These pan fried crispy chicken wings with garlic parmesan sauce are a crowd pleaser! Pan fried chicken wings are lightly seasoned and have a golden brown exterior with crispy skin. Tossed in a homemade garlic parmesan sauce with loads of fresh garlic and heavy cream. Such an easy way to make wings!
Add these to your game day board or serve for a fun dinner with carrot and celery sticks, your favorite frozen French fries or tater tots, and some dipping sauces. You might also like these Cauliflower Wings or Air Fryer Chicken Bites.
Find all of my appetizer and chicken recipes here for more inspiration!
Recipe Highlights
- Crispy and Golden Wings: The pan-frying method gives the wings a crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy, making each bite satisfying. My favorite way to cook wings!
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce: So simple, yet so delicious! Fresh garlic is sautéed in butter in fragrant and combined with rich heavy cream and shredded parmesan cheese. A crack of fresh black pepper and you have a tangy, salt sauce that pairs perfectly with the wings.
- No Deep Frying: skip the messy oil and deep fryer, make these wings a bit healthier and save your stove top in the process! A splatter guard can help keep the mess of pan frying at bay.
- Simple and Quick: This makes a quick appetizer or meal, perfect for game day! Kids and adults will love this and the sauce is a hit with everyone, serve extra sauce on the side for dipping or pair with ranch and hot sauce!
Pan Fried Chicken Wings
Pan frying chicken wings is a method that is less common then frying, smoking, or grilling but always comes out with a crispy exterior and tender interior. I don’t have a smoker and don’t often think of grilling my wings (or I just crave wings at a time that is inconvenient for both).
Pan frying eliminates the need to heavily coat wings or make a mess with hot oil. Plus these can be paired with any sauce homemade or not! While I am biased toward my homemade garlic parm sauce – these would pair well with a Asian BBQ type sauce, classic buffalo, or serve plain with dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese.
Ingredient List & Substitutions
These wings are made of simple ingredients and can easily be customized, if an ingredient can be substituted you will find it below along with any additional notes.
- Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee can all be substitutes. Use this for pan frying the chicken wings.
- Garlic: add as much fresh garlic as desired, minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Heavy cream: heavy cream is the best here as it reduced down into a thick, rich sauce. Full fat half and half may work in substitute but I would not recommend using milk.
- Seasoning: these wings are seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little chili powder. I keep the seasoning on the wings simple as the parmesan sauce has a lot of flavor. Other seasonings like cayenne pepper, cumin, or paprika can be added.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter so I can customize the salt better throughout the recipe. Butter is used for the garlic parmesan sauce.
- Parmesan: shredded parmesan cheese creates a rich, salty sauce that thickens up nicely!
- Chicken wings: bone-in chicken wings can be found in the refrigerated poultry section of your grocery store. Use just drummies or flats or a mix of both. If you get whole chicken wings, separate the flat and the drum and remove the wing tips.
How to Make The Chicken Wing Recipe
Let’s talk a little about how to make the Pan Fried Crispy Chicken Wings with Garlic Parmesan Sauce (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
- In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Pat chicken wings dry well with paper towels and add to a large mixing bowl. Season wings with the seasoning blend, coat well.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once the oil is warm, add in a single layer of chicken wings. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, don’t move wings until ready to flip. Flip and cook for 5-6 minutes on the other side. Cook wings in batches if needed. Set wings on a wire rack after cooking.
3. While the wings cook, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Mix in heavy cream and parmesan cheese, reduce heat to medium. Simmer, whisking often until the sauce begins to thicken, 5-6 minutes. Season with black pepper and set aside. This is my favorite wing sauce!!
4. After the wings have cooked, toss or drizzle with the garlic parmesan sauce. Serve immediately. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the wings is 165 degrees F. Can be tossed in your favorite sauce.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
These pan-fried chicken wings are great on their own with some additional dipping sauces or elevate them to a full meal with the following side ideas (find other great ideas here – 30 Side Dish Recipes to Serve with Chicken Wings):
Tools I Recommend Using
- Large Skillet – this is the perfect size for sautéing large batches of chicken wings, this pan holds about half of this recipe so I only have to cook in two batches. I love the nonstick ceramic material and this pan has help up nicely so far.
- Splatter Guard – such a game changer for pan-frying or sautéing at home without making a huge mess on your stove top! This splatter guard keeps the grease inside the pan.
- Mixing Bowls – I use this set of Anchor Hawking bowls for prepping my ingredients, I like the different sizes and the fact that they nest together, saving space! Just pop them in the dishwasher and they clean up nicely.
- Wire Rack – place the chicken wings on a wire rack after pan-frying so they don’t get soggy. I have several wire racks that fit inside of my half sheet pans.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen wings for pan-frying?
Yes, you can use frozen chicken wings, but be sure to fully thaw them before pan frying to ensure even cooking. Frozen wings may release excess moisture, which could affect the crispiness and ability for the sauce to stick. Fresh chicken wings are recommended.
How do I make sure the wings are crispy?
To get crispy wings, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the wings. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the wings will absorb too much oil and become soggy. Use medium-high heat and fry the wings in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. In between batches, let wings sit on a wire rack to the bottoms don’t get soggy either.
How long do I pan fry the wings for?
It typically takes around 6-7 minutes per side, depending on the size of the wings and the heat of the oil. Ensure the wings reach an internal temperature of 165°F before consuming.
How do I store leftover wings?
If you have leftovers, store the wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, you can use a pan to crisp them up again or reheat them in an oven or air fryer.
Can I make the garlic parmesan sauce ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the garlic wing sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Just reheat it on the stovetop over low heat when you’re ready to toss the wings for service.
How can I make these wings spicy?
To add spice, you can include red pepper flakes or hot sauce in the parmesan sauce or add hot sauce to the wings before serving.
Cooking Tip
Use a splatter guard to keep messes at bay when making the pan-fried wings. These come in handy in so many different recipes!
Pan Fried Crispy Chicken Wings with Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Wings
- 3 1/2 – 4 pounds Chicken wings , trim if needed
- 2 tbsp Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
For the Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Shredded parmesan
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Pat chicken wings dry and add to a large mixing bowl. Season wings with the seasoning blend, coat well.3 1/2 – 4 pounds Chicken wings , 2 tbsp Kosher salt, Fresh cracked black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder, 1 tsp Onion powder, 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once the oil is warm, add in a single layer of chicken wings. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, don't move wings until ready to flip. Flip and cook for 5-6 minutes on the other side. Cook wings in batches if needed. Set wings on a wire rack after cooking.2 tbsp Olive oil
- While the wings cook, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Mix in heavy cream and parmesan cheese, reduce heat to medium. Simmer, whisking often until the sauce begins to thicken, 5-6 minutes. Season with black pepper and set aside.2 tbsp Unsalted butter, 3-4 Garlic cloves, 1 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Shredded parmesan, Fresh cracked black pepper
- After the wings have cooked, toss or drizzle with the garlic parmesan sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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We enjoyed the Pan Fried Chicken Wings with Garlic Parmesan Sauce. The sauce was amazing on the wings! I will use it with my grilled chicken too! My husband has never been a fan of salt so next time I’ll cut the 2T to 1T.
Thank you for trying them!