Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings Recipe

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I’m usually a meat-off-the-bones kind of girl, but an easy slow cooker chicken wings recipe (or some crispy chicken thighs!) can convert even me. And, these garlic parmesan chicken wings definitely did. Season the wings, coat them with a garlic butter and then let the slow cooker do the work. The garlic parmesan chicken wings are cooked until tender and then crisped up in the oven until golden brown. No deep frying necessary!

Serve slow cooker wings with celery sticks and carrot sticks along with your favorite dip or dressing: blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, or hot pepper sauce. These sauces also go great with other chicken wing recipes.

I like to make low carb slow cooker recipes year round – the convenience is just impossible to beat. A couple of my favorites are creamy Tuscan garlic chicken, pulled pork, and beef barbacoa. I’ve even modified my popular broccoli cheese soup recipe for the slow cooker after people started asking for it. Try one of these slow cooker recipes next time!

Can You Cook Chicken Wings In A Slow Cooker?

Yes! Cooking wings in the slow cooker results in tender wings that are cooked to perfection with minimal effort. The wings are finished in the oven to crisp them up and then they are ready to be devoured.

Slow Cooker Chicken Wings Ingredient List

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this slow cooker chicken wings recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Chicken Wings – I prefer to get my organic chicken wings delivered right to my door, but any wings that are separated into chicken wing sections will work.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Butter – I prefer grass-fed butter for nutrition and flavor, but you can use any unsalted butter. If you use salted, you’ll need to reduce the sea salt.
• Garlic – I used fresh minced garlic, but you can also use the kind from a jar, or substitute 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.
• Parmesan cheese – I recommend shredded parmesan, but grated will also work.
• Green onions – Optional, but they make a great garnish for Crock Pot chicken wings. Chives can also be used.

How To Cook Wings In A Slow Cooker

This section shows how to make this garlic parmesan chicken wings recipe with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

• Season chicken wings. The first thing to do is place the wings in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

• Make garlic butter. Heat butter and garlic together in a medium bowl or saucepan.

• Coat chicken wings. Pour garlic butter mixture over the wings and stir so they are coated evenly.

• Slow cook. Cook time on High is about 3 hours, or about 6 hours on Low, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

• Crisp up. Spread cooked wings in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spritzed with cooking spray. Give them a quick broil for about 5 minutes until crispy and golden. This step is key for crispy skin.

• Finish. The last step is to remove the wings from oven and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Broil for another 1-2 minutes, until melted. Garnish. Your delicious chicken wings are ready!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can put raw meat into a slow cooker, you just want to be sure to use the correct cooking temperature and time and cook it to a safe temperature.

Can you use frozen chicken wings in the slow cooker?

Yes, but not directly. Do not place frozen wings right into the slow cooker. There are two problems with this:

1. There’s some controversy around whether this is safe. The USDA recommends against it, and while they tend to be conservative, in this case there is no reason to risk it. The reason is that placing frozen chicken wings in the slow cooker may leave them in the “danger zone” temperature (between 40 and 140 degrees F), where bacteria can breed, for too long. So even though the risk of food borne illness probably isn’t huge, it’s best not to risk it.
2. The ice crystals will melt and water things down. This isn’t a good thing anyway, since we are going for crispy chicken wings and want the garlic butter sauce to stick.

So, what to do instead? How to make garlic Parmesan chicken wings if all you have is frozen wings?

Simply thaw the frozen chicken wings first. Pat them dry before using in the recipe.

The easiest way to do it is in the fridge overnight, but a few hours in the morning is fine, too. Alternatively, if you’re in a hurry, you can use the defrost function on the microwave.

How do you make chicken wings not soggy?

The best way to get crispy chicken wings in the slow cooker? Finishing them off under the broiler. The slow cooker cooks them so they are nice and tender and then they can crisp up in the oven.

Storage Instructions

Store the chicken garlic parmesan wings recipe in an airtight container the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

If you want to prep these ahead, cook the wings in the slow cooker and then arrange on a sheet pan and refrigerate.

When you’re ready to eat your slow cooker chicken wings, turn on the broiler and finish the remaining steps. On the day of, they’ll take just 12 minutes in the oven set to broil – 5 minutes on each side, then 2 minutes to melt the cheese. It’s a quick appetizer recipe that you can prep ahead.

Can you freeze this garlic parmesan chicken wings recipe?

Yes, you can freeze the cooked wings for 2-3 months.

Reheating instructions:

For best results, heat wings in a 375 degree F oven, until hot. The cooking time will vary slightly depending on wing size.

More Easy Chicken Wing Recipes

If you like this garlic parmesan chicken wings recipe, you might also like some of these other easy recipes for chicken wings:

And see even more chicken recipes here!