Copycat recipe
Copycat Garlic Parmesan Wing Rub
Garlic Parmesan is the savoury counterpart to Lemon Pepper and the second best-seller. It is rich enough that ten wings feel like more than ten, which is worth knowing before you make a large batch.
The whole recipe hinges on one decision: which parmesan you use. Get that wrong and it clumps into wet lumps rather than coating evenly.
Ingredients
Everything you need
- 4 tbsp Finely grated hard parmesanThe dry, powdery kind — see tips
- 2 tbsp Granulated garlicGranulated, not garlic salt
- 2 tsp Fine sea salt
- 2 tsp Dried parsley
- 1 tsp Coarse black pepper
- 4 tbsp Melted butterFor tossing
- 2 cloves, crushed Fresh garlicOptional, warmed into the butter
Method
1. Combine the parmesan
Combine the parmesan, granulated garlic, salt, parsley and black pepper in a bowl. Mix until evenly distributed with no visible pockets of any single ingredient.
2. If you want a deeper garlic note
If you want a deeper garlic note, warm the crushed fresh garlic gently into the melted butter for two or three minutes over a low heat, then strain the solids out. Do not let it colour — browned garlic turns bitter and the bitterness carries straight through to the wings.
3. Fry or bake the wings until genuinely
Fry or bake the wings until genuinely crisp. This flavour is rich, and a soft wing underneath it becomes heavy very quickly.
4. Toss the hot wings in the butter
Toss the hot wings in the butter first, then add the seasoning mix and toss again until evenly coated.
5. Serve immediately
Serve immediately. Parmesan on a cooling wing goes from coating to crust to slightly waxy, and the window is shorter than with a lemon pepper rub.
Notes & troubleshooting
- Use dry powdered parmesan, not freshFreshly grated parmesan carries moisture and fat that clump the moment they hit a hot buttered wing. The dry, finely powdered kind — the sort sold in a shaker — behaves like a seasoning rather than a cheese, which is exactly what this needs. This is the single most common reason a homemade version comes out lumpy.
- Granulated garlic, never garlic saltGarlic salt is mostly salt, so using it means you cannot control the seasoning independently. Granulated garlic lets you dial the garlic up without making the whole batch inedible.
- Serve with something sharpThis is a rich flavour and it flattens by the eighth wing. Celery or a squeeze of lemon resets your palate between them and makes the second half of the plate as good as the first.
Questions
Why did my parmesan clump?
You almost certainly used freshly grated cheese. Use the dry powdered kind — it behaves as a seasoning rather than melting into lumps.
Can I make it spicy?
Add half a teaspoon of cayenne to the mix. That approximates a spicy garlic parmesan without changing anything else.
Is this the same as the restaurant version?
It is a worked approximation, not the actual formula. The proportions here get close; the commercial version uses a finer, more uniform cheese powder than most home kitchens can buy.
More recipes
Copycat Lemon Pepper Wing Rub
The best-seller. Four ingredients and one technique that matters.
Read →
Copycat Buttermilk Ranch Dip
Thick enough to cling. And it needs an hour in the fridge before it tastes right.
Read →
Copycat Seasoned Fries
The seasoning is easy. The double fry is what makes them.
Read →
Copycat Cajun Fried Corn
The side people walk past, and the easiest of these five to get right.
Read →