Chicken wings are the perfect food! They work well as appetizers, for snacks, or just when you are in the mood for crispy deliciousness. If you want to take your chicken wings to the next level, fire up your wood oven and make these amazing garlic parmesan wings!
Choose Chicken Wings of Similar Size
When buying your chicken wings, choose ones that are of similar sizes to one another. This way, they will cook at a similar rate. This makes it easier to determine when the entire batch is done. There is also less of a chance of some of the wings ending up burnt during the process.
The other option is to separate the chicken wings into batches according to size. Then, cook the batches separately so that they all end up evenly cooked.
How to Get Your Chicken Wings Crispy
One of the trickiest parts of cooking chicken wings is getting them nice and crispy. A little known secret to getting them to crisp up is to dry brine the wings.
This causes the surface of the wings to dry out but the meat to remain nice and plump.
To dry brine the wings, use kosher salt. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt all over the wings. Then, place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Arrange the wings on the wire rack and then place in the refrigerator overnight.
When the skin is dry to the touch, then you know that they are ready to be cooked.
Baking the Chicken Wings As-Is
It can be a bit confusing to see that you simply must pop the chicken wings in the oven without doing anything too them.
But, if you dry brine the wings, then you have already added salt and a lot of flavor. You don’t need anything else at this point.
It can be tempting to want to apply a thin layer of oil to the chicken wings, but you shouldn’t. When dry brining the wings, you made a lot of effort to ensure that the surface is dried out.
If you apply any oil, you will be undoing all your hard work.
Choose a Good Quality Cheese
Now, you may not want to buy a top-notch parmesan cheese for this recipe, but it is a good idea not to skimp on the quality, either. As a key ingredient, a good quality parmesan can make all the difference to this recipe.
If you prefer your wings to have a milky, creamy sauce, then look for a younger parmesan. If you want your cheese sauce to have some tang to it and be a little spicier, then opt for a cheese that has been aged for longer.
Make sure to avoid parmesan that has already been grated. Instead, if possible, but a wedge of cheese straight from the wheel. Then, grate the cheese yourself, just before you use it in the sauce.
Making the Sauce – Fresh Garlic vs. Garlic Powder?
As you can see from the recipe, you have the option of using either fresh or powdered garlic – which one should you choose?
Well, there is no right or wrong answer. Instead, you need to consider what kind of flavor profile you prefer with your sauce.
Do you prefer a strong taste of garlic? If so, go with the garlic powder as it has a more potent taste. On the other hand, if you prefer a milder flavor, then fresh garlic is the way to go.
If you want your chicken wings to have some added texture, however, the minced garlic can help here.
Cooking the Chicken Wings According to Internal Temperature
A lot of people prefer to cook chicken wings based on time and appearance. The problem here, though, is that the margin for error is just too high.
If you end up cooking at the wrong temperature for too long, you will overcook the wings and end up with a dried-out dish.
This is why you should always use a meat thermometer to guide you. Stick one into the fleshiest part of the chicken wing to get an accurate reading.
When the internal temperature hits 145°F, then it is time to take the chicken wings out. Go ahead and give it a try – you will see how much easier it is to get perfect chicken wings this way.
Should You Cook the Wings in the Sauce?
As you can see from the recipe, once the wings are almost done, you take them out, slather them in sauce and pop them in for a little longer.
This is a good technique because it ensures that the ingredients in the sauce cook through, allowing those flavors to really pop and meld with one another. It also lets the sauce really work its way into the chicken wings.
If you feel like this is too much hassle, though, you can choose to skip this step. Instead, cook the chicken wings to 145°F. Take them out and then toss them in the sauce. This technique will not have quite the same effect, nonetheless.
This is the best wood fired garlic parmesan chicken wings recipe you can find. It is tasty, creamy, tangy, and a whole lot more! Try it just once and it is sure to become a favorite for game day or whenever you have guests over. Or you may just end up making a batch for you to enjoy!
