopped parsley to the bowl and toss again briefly so the cheese clings to the buttery skin and softens slightly. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Storage
Keep plain baked wings in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months; make the garlic butter and parmesan topping fresh rather than storing it sauced. Reheat wings in a hot oven until piping hot (74°C) before tossing in a fresh batch of garlic butter and parmesan. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
